During your visit to Phoenix, you will find pleasure in all the traditional activities that most visitors enjoy, but you may also find a very pleasant and unexpected surprise. It’s a rustic gem in the desert known as El Dorado Hot Springs.
The entrance
El Dorado Hot Springs is one-tenth of a mile west of 411th Avenue on Indian School Road. As you reach the entrance to El Dorado Hot Springs, you will see a humble-looking wooden sign that announces “Hot Spring.” After passing through various historical relics and artifacts, you will be greeted by the friendly and courteous staff.
Pool at sunset
You can reserve the “Sunset Pool,” so named because it is a great place to soak up the stresses of the day and experience a breathtaking Arizona sunset. You can drive your car a short distance from the Sunset Pool surrounded by a hedge of living bamboo. This gives this area a natural rustic beauty and secluded privacy.
This spa is open to the west, giving you an unobstructed view of the Arizona desert and the evening sunset. The view of Saddle Mountain is inspiring. Although this is an open desert, it is still a private setting. Wooden fences to the east and 25-foot living bamboo to the north provide all the privacy you need. Just soak in the warm mineral waters while enjoying the sunset with someone you love, natural or not. Either way, you will be hiding in a completely private area. Sunset Pool is actually a stone spa made from local volcanic stone, as well as stones from a nearby abandoned gold mine.
The spa is continuously fed by mineral spring water that flows through a large amethyst geode on one side, then exits the other side through a stone conduit; from there he waters the bamboo.
According to the owners of El Dorado Hot Springs, “The water has a natural pH of 8.3, so it acts as a conditioner on hair and skin. Small amounts of lithium in the water create a feeling of relaxed well-being after a bath. ‘ «.
The sound of the water flowing into the spa adds an additional element of relaxation to the experience. You can set the perfect temperature by controlling the amount of hot water that flows into the spa. There is a cooler little pool shaded by a palm tree and a handheld mineral water shower should you wish to rinse off. They provide a large table to take off your food and other belongings. There are also lounges, chairs, and another smaller table with a small tree for shade where you can relax when not soaking in the spa.
This private soaking area has a sliding shade screen over the pool, making summer bathing comfortable.
This spa area has a small solar powered lamp, but bring a flashlight if you intend to be there after sunset. It’s amazing how dark it can get in the desert on a moonless night. However, when the moon is full, it is very bright and inspiring to watch while diving into the Sunset Pool.
The corral
You can also visit the «Corral Pool». This is also a private soaking area, but very different from the Sunset Pool. This area, while retaining the rustic feel of El Dorado Hot Springs, has a little touch of modern living.
The plunge pool in this area is very large. Mineral water cascades into the pool with an old hand-held well pump, then down a rock waterfall. It is a very nice stream effect. This pool is equipped with a retractable umbrella and an adjustable misting system. There is also a very good standing mineral water shower. Visiting on hot days shouldn’t be a problem at the Corral given the cooling effects of these amenities.
The Corral also has a smaller soaking area and a cool pool.
Two sturdy cribs and two umbrella chairs provide another place to relax when you get out of the pool for a while. The Corral area is enclosed with a wooden fence for perfect privacy. There is a small rope light around the perimeter of the fence that gives you a unique lighting effect and provides the ideal amount of light to orient yourself after dark that can be turned off for a stunning view of the stars.
If you are from the city, you will be amazed by the stars you can see as you relax in the pools at El Dorado Hot Springs. Relaxing and enjoying the starlit night away from the city lights makes this a truly indescribable experience.
Other private soaking areas
In addition to Sunset and Corral, there are three other private soaking areas at El Dorado Hot Springs:
- Desert garden: the garden has sun, summer shade and sun loungers. It is very close to the California Motel cabin, a mineral water shower and the main bathroom area. It has two soaking tanks. The water temperature in each can be adjusted to your preference. Naturally heated spring water flows into one of them from an old farm water dispenser. Excellent stargazing at night.
- Lily Pond – Located next to a small pond filled with water lilies and thousands of tropical fish, the Lily Pond soaking area has a hot tank and a small cool tank. It’s under the shade of an old ironwood tree (the only tree that was on the property when the Dorado Hot Springs started) and is surrounded by palm trees, bamboo, bougainvillea, and tall grasses.
Tonopah Joe’s Restaurant & Lounge
Enjoy dinner at “Tonopah Joe’s,” located right at the end of the El Dorado hot springs. It’s like going back in time. Tonopah Joe’s is a total country experience with friendly, homey service that you would expect from such a place. Fried chicken is big, juicy, and delicious. The sides are all fresh and homemade too.
Final thoughts
You have most likely or will visit many of the popular tourist attractions in and around Phoenix. Whether you enjoy fine dining, shopping, museums, the outdoors, or simply the scenic beauty of the desert and mountains, then Phoenix and its surrounding areas are an oasis of fun and relaxation. If you’re looking for a relaxing detour from the hustle and bustle of most vacations and the chance to see a piece of Arizona’s natural wilderness up close, then a visit to El Dorado Hot Springs should be part of your plans.
Be careful: natural hot mineral water can be addictive! Never again will you visit the Phoenix area without stopping at El Dorado Hot Springs to soak up your worries. As they say in their ad, “El Dorado Hot Springs, A Million Miles From Monday …” This is not an exaggeration. When you relax in the warm mineral water and enjoy the serenity of the desert, this is exactly how you feel.
This article is based on a visit in 2005. Offers are subject to change without notice.
