Spence Hot Springs
Jemez Springs, New Mexico · Santa Fe National Forest
Verified · 5 independent sources · top-verified
- WATER
- hot spring
- ACCESS
- Local spot, unofficial
- FEE
- No fee found
- SEASON
- Year-round
About Spence Hot Springs
Spence Hot Springs is a well-known primitive geothermal hot spring on a hillside above the Jemez River in Santa Fe National Forest, about 7 miles north of the village of Jemez Springs, New Mexico, off NM Highway 4. It is one of the most heavily visited backcountry hot springs in the Jemez Mountains, reached by a short (roughly quarter-mile) trail from a large highway-side parking area.
The springs sit on the edge of the Valles Caldera, a collapsed supervolcano, near the Soda Dam rock formation, on a forested hillside overlooking the Jemez River at about 6,000 feet elevation.
Swimming at Spence Hot Springs
This is a soaking hot spring rather than a swimming hole: a series of small, primitive, sandy-and-rock-bottomed pools cascade down the hillside, with the uppermost spring around 109°F, a cave-spring pool around 100°F, and lower pools cooling to around 95°F. Visitors wade or sit in the shallow pools to soak rather than swim laps; it suits people looking for a natural hot-spring soak rather than a deep swimming spot, and it is very popular and often crowded.
How to get to this swimming hole
From the village of Jemez Springs, drive about 7 miles north on NM Highway 4 to a large parking lot on the east side of the highway (near the Spence Hot Spring Trailhead); follow the short trail down to the Jemez River, cross it, and continue up the far bank to the springs.
Parking: Large parking lot directly on NM Highway 4 (east side), at the trailhead.
The hike in
- To the water
- about 0.25 mi one-way from the highway parking lot to the springs
- Time on foot
- roughly 10-15 minutes each way at an easy walking pace
Difficulty: easy but requires fording/wading the Jemez River partway, then a short, sometimes muddy or slippery scramble up a rocky embankment to reach the pools
Trailhead: Large paved parking lot on the east side of NM Highway 4, roughly 7 miles north of the village of Jemez Springs; USFS/RIDB facility data lists a 'Spence Hot Spring Trailhead' about 0.1 mi from the springs. The use-path begins directly from the parking lot.
The entire access route is short (~0.25 mi) and is not part of a longer named trail system, it is a standalone use-path from the highway pullout down to and across the Jemez River, then up the far bank to the terraced pools.
No official or named trail was found beyond the short use-path, which independent descriptions consistently put at about 0.25 mile with a river crossing. No separately sourced elevation-gain figure was found.
Plan your visit
Bringing kids
OK with supervision
Reaching the pools requires wading/fording the Jemez River and a short scramble up a rocky embankment on the far bank; pool temperatures run 95-109°F and Naegleria fowleri (a rare but potentially fatal amoeba) has been documented in the warm water, with guidance to keep water out of the nose. Manageable for older, supervised kids but not a casual toddler wade.
Parking
Lot
Large parking lot directly on the east side of NM Highway 4, about 7 miles north of the village of Jemez Springs, at the trailhead. No fee was mentioned in any source found in this session, but that was not explicitly confirmed as free (informal USFS day-use pullout).
Hours
Day-use only, sunrise to sunset; no overnight camping or camping at the springs (per jemezsprings.org).
On the water
Spence Hot Springs is a set of small primitive soaking pools on a hillside above the Jemez River, not a body of water suited to kayaks, canoes, paddleboards, or motorboats; no source describes watercraft use at this spot. (For context only, not this location: nearby Fenton Lake State Park, roughly 10+ miles away and a separate water body, permits non-motorized boats and electric-trolling-motor-only motorized boats, this is a distinct destination and not part of this swimming hole.)
Backstory
Referenced in the published guidebook 'Hot Springs and Hot Pools in the Southwest' (Gersh-Young, 2011) and in a 1980 NOAA thermal springs inventory; long-term heavy visitation has caused documented resource/environmental damage to the site.
Spence Hot Springs: FAQ
Is Spence Hot Springs kid friendly?
Reaching the pools requires wading/fording the Jemez River and a short scramble up a rocky embankment on the far bank; pool temperatures run 95-109°F and Naegleria fowleri (a rare but potentially fatal amoeba) has been documented in the warm water, with guidance to keep water out of the nose. Manageable for older, supervised kids but not a casual toddler wade.
How hard is the hike to Spence Hot Springs?
A hike is required, about about 0.25 mi one-way from the highway parking lot to the springs to the water (roughly 10-15 minutes each way at an easy walking pace). Wear real shoes, since approaches to natural swim spots are often rocky or rooty.
Where do I park for Spence Hot Springs?
Large parking lot directly on the east side of NM Highway 4, about 7 miles north of the village of Jemez Springs, at the trailhead. No fee was mentioned in any source found in this session, but that was not explicitly confirmed as free (informal USFS day-use pullout).
When is the best time to visit Spence Hot Springs?
Open year-round per guide sources; no single best season was specifically documented in the sources found.
What are the rules at Spence Hot Springs?
Day-use only (sunrise to sunset), no overnight camping, bathing suits/swimwear required (nudity is prohibited), no glass containers, no fires, dogs must be leashed and are not allowed in the pools.
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