Agua Caliente Park

About Agua Caliente

Agua Caliente, literally meaning hot water, is a unique 101-acre park that features a perennial warm spring and pond that is home to an exceptionally rich mix of plants and animals. Agua Caliente Park has a long and interesting history with evidence of human habitation dating back about 5,500 years. In 1873, a ranch and health resort was developed to promote the curative properties of the warm springs. In 1984 local businessman Roy P. Drachman donated over $200,000 toward the purchase of Agua Caliente Ranch and Pima County named the park in honor of this contribution. Roy P. Drachman Agua Caliente Park opened to the public on January 19, 1985.

Improvements have added the modern conveniences without eliminating the historical aspects of the park. On July 9, 2009 Agua Caliente Ranch Rural Historic Landscape was placed in the National Register of Historic Places.

The flow rate from the spring has varied over time reportedly as high as 500 gallons per minute to an unmeasurable seep in recent years. The sources and pathways for the water that now infrequently comes out of the natural spring head are not fully understood. Rainfall and snow on the Santa Catalina Mountains, shallow and deep rock stresses and fractures as well as significant heat generated hundreds of feet below the surface, all contribute to the complex and changing system. In recent years the pond has been maintained with water pumped from a well located on the property.

Visit the renovated 1870s Ranch House Visitor Center and Art Gallery, tour the park on one of the many naturalist led walks, or picnic in the shade of mature palm trees and native mesquite trees. Browse through the many bird-related items for sale in Tucson Audubon Society’s Nature Shop. Stroll the network of accessible paved and gravel trails with interpretive signs that explain the geology and history of the warm spring and the natural and human history of the site.

Know the Rules

• No alcohol
• Barbecues may only be fueled with charcoal or propane
• No fishing, no wading or swimming, do not climb trees
• No bicycles, scooters, or skateboards
• Dogs on leash and clean up after your pet. No horses
• No motorized vehicles, motorized toys, or drones
• No pop-up shade canopies, jumping castles, piñatas, kites, confetti, and balloons or activities requiring staked nets or posts
• No loud music or PA systems
• No metal detecting and geocaching
• Do not release or abandon pets or wildlife
• No collecting firewood, plants, fish, wildlife, and any other natural or cultural resources
• Do not feed ducks or other wildlife

Brochures

• Agua Caliente Rack Card with Rules
• Agua Caliente Park History Brochure
• Agua Caliente Park Bird Brochure
• Please Don't Feed Wildlife
• Please Don't Abandon Your Animals

Permits

Special Event Permits
Pima County Natural Resources, Parks and Recreation is currently evaluating Special Event Permit requests on a case by case basis.

• A Special Event Permit is required for commercial events of any size and for organized activities with greater than 10 participants such as weddings, memorials, reunions, school functions, club events, and similar. Agua Caliente Park Special Event Request Form
• Fees will apply.
• Please note: Covid-19 pandemic restrictions are in place requiring applicants to supply an operational plan that details actions to be taken to be in compliance with federal, state and local guidance for operation during a pandemic, and includes how grantee will monitor and manage event participant compliance with these plan elements.

Research and scientific studies must have prior permission from Pima County Natural Resources, Parks and Recreation. A Right-of-Entry permit is required. For more information call (520) 724-5000.

Commercial and Professional Photography and Filming Special Use Permits are required for commercial photographers to use Pima County Parks for photo shoot backdrops. Per Pima County Park Rule 1.020, all commercial activity on a county park must have the prior written permission of Pima County Natural Resources, Parks and Recreation. For more information please go to the Commercial Filming Permits link.

Pond Restoration FAQs

The Restoration of Pond 1 at Agua Caliente Park

On February 3, Natural Resources, Parks and Recreation and its contractor began filling Pond 1 at Agua Caliente Park as part of a months-long restoration project. Refilling the pond took up to eight weeks. Additional landscaping and construction of the bridge to the wildlife island was completed by July 2020.

The park had been closed since mid-October 2019. The work done consisted of grading and deepening the pond and installing a polymer liner to reduce pond seepage to conserve water.

Endangered Gila topminnow released at Agua Caliente Park

Staff from the Pima County Natural Resources, Parks and Recreation Department, Office of Sustainability and Conservation, and the Arizona Game and Fish Department (AZGFD) released 500 Gila topminnow into the newly restored main pond.

Informational posters

Bringing Back the Native Fish
Trouble in Paradise Poster
Water Conservation

Videos