Spring
Drag the handle to compare the two views. The orange dot marks the spring, in a frame about three quarters of a mile wide.
Thirty-five miles or so from Arenas Valley, a proper hike from the road, an unnamed thermal point sits on Gila National Forest ground in Grant County. The water sits at the bottom end of soaking warm. Access is open to the public. Forks Campground is the nearest camp, a bit under seven miles away. No photo exists.
Reaching it is a three-mile hike from an unnamed road, which puts it in the hike class on the record. Forest Service land, national forest designation, at moderate elevation. Winters carry a moderate snow load and the yearly precipitation is lean, with mild averages. Forks Campground is about seven miles off.
The record's best months fall in winter, though the hike is long enough that snow on the ground will slow you. Temperature and chemistry trace to a 1962 sample, so treat the warmth as unconfirmed. No fee is recorded. It is open forest land. Camp at Forks if you want a base.
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 Spring.
- Setting
- Canyon floor
- Steep ground climbs away on both sides of the spring.
- Highest ground nearby
- 686 ft above the spring
- Within a quarter mile, to the south
A slice through the ground from northwest to southeast, about 0.6 miles end to end.
Elevation data: USGS 3D Elevation Program. Aerial imagery: USGS The National Map. Public domain.
That's about 1½ times the US average of 65. It's higher than at 53% 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.
See every spring on the geothermal heat map →
Heat flow estimate: Stanford Thermal Earth Model (Aljubran & Horne, 2024), CC BY 4.0.
The water at Spring is slightly alkaline (pH 7.8) with 505 mg/L total dissolved solids. It is notably rich in chloride (natural antiseptic with skin health benefits).
Some links are affiliate links. We may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
This campground features beautiful cliffs along the West Fork of the Gila River.This campground is a great place to stop on the way to the Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument (15 miles north). Overnight camping is allowed in the upper portion of Forks; however, the lower portion of the Forks Recreation Site along the West Fork of the Gila River is day use only.
Spring sits at 5,817 feet above sea level, way above the mile-high mark. You may not feel the altitude strongly, but hot water still dehydrates you faster at elevation. UV is about 23% stronger than at sea level, so bring sunscreen and drink more water than you normally would.
As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.
Spring is road-accessible, so you can bring more gear.
As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.
Springs Near Spring
More Springs Around 93°F
Slightly Alkaline Springs (pH ~7.8)
Hike 1 waterfall near Spring
Looking for more outdoor adventures? Explore waterfall hikes near Spring, New Mexico.