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| CASTLE
HOT SPRINGS was once an exclusive resort for the rich in the middle of the Arizona desert. Now, the property is
privately owned property and there are no tours. It is easy enough to find
but the road to get there is dirt and not in very good
shape. To get there, take Castle Hot Springs Road to the main entrance
of Lake Pleasant. Instead of going into Lake Pleasant,
take the left part of the road. This road turns into
dirt and becomes very rough so a four wheel drive vehicle is very valuable in this location. The desert scenery is fantastic
with thousands of Saguaro Cacti along the route. The
old resort property is the one with the large stand of palm trees
and the nicely mowed grass. One of the major buildings
of the resort was burned to the ground about ten years
ago but you can still see the foundation. It is definitely a peaceful and beautiful location for a resort. |
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| The owners of the
property own quite a bit
of land around the resort so if you want to stop and
take pictures do it quickly as this is private property. I haven't had any negative dealings
with the new occupants but in the past, they often
tried to chase you off of the property. It would be nice if the present owners would restore the resort
and open it to the public again but I have not heard any plans to do this. The property has been
unused as a resort for quite some time and upgrading access would be expensive so it probably will not happen any time soon. If you continue
on the road past the resort, you definitely need a 4x4 vehicle.
You will eventually end up on US 60 in Morristown,
AZ if you continue on the road. This area can be very difficult to drive on if it rains so be sure to go only when the area is thoroughly dry. Remember that Arizona is subject to flash flooding as well and never drive across rapidly moving water. Arizona does have a "stupid motorist law" which means that if you drive through raging water and get stuck and have to be rescued, YOU pay the cost of rescue. When in doubt, it is best not to cross flood zones for this reason. |
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| The nearest RV park is located at Lake Pleasant Regional Park. This is a 4 X 4 adventure! |
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