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Flying into
Agua Caliente Springs Airport
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N4201B on the ramp. Agua Caliente Park in
the background. It's a 1/2 mile
walk though the desert on a
clearly marked trail but worth it.
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Best time of the year to go? |
Winter
into early Spring when the desert is in bloom. |
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Flight time in a Super Viking from KAJO? |
0.7 |
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Food on the airport? |
No |
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Fuel on airport? |
No |
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Landing or Handling fees? |
No |
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Comments about arriving and departing. |
From AFD: Wind permitting, use
of Rwy 29 for landing and Rwy 11 for dep recommended due to
460? hill ½ mile west of arpt. |
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Things to do at or near the airport. |
Hot Springs, Hiking and Camping all
within walking distance. |
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Rate this stop with 10 being best, 5 average. |
This is a nice day trip. Go in cooler
times of the year. 8.0 |
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Things to do in
Agua Caliente ! |
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I was looking for a short trip to a location I've never visited
before and that's getting pretty hard to find. Agua Caliente
wasn't even on my list but I saw it on the sectional. I've always
discounted this stop because I find few comments from pilots and
what comments I do find are poor at best. Not much to do, runway
in poor condition, tricky winds or simply too hot. I decided to
give it a try anyway. They are all lying!
Descending into the valley I spotted the airport. To my
surprise the ramp was full of planes. Someone on the radio was
calling the location of hostiles. WHAT! I scanned the sky thinking
I'd flown into an area being used by Air Force 1. Then saw the
dust of choppers on the ground. A couple of USMC Osprey's were
using the airport for an exercise. The USMC departed and I landed on runway 29 uphill with a slight
tailwind capturing one of the last tie downs.
Contrary to other
reports the runway and ramp conditions are good. Tie down chains are
provided and I suggest everyone used them. Desert winds are known to
come up without warning.
I noticed most pilots climbing out of their
planes wearing bathing suits and carrying towels. Seems many pilots
frequent this place for an afternoon soak in the hot springs flying
home a few hours later.
I set off up the marked trail to the park. The
ranger station had a
guide and after seeing the hot springs and camping area
I hiked up to Desert Overlook for some pictures. In was January 31st
but with recent rains the desert was already starting to bloom.
Suggest you bring some water, a picnic basket would be really nice.
The park is very well maintained. Camp grounds, bathrooms and
showers are immaculate.
This is a good day trip for hiking and a soak in
the springs. The desert has a unique beauty in the winter though
early spring and this is a great place to avoid the crowds and enjoy
it. Agua Caliente is a very relaxing place.
I think I've got it figured out. Pilots give this
place less than stellar reviews to keep it a secret. Don't worry, I
won't tell anyone.
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Pictures
from Agua Caliente Springs ! |
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The flight line at Agua Caliente Springs
Airport. |
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Arriving Aircraft. |
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John and Martha King on final |
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Agua Caliente Springs Airport |
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Walking to the park from the airport |
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It's about a 1/2 mile walk up a slight
grade to the park. |
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A PDF of the park guide with camping
locations, trails and other information. |
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Stop at the Ranger Station and pay your
fees. |
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Camping at Agua Caliente Park. |
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The Marsh Trail up to the Desert Overlook |
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Desert Foliage |
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A view from Desert Overlook of the pools
fed by natural hot springs. The outdoor pools are a natural
90 degrees, the indoor pool is heated to 102 degrees. |
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The airport as seen from Desert Overlook |
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V-22 Osprey's came back for another
mission while I was on Desert Overlook |
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V-22 Osprey's departing Agua Caliente.
This was a 3/4 mile shot with a $89 camera. |
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The outdoor movie theater. |
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At this point the only thing missing was
a horse with no name. |
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