In this work, time-resolved thermal lens measurements are carried out in Nd-doped yttrium aluminum garnet laser crystal as a function of temperature. The temperature coefficient of the optical path length, the thermal diffusivity, and the thermal conductivity were determined in the temperature range between 22 °C and 180 °C. In addition, the specific heat was measured by the thermal relaxation method in the same temperature range. The results showed that the thermal conductivity and the temperature coefficient of the optical path length are responsible for the strong increase of the thermal lens amplitude when the sample temperature was increased. These results suggest that the time resolved procedure is useful in the study of laser materials and may be an important tool for laser designers.