Desert Soak

There are hot springs, and then there are Southwest hot springs.

Here, the water comes up through ancient volcanic rock and desert fault lines, carrying minerals that have been brewing for millennia. You can soak at 7,000 feet with red rock views in Zion, or float in a 102°F pool while the desert stars come out over Moab. Some pools require a 4WD and a willingness to hike. Others come with a developed campground and a picnic table. We cover both — because the best soak is the one that fits your adventure.

The Basin and Range Province stretches across Utah and Nevada, and the Rio Grande Rift cuts through Arizona — along these fault lines, groundwater heated by the earth's crust rises to the surface. That geology has created more than 60 soakable springs across three states — from backcountry pools reached only by trail near Sedona to developed resorts along the Wasatch Front.

Some are a short walk from the parking lot. Others require a full day's hike and a night in a tent. All of them carry the same minerals that have drawn people to these desert waters for centuries.