Hot Well Dunes Recreation Area

Wow! What a gem in the desert. It's rustic and out there. For $3, cash in an envelope...(a steal for the whole family). You can stay all day. Two kids & two adults, we stayed at the tubs for 4 hours. Some times we were alone and some times we shared the tub with several people. The bathrooms are clean and basic. There are some benches and tables surrounding the pools. Word is 2025, they will be re-doing the pools and adding more.
I think this little adventure was well worth it and a neat experience.

Good dune riding but some campers get pissy about atv noise. Drunk weirdos at hot tubs during the day.

The hot tubs are currently closed - but the rest of the area is open and available for use (for $3/day).

Haekel Road is paved to and from Hwy 70 east of Safford but the access roads to and from Bowie or Hwy 191 that connect to Haekel Road are not - nor are roads/trails within the Recreation Area (so plan on driving slower on unimproved dirt roads).

Be sure to note the many rules for "off-road"/ATV use. Also be aware that sheriff deputies patrol the local roads to, from, and around Hot Well Dunes.

This review is more for the hot wells themselves, as I am not a toy-driving redneck.

I'm a hippie nudist outdoorswoman, so I came here to camp and soak in the hot wells. As far as camping goes, this is a GREAT spot -- I was here mid-week, midwinter, so the place was deserted. It was quiet, peaceful and a gorgeous place to camp, nestled among the dunes and creosote bushes. The toilets were clean and at $3, it's a really good value.

My quibble is with the hot wells themselves -- the water is supposedly 106 degrees at the source, but by the time it's pumped into the two concrete soaking tubs, it feels only like 102 or so -- nice, but could be a weeeeee bit hotter!

Also, the soaking tubs are NOT clothing-optional -- but since it was nearly deserted when I stayed there, I figured no one would really mind if I sneaked in nude. How wrong I was! The sole other couple there seemed really uncomfortable with my nudity :(

But the main drawback is that the pump is solar powered, so once the sun goes down, the tubs slowly drain out. I think they do it on purpose, to discourage late-night partying -- this does seem like the kind of place where rednecks go wild (in fact, I bet it's loud as f*ck on weekends or in summer).

So, from a soaking perspective, this place only warrants 3 stars. It's still a beautiful spot though, and a great place to camp. And if you DO ride ATVs and that stuff, you'll love it.

I just feel like it would be SO MUCH COOLER if the tubs stayed full all night, and were a little hotter!

Isn't it amazing what can be found while looking for something else? I stumbled upon the website for this desert treasure on a search for info on Imperial Dunes out at Glamis. HWDs is exactly what I wanted, maybe even needed, and didn't know it!

This protected 2,000 acre recreational area is the BOMB, and by that I mean HWDs is ATV/dirt bike/rail buggy HEAVEN! HWDs is a bare bones, no frills facility. BLM has an honor system envelope station by the entrance for you to pay - get this... $3 a day! Anyone who dodges $3 needs a spanking, and not the fun way. There are a couple of "bathrooms", no running water, no mirror, vaulted potty. Fussy fancy folks who need to do things like wash their hands better roll up in their RV. The campsites are really generous and some even offer shade. HWDs is (usually) the ultimate in desert dichotomy - sand & water. It is out in freaking BFE, seriously - you need to bring everything with you because there are no stores of any kind for a radius of rough dirt roads 45mins around. Oh, yeah, you are gonna get dirty, like crazy dusty, gritty dirt in every orifice. But, oh, it's so worth it. FUN, the kind of fun that bubbles out in bursts of laughter & wild screaming! The BLM website explains the fabulous phenomenon that resulted in this seemingly endless supply of sand dunes as an ancient beach millions of years ago. The sand is soft and deep, making for happy landings for your inevitable wipeouts.

Ok, now, I have some really bad news to deliver. Currently, the Hot Well part of HWDs is a No Go. Whaaaaat?! Yep - it almost killed my buzz. They have two tubs, that a deep (1920 ft deep) artesian well fills with 106 degree mineral water. It is exactly what your aching muscles scream for after a day of riding! It's perfect, yet for now, it's a perfect bummer, situation no aqua.

My 1st time at HWDs, I encountered a very nice park ranger who informed me of the $150 penalty per ATV/dirt bike I'd be getting if he caught us riding w/o OHV decals & safety flags. I politely thanked him and hightailed it outta there to get legit and returned the whoop it up the next day. I've been out there a few more times, and haven't seen another ranger, but be warned, they might not all be so forgiving.

As my body heals the physical souvenirs of my latest full on blast I had out there, my spirit hungers for the next adventure at HWDs.

Stumbled upon this place while diligently driving my RZR 1000 turbo thru bowie AZ. I was a nice sight to see hot tubs in the middle of the desert! I stripped down naked and got right on in! Not recommend if anyone is around, it does state its prohibited. We were all alone and had a romantic time all up inside the hot wells dunes recreation hot tub! It is a very erotic place to be as loud as you want! ! had a great experience with several friends sharing the same. The restrooms are clean vaulted and well maintained. There are plenty of trails to ride on and not a lot of people here in the summer time. The winter time however its packed and I wouldn't try coming if your looking to be one with nature.