Grapevine Spring

Graham County, Arizona · Near Pima
33.0080°N, 109.7780°W · 4,790 ft
91°F 71°F air · Good soaking weather 4,790 ft Restricted Short Walk SDOL Camping nearby (19.2 mi)
Aerial view of the ground around Grapevine Spring LiDAR bare-earth view of the same ground around Grapevine Spring
Aerial LiDAR bare earth

Drag the handle to compare the two views. The orange dot marks the spring, in a frame about three quarters of a mile wide.

Grapevine Spring is a warm spring on state trust land in Graham County, about nine miles from Pima. The water sits in the low nineties, on the cool side of soaking warm. Access is restricted. That restriction plus the SRMA designation means this is no place to turn up unannounced, and the record gives no hint of a pool or any development. The USGS lists the point with no chemistry attached.

Location

An unnamed road passes within a tenth of a mile, a short walk. The spring lies in upland desert at a fair height, where a winter might leave a handful of inches of snow and an average year sits in the mid sixties with ten inches or so of rain. Arizona State Trust Land, SRMA. Riverview Campground, around nineteen miles off, is the nearest the record can name for camping.

December through February are the listed months. The walk from the road is trivial. Restricted access on trust land means a call to the state land office first; do not assume a permit is unnecessary. Riverview Campground, a long way out, is the camp on file. Nobody has noted a fee. The water is mild and carries no heat risk.

Terrain

Aircraft with laser scanners measured this ground to within inches. The scan strips out trees and buildings, leaving the bare shape of the land around Grapevine Spring.

Setting
Hillside
The spring sits on a steep slope that climbs to the east.
Highest ground nearby
167 ft above the spring
Within a quarter mile, to the east
Cross-section through the spring

A slice through the ground from southwest to northeast, about 0.6 miles end to end.

Elevation data: USGS 3D Elevation Program. Aerial imagery: USGS The National Map. Public domain.

Heat Below
86 milliwatts per square meter of heat flow

That's about 1½ times the US average of 65. It's higher than at 25% of the springs on this site.

Heat flow measures the warmth working its way up through the ground from deep inside the earth. Where it runs high, rain and snowmelt that seep down through cracks in the rock come back up hot.

Heat flow estimate: Stanford Thermal Earth Model (Aljubran & Horne, 2024), CC BY 4.0.

Monthly Climate
45°
Jan
49°
Feb
56°
Mar
64°
Apr
73°
May
83°
Jun
84°
Jul
82°
Aug
77°
Sep
66°
Oct
54°
Nov
45°
Dec
Annual Precip: 10.2 in Annual Snow: 3.5 in
Best Time to Visit
December Air 45°F · Water 91°F · +47° contrast
January Air 45°F · Water 91°F · +46° contrast
February Air 49°F · Water 91°F · +42° contrast
December offers 40°F more contrast than July
Current Conditions
71°F
SE 3.6 mph 83% Good soaking weather
Tuesday 87° Low 71° Chance Showers And Thunderstorms 32% precip
Spring is +4° warmer
Wednesday 84° Low 70° Showers And Thunderstorms Likely then Chance Showers And Thunderstorms 83% precip
Spring is +7° warmer
Thursday 86° Low 68° Showers And Thunderstorms Likely then Chance Showers And Thunderstorms 55% precip
Spring is +5° warmer
Friday 88° Low 68° Slight Chance Showers And Thunderstorms 20% precip
Spring is +3° warmer
Saturday 88° Low 68° Slight Chance Showers And Thunderstorms 10% precip
Spring is +3° warmer
Where to Stay

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Nearby Camping
Riverview Campground 19.2 mi away

Riverview Campground offers a fantastic camping experience in the Gila Box Riparian National Conservation Area and is a short drive from Safford, Arizona. It is situated on a northern bench overlooking the Gila River and is surrounded by various day use sites along the river. There are 13 first come, first served campsites at Riverview Campground. Each site has picnic tables, fire rings, grills, and shade structures. The campsites were recently enlarged to improve access for trailers and RVs....

Stay limit In the Gila Box Riparian National Conservation Area, camping at developed sites — and primitive camping elsewhere — is limited to 14 consecutive days in a 28-day period.
Reserve on Recreation.gov →
Temperature
91°F
Warm Hot Boiling
Water Temp 91°F (33°C)
Avg Air Temp 65°F
Above Ambient +26°F
Warm air, warm water September
Access
Restricted
Road Access Short Walk
Distance to Road 0.1 mi
Land
Ownership State
Agency SDOL
Designation SRMA
Unit State Trust Land
Manager SDOL
Protection 4 - No known protection
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the water temperature at Grapevine Spring?
Grapevine Spring has a water temperature of 91°F (33°C). This is a warm thermal spring.
Where is Grapevine Spring located?
Grapevine Spring is located in Graham County, Arizona at 4,790 feet elevation, near Pima. Coordinates: 33.0080°N, 109.7780°W.
How do I get to Grapevine Spring?
Grapevine Spring has Short Walk road access (0.1 mi from the road).
Is Grapevine Spring free to visit?
Grapevine Spring has Restricted access. It is managed by SDOL.
Can I camp near Grapevine Spring?
Yes, Riverview Campground is located nearby (19.2 miles away).
Sources: USGS NWIS