Hannah Hot Spring

Category: Hot Springs-soakable

GPS GeoCoords: 33.40028, -109.15194

TempF - 133° at the source but cooled down into the stone-dammed pool. Perhaps the most isolated hot spring in the state of Arizona, Hannah is a true wilderness experience, requiring a hike of 10-15 miles round trip.

The hike requires endurance and strenuous rock-scrambling and creek-wading on your part. There are no facilities so you will have to pack everything you need in.

Access is via US191 onto Juan Miller Road and then down to the Blue River by Ranch Road, a dirt road servicing the Fitz Ranch south of the confluence of the Blue and Little Blue. From the ranch, it is a 5 mile hike up the Blue River, heading right where the Little Blue Creek joins. There are no established trail from here . . . you just have to follow the Little Blue Creek north until you come to Hannah Hot Springs Creek. The springs and pool are located up this canyon less than half a mile. One idea is to find a 'safe' camping area to overnight, and then explore the springs and canyn off the Little Blue the following morning.

Directions: From Tucson head 91 miles east to the junc with US191 near the mining operation of Morenci.

Unverified: From Morenci take a dirt road north to the Blue Range to the river at the XXX Ranch. Start hiking the Blue River Trail (Trail #101). At 5 miles in you enter the Blue Range Primitive Area. Continue to the confluence of the Blue and Little Blue as described below.

The other route from a friend takes US191 north from I10 to the Juan Miller Road at 33.271544, -109.358226. Take a right onto this dirt road. A mile or two in is a campground or you can continue in the full 12 miles to the junction with Ranch Road 33.298727, -109.206896 (on the north).

Ranch Road may or may not be posted . . . and it may or may not be in condition to drive in anything but a good high-clearance vehicle. At this point you need to decide whether to park and hike, or drive in as far as possible. The Fitz Ranch is located at the end of this road (33.348735, -109.182565). The Fitz Ranch would make a good staging area for the hike into the canyons the next day.

From the Ranch it is 4-5 miles to the hot springs. You start north generally following an old jeep trail along the Blue River until you reach the confluence of the Blue with the Little Blue. The trail continues to the NW along the Blue. This is where you leave trails behind and head up the Little Blue Creek Canyon to the NE, exploring canyons as you go. Very often you will be wading the creek itself as there just isn't any trail or banks in this steep canyon. A little past a jutting promentory in the creek is Hannah Hot Springs Canyon to the right (east). Climbing up into this canyon you'll soon find the hot springs pool.

My suggestion . . . set up camp before the hot springs canyon (out of flash flood danger and with an eye toward rockfalls from the steep canyon sides), and make the trek to the springs the following day with day packs.


GPX File of route from US191 to Fitz Ranch and then the hike to the hot springs.