Beyond the remoteness and solitude, there are a couple of reasons why I like this stretch of lonely, remote asphalt north of Interstate 10 near Wilcox, Arizona – 2,000 acres of sand dunes and a hot spring.
Haekel Road travels in a north-south direction to the north of Interstate 10, just to the east of Wilcox, Arizona. The road lies in the San Simon Valley between the Pelloncio Mountains to the east and the Pinaleño Mountains to the west. I discovered this road a few years ago when I went searching for the hot springs at Hotwell Dunes. Turns out, I enjoyed the road as much as the hot springs, and the sand dunes in the area – a bonus for a photographer like myself! To get to Haekel Road you first need to exit the Interstate in the small town of Bowie, AZ and head north for a few miles on pavement and then dirt, through the nut farms, until to you arrive at the start of the road. There’s a BLM sign pointing to the Hotwell Dunes Recreation Area to the north.
The road is paved, although it’s a bit rough in spots with some serious potholes (although that seems to be changing, they recently fixed the road north of the hot springs). I generally enjoy riding down this road because of the sense of isolation that I experience. There are no power lines, houses, buildings or anything else that reminds me of the civilization I am temporarily escaping – unless of course you count the occasional vehicle you might pass along the way.
It doesn’t take long to reach the turnoff to Hotwell Dunes Recreation Area, managed by the Bureau of Land Management. There is a $3.00 charge to use the facility and camping is allowed. There are several designated campsites in and around the hot springs and I’ve seen the area either completely deserted or completely full on a holiday weekend. Because the sand dunes are an officially designated OHV area, this place is defiantly on the radar of the ATV and side-by-side crowd.
I’ve camped at Hotwell Dunes several times in both my motorcycle and my 4×4 van. When I’m on the bike I prefer to camp in one of the official sites with picnic tables, etc. When I am in my van, I prefer to drive up into the hills and find a perch on top of one of the sand dunes. I’ve never seen anyone else camping in the actual sand dunes themselves, most people seem to prefer the official campground area.
The hot springs are fed by a pump that runs on solar power. For this reason they are only open during the day and then the water runs out of the tubs, to be replaced the following day. The tubs themselves are manmade and generally clean enough to enjoy a good soak in a beautiful and remote location.
Details
- Location: Southeast Arizona
- Distance: 35 miles
- Connects: I-10 Bowie, AZ – Highway 191
- Difficulty: Easy
- Road Surface: pavement, graded dirt roads, potholes
- Gas, Food & Lodging: Safford, AZ
- Camping: Hotwell Dunes Recreation Area (BLM)
- Season: Spring/Summer/Fall/Winter