Skip to content
New Mexico, 5 public soaking sites

Hot Springs in New Mexico

New Mexico's agency listed soaks are primitive springs in the Santa Fe and Gila national forests, several of them a real hike from the road.

5
Sites listed for soaking
run by USDA Forest Service and National Park Service
1
No fee posted
Frisco Hot Spring
77
Thermal springs on NOAA’s list
hottest listed feature 189 F
September 22, 2026
Agency pages read
each quote links the page it came from
Site by site

Public hot springs in New Mexico

5 hot springs in New Mexico are listed for soaking by the agencies that run them. Each card below carries that agency’s own fee, season, access and rules, quoted and linked, as the page read on September 22, 2026. A fee line that says nothing about cost is written as a question for the managing office rather than as free.

Spence Hot Spring

Primitive spring

USDA Forest Service, Santa Fe National Forest, Jemez Ranger District

FeeCheck fees with Santa Fe National Forest, Jemez Ranger District
SeasonOpen all year, day use only.
AccessA short hike from a seven space paved lot about five miles north of the Jemez Ranger District office; the spring is not signed.
Waterabout body temperature; the Forest Service says it has been cooling from 95 F
  • No glass, camping or campfires on the trail or at the spring.
  • Nudity is against state law.
  • Dogs leashed at all times.
  • Pack out all trash.
The popular Spence Hot Spring includes a small pool that accommodates a relatively low number of people.
Santa Fe National Forest | Spence Hot Spring Trailhead, USDA Forest Service, read September 22, 2026. Read it at the source
No glass containers, camping or campfires are permitted along the trail and at the spring.
USDA Forest Service on Spence Hot Spring. Read it at the source
Nudity is a violation of State Law and violators will be cited.
USDA Forest Service on Spence Hot Spring. Read it at the source
Dogs must be leashed at all times while in the parking and hot spring areas.
USDA Forest Service on Spence Hot Spring. Read it at the source
Please pack out all trash and leave the area enjoyable for others to use.
USDA Forest Service on Spence Hot Spring. Read it at the source
The water quality is not monitored so there are possible health hazards. Visitors should avoid getting water in their noses to minimize the risk of contracting a potentially fatal parasitic amoeba called Naegleria Fowleri, common in warm springs.
USDA Forest Service on Spence Hot Spring. Read it at the source
Also, watch for Poison Ivy along the trail.
USDA Forest Service on Spence Hot Spring. Read it at the source

San Antonio Hot Springs

Primitive spring

USDA Forest Service, Santa Fe National Forest

FeeCheck fees with Santa Fe National Forest
AccessA 0.7 mile trail from a small parking area, reached by 5 miles on Forest Service Road 376 north.
The hot spring water emerges from several sources on a steep hillside, and flows into several primitive, rock lined soaking pools of different temperatures.
Santa Fe National Forest | San Antonio Hot Springs, USDA Forest Service, read September 22, 2026. Read it at the source

Frisco Hot Spring

Primitive spring

USDA Forest Service, Gila National Forest

FeeNo fee.
SeasonOpen all year.
AccessThe 1.25 mile San Francisco Hot Springs Trail #250 runs downhill to the San Francisco River, about 8 miles from Glenwood.
  • Do not cross private land to reach the privately owned San Francisco Hot Springs.
  • Non-motorized use only.
Open - this trail provides access to the Frisco Hot Spring located on National Forest System lands.
Gila National Forest | San Francisco Hot Springs Trail #250, USDA Forest Service, read September 22, 2026. Read it at the source
Do not trespass onto private property to access the privately owned San Francisco Hot Springs.
USDA Forest Service on Frisco Hot Spring. Read it at the source
This trail is designated for non-motorized uses.
USDA Forest Service on Frisco Hot Spring. Read it at the source
Water is not tested for quality.
USDA Forest Service on Frisco Hot Spring. Read it at the source

Lightfeather Hot Spring

Primitive spring

National Park Service, Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument area, Gila National Forest

FeeCheck fees with Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument area, Gila National Forest
AccessAbout three quarters of a mile on Middle Fork Trail 157 from the Gila Visitor Center.
Waterabout 130 F at the source
  • Soak in the rock lined river pools, not at the scalding source.
Lightfeather Hot Spring is about a 3/4 mile, twenty minute walk from the Gila Visitor Center along Trail 157, the Middle Fork Trail.
Geology & Hot Springs, Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument, National Park Service, read September 22, 2026. Read it at the source
With such scalding temperatures, it's important to avoid the source and instead soak in the rock-lined pools constructed in the Middle Fork and maintained by visitors and local residents.
National Park Service on Lightfeather Hot Spring. Read it at the source
Geothermal activity may cause the rocks in the riverbed to be hot in some spots.
National Park Service on Lightfeather Hot Spring. Read it at the source
When soaking in natural hot springs, it's important to note the possible existence of Naegleria fowleri , a free-living amoeba that inhabits soils and warm freshwater throughout the world.
National Park Service on Lightfeather Hot Spring. Read it at the source

Jordan Hot Spring

Primitive spring

National Park Service, Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument area, Gila National Forest, Gila Wilderness

FeeCheck fees with Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument area, Gila National Forest, Gila Wilderness
AccessAbout 7 miles via Little Bear Canyon Trail 729 or a little over 8 via the Middle Fork, with many river crossings; overnight recommended.
Waterabout 94 F
  • Burn only dead and down wood; do not cut trees or brush.
  • Wilderness; follow Leave No Trace.
The hot spring's pool is about twenty feet in diameter, about three feet deep, and has a water temperature of about 94 degrees Fahrenheit.
Geology & Hot Springs, Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument, National Park Service, read September 22, 2026. Read it at the source
only dead and down wood should be used.
National Park Service on Jordan Hot Spring. Read it at the source
Leave-no-trace practices should be followed.
National Park Service on Jordan Hot Spring. Read it at the source
When soaking in natural hot springs, it's important to note the possible existence of Naegleria fowleri , a free-living amoeba that inhabits soils and warm freshwater throughout the world.
National Park Service on Jordan Hot Spring. Read it at the source
A small waterfall pouring between two pale boulders into a clear green pool, with steam drifting off the top of the fall
The falls and a lower pool at Goldbug Hot Springs, Idaho. The first quarter mile of the trail crosses private property on a public easement, and the BLM asks for dogs on a leash there. “Goldbug Hotsprings (25920311177)”, BLMIdaho, Public domain
No fee posted

Free hot springs in New Mexico

One site in New Mexico carry a fee line from the managing agency that names no charge. A parking pass, a permit for the road in or a fee at a nearby campground can still apply, and the fee line is the agency’s to change, so it is quoted here as it was written.

There is no fee for use of this trail.
USDA Forest Service on Frisco Hot Spring, read September 22, 2026. Read it at the source

Frisco Hot Spring is listed in full above, with season, access and rules: Frisco Hot Spring.

How many springs

Thermal springs counted in New Mexico

NOAA’s Thermal Springs List for the United States counts 77 thermal features in New Mexico, the hottest listed at 189 F, out of 1661 across 23 states. The count is a measure of geology: Natural surface hydrothermal features (springs, pools, mud pots, mud volcanoes, geysers, fumaroles and steam vents) at 20 C (68 F) or warmer; temperatures are the maximum reported surface reading. Most sit on remote ground, on land with no public access, or too hot to approach, which is why the soaking list above is the shorter one. The hottest reading can belong to a fumarole or a steam vent rather than a pool.

Thermal Springs List for the United States, compiled by George W. Berry, Paul J. Grim and Joy A. Ikelman, NOAA Key to Geophysical Records Documentation No. 12, 1980; published by NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (formerly the National Geophysical Data Center). Data file read September 22, 2026: the thermal springs list and its documentation. Every state’s count is on the national table.

The water

What the CDC and the Park Service say about soaking

Two hazards come up in every agency’s own words: what lives in warm water, and how hot the ground and the water can be. Both are quoted below as the agencies write them, and they apply at every site above.

Always keep your head above water in hot springs and other naturally hot (geothermal) water.
CDC, Preventing Brain Infection When Swimming, read September 22, 2026. Read it at the source
Naegleria fowleri lives in soil and warm freshwater lakes, rivers, ponds, and hot springs around the world.
CDC, Naegleria fowleri Infections, read September 22, 2026. Read it at the source
Hold your nose shut or use a nose clip if you jump or dive into the water.
CDC, Preventing Brain Infection When Swimming, read September 22, 2026. Read it at the source
Avoid digging in, or stirring up, sediment in shallow fresh water. Naegleria fowleri amebas are more likely to live in sediment at the bottom of lakes, ponds, and rivers.
CDC, Preventing Brain Infection When Swimming, read September 22, 2026. Read it at the source
All thermal waters contain organisms that may cause illness, including skin rash, gastrointestinal illness (vomiting and diarrhea), or other infections that can be life-threatening.
National Park Service, swimming in Yellowstone, read September 22, 2026. Read it at the source
Burns from thermal features are a common cause of serious injury and death in the park. The ground surrounding these features may look solid, but it can be just a thin crust with super-heated water below.
National Park Service, Yellowstone safety, read September 22, 2026. Read it at the source
Even thermal runoff can be extremely hot and cause burns.
National Park Service, Yellowstone safety, read September 22, 2026. Read it at the source
Toxic gases may accumulate to dangerous levels in some hydrothermal areas. If you begin to feel sick while exploring a geyser basin, leave the area immediately.
National Park Service, Yellowstone safety, read September 22, 2026. Read it at the source
Pets are not allowed in thermal areas or on boardwalks, even if they're on a leash or carried in arms, strollers, or backpacks.
National Park Service, Yellowstone safety, read September 22, 2026. Read it at the source

New Mexico hot springs questions

Hot springs in other states

New Mexico snowpackHow deep the snow is on New Mexico's mountains, for the trails and roads into the springs.First snow in New MexicoWhen the first snow usually falls in New Mexico, the start of the season for a warm soak.Hot springs by statePublic soaking sites in every state, Hot Springs National Park and Yellowstone, and NOAA's thermal springs counts.

Compiled September 22, 2026 from USDA Forest Service and National Park Service pages, one per site, each linked beside its quote and read on September 22, 2026. Site types above: primitive spring. Fees, seasons and access change between seasons, a spring can be closed by flood, fire or repair at short notice, and a soak is at the soaker’s own risk, so the managing office is the one to check before a trip. Every state is in the national hot springs guide.