Agua Caliente Ghost Town, Hyder, Arizona - Ghost Towns of Arizona and Surrounding States

Ghost Towns, Hyder, Arizona

Agua Caliente Ghost Town
I explored the ghost town of Agua Caliente and found much of the old rock cabins in ruins. These cabins must have been where the maintenance personal lived. The hotel is located about 200 yards up the highway but is littered with no trespassing signs. Because of the location and vibe, I decided not to explore the hotel grounds.

History:
Agua Caliente is Spanish for "hot water". Various peoples, beginning with Native Americans, Spanish missionaries (in 1748 and 1750), King Woolsey (a prominent landowner and resort developer in the late 1800's), miners, cowboys, all enjoyed the hot springs and facilities were added for their comfort. By 1870 there was a ranch and resort and hotel. One famous guest at the hotel was Arizona's first governor, George Hunt, in the late 1800s. Farmers irrigated crops from the waters also.

The resort faded until WWII when a swimming pool was constructed for military officers who used the resort. After this, though, the resort continued to decline. Causes of the decline were mainly the bypass of Agua Caliente by the Southern Pacific Railroad, Arizona State Hwy. 85, and I-8. Also the water dried up from either over-irrigation or that the springs were destroyed when developers blasted to expand the resort area.