Guadalupe Canyon

Guadalupe Canyon is a real desert oasis in Baja California, Mexico. The drive to Guadalupe Canyon hot springs requires a high-clearance vehicle and 35 miles on dirt roads through desolate desert landscape. Though the area is not easy to get to, the canyon is worth the extra effort to experience. The campground requires advanced reservations and is located approximately 55 miles or 2 hours from Mexicali, Mexico.

The area is occupied by two different campgrounds that line the palm-filled canyon. Advanced reservations are required to visit the hot springs, and the campgrounds typically close during the hot summer months. Each site is a little different, some have more amenities than others. Each campsite has its own private hot tub. Some of the larger sites have two or three pools or other added amenities. There are restrooms and showers on site, as well as a small store with very limited basic needs items. The water from the source of the spring comes out at 125 degrees, which is way too hot to soak in; be sure to check the water temperature of the tub before jumping in. The water temperature of the pools can be regulated by turning off the water or removing the hose fed from the spring. In addition to the hot springs, there are several large pools around the campgrounds perfect for a refreshing dip.

In between soaking in the cool water pools and hot tubs, go for a hike up the canyon to a cold water creek and six waterfalls. The first waterfall is located about 20 minutes from camp, and the sixth waterfall is roughly a 5.5-hour hike one way. There are swimming holes at the base of the waterfalls, where you can often find people cliff jumping into the cool pools below. There are also several popular climbing routes with anchors already in place near the waterfalls if climbing and rappelling are on your to do list.

Guadalupe Canyon offers camp bathrooms and showers, in which hot water from the springs is plumbed into a little wooden shack. Bathrooms consisted of both pit toilets in small outhouses that were hand built and flush toilets in small shacks.

Guadalupe Canyon has infrastructure in place to ensure that the hot springs remain in good condition after regular use. A camp host checks everyone into their site. They also maintain all the hot tubs and swimming holes/pools around the camp. They clean up each site after visitors leave. They strictly enforce camp rules. You can not visit the hot springs without having prior reservations that must be paid in full before showing up. They were also very strict about not allowing people to "hop tubs" into empty campsites. Be advised, and show up ready to follow the rules of Guadalupe Canyon. Reservations are available at Guadalupe Canyon Oasis and Guadalupe Canyon Hot Springs. Each campground and hot spring site is connected, and the land is owned and operated separately by members of the same family.