Faywood Hot Springs

What to expect

Faywood Hot Springs is a rustic, privately run resort in the Chihuahuan high desert of Grant County, at about 5,780 feet. Hot water rises through a tufa dome built up by the spring over thousands of years, and the resort spreads out around it: outdoor soaking pools, a bathhouse, cabins, RV sites, tent sites, a clubhouse and a visitor center with a small store. Peacocks wander the grounds. The setting is open desert with mountains on the horizon, and on a clear night the sky is very dark.

The water is mild in mineral content by hot spring standards. The resort’s posted analysis shows about 480 parts per million of dissolved solids and a pH of 7.5, with sodium, calcium and bicarbonate as the main ingredients. Wikipedia records the source at 129°F54°C in 2001, and says the public pools generally run 95-110°F35-43°C.

The pools fall into three groups:

• Public pools: separate clothing-required and clothing-optional (naturist) areas. These are open to overnight guests, private pool renters and soaker’s pass holders.
• Private pools, rented by the hour, on the hour: Big Dipper (about 102°F39°C, up to 10 people), Blue Moon (about 105°F41°C, up to 8), Watsu I (about 107°F42°C, up to 10), Jalapeno (a small fiberglass tub you can adjust, up to 4) and Watsu II, a fenced group pool for up to 25 with its own bathroom, showers and changing rooms, set anywhere from 100 to 107°F38 to 42°C if you give notice.
• The Bath House pool, behind the bathhouse, with three soaking pools at about 100, 102 and 105°F39 and 41°C. It is for overnight guests only.

Pools are drained and cleaned on a rotation, so any one of them may be closed on the day you visit.

History

People have soaked here for a very long time. Mimbres villagers and later Apaches used the springs, and a Spanish officer called the site Ojo Toro in 1785. In 1851 John Bartlett of the U.S. Boundary Commission knew it as Ojo Caliente, and it became a stop on the westward trail. William Watts and A. Kuhne filed a homestead claim in 1859 and opened a lodging house and bathhouse soon after. Colonel Richard Hudson ran it as Hudson Hot Springs in the late 1870s and 1880s until fire ended his resort. Andrew Graham then built the 60-room Casa del Consuelo, finished in 1896. Around 1900 J.C. Fay, William Lockwood and T.C. McDermott took over, and the name Faywood comes from Fay and Lockwood. The hotel was torn down in 1952 and the land passed through mining companies. In 1993 new owners bought it and reopened it as a private resort. The current website is run by Faywood Hot Springs Operations LLC.

Prices and booking

Faywood is reservation only. Since August 1, 2024, every guest must pay in advance, and the policies page says all entrants pay a fee whether or not they use the pools. The gates are locked, and you receive the padlock code before you arrive. Book online (bookings stay pending until the front desk approves them) or call (575) 342-8181. The resort does not answer text messages.

Prices below are from the resort’s price list effective September 1, 2026, before tax:

• Private pools: $19.52 per adult per hour and $9.38 per child, with a listed base price of $39.23. The Watsu II group pool starts at $123.87 for the first six people.
• Public day use: the resort charged $18.25 a person in January 2024. Its September 2026 price list shows soaker’s pass bundles (buy 9 get 1 free, or buy 20 get 5 free) without a single-visit price, so ask when you book.
• Tent camping (clothing-required and clothing-optional areas, no hookups): $28.62 for one person, $45.98 for two.
• RV full hookups: $39.13 (30 amp) or $48.14 (50 amp) for one person; $57.24 or $68.74 for two.
• Cabins: standard cabins $171.74 for two, the Adobe cabin $110.21, the Casita $82.42, and the Guesthouse $214.05 for two with a two-night minimum.
• Discounts: 10% for guests 65 and over and for veterans, if you ask when you reserve.

Cancellations 48 hours or more ahead are free apart from a $10 card fee. Within 24 to 47 hours you pay half, and inside 24 hours you pay in full. Same-day lodging and private pool bookings cannot be cancelled.

Rules and etiquette

• Hours: 11am to 8pm daily. All guests must check in by 8pm on their first day, and first-time guests cannot arrive late because they need a short orientation.
• Check-in: campsites at noon, cabins at 4pm (you can use the pools from noon). Check-out is 11am.
• Children: welcome, but anyone under 18 must be with an adult at all times. Toddlers in diapers need swim diapers.
• In the pools: shower first, no glass, no eating or drinking in the water, and keep your voice down. No smoking within 20 feet of the pools. The resort advises against drinking alcohol before or during a soak.
• Pets: leashed in campgrounds and public areas, never in or around the pools. Only the Apache and Mimbres cabins take pets.
• Quiet time: 10pm to 8am in all public areas.

Getting there

Faywood sits roughly midway between Silver City and Deming. The address is 165 NM Highway 61, Faywood. From US 180 between the two towns, turn north onto NM 61 toward City of Rocks State Park. The springs are about 2 miles northeast of US 180 and half a mile west of NM 61, just south of the state park. Have your gate code before you lose signal.

When to go

The resort is open all year apart from Christmas Day and Easter Sunday, when the front desk closes. Autumn, winter and spring are the best soaking seasons. Desert days are mild and nights are cold, which makes the hotter pools comfortable. Summer afternoons are hot, so plan evening soaks from June to August. Weekends and holidays fill first, and standard cabins carry a two-night minimum for much of the year.

Where to stay nearby

Staying on site is the easiest way to get pool access. City of Rocks State Park, just to the north, has campsites among its volcanic rock towers. Silver City and Deming have motels and full services. If you are heading north into the Gila, Gila Hot Springs Campground is farther north, near the Gila Cliff Dwellings.

Safety notes

• Heat and sun: the hottest pools reach about 107-110°F42-43°C. Keep soaks short and drink water. Shade is limited in summer.
• Alcohol: skip it before and during a soak, as the resort advises.
• Wildlife: this is desert country. Watch for rattlesnakes on paths in warm weather, and do not feed or approach the peacocks.
• Head above water: do not put your head under in any hot spring pool.