Jemez Springs Bath House

What to expect

The Jemez Springs Bath House is the old public bathhouse of the village of Jemez Springs, a historic building on the plaza along NM 4. It is owned by the village and run as a non-profit. Inside are eight individual mineral water tubs, each in its own private room, and four treatment rooms for massage and body wraps.

The soak itself is simple. You get a private room, a tub filled with water from the village’s hot springs, and a set amount of time: 25 or 50 minutes. Guides to the Bath House describe guests adjusting the tub to the temperature they like, and the state tourism site mentions both cool and hot soaks. The Bath House does not publish a water temperature, so ask when you book if that matters. Because the room is yours, you do not need a swimsuit.

It feels more like a small-town spa than a resort. There is a gift shop selling bath salts and handmade bath products, and the gazebo outside marks the old geyser. The village’s cafes and shops are a short walk away.

This is a different place from Jemez Hot Springs (formerly Giggling Springs), a private business with four shared outdoor pools about two minutes away on Abousleman Loop. The two are often mixed up online. If you want an outdoor, social soak by the river, go there instead: Jemez Hot Springs.

History

The hot water here has drawn people for a long time. Around 1860 one of the springs on the plaza erupted as a geyser, and someone saw its commercial value: the pool was walled in with rock, and a structure was later built over it. That spot is now marked by the gazebo beside the Bath House. A bathhouse and hotel were serving travelers on the wagon road from Albuquerque by 1881, which is the date the Jemez Valley Historical Society gives for the original Bath House building.

The bathhouse passed through the Otero and Perea families, was sold to the Catholic Church in the late 1940s, and was sold again to the Village of Jemez Springs in 1961. It sat unused for long stretches, and private operators leased and restored it at times, until the village took over running it in 2003. The village tourism site lists it as a state historic site. A state-funded renovation repaired and resurfaced the tubs, ceilings and floors and replaced the heating and cooling system, and the Bath House held a grand reopening in May 2019.

Getting there

The Bath House is at 62 Jemez Springs Plaza, on NM 4 in the middle of the village.

• From Albuquerque (about an hour): Take I-25 north to Bernalillo, then US 550 northwest to San Ysidro. Turn right on NM 4 and follow it north through Jemez Pueblo, about 7 miles south of the village, and up the canyon.
• From Santa Fe or Los Alamos: Take the mountain route over the Jemez Mountains on NM 4, past the Valles Caldera, and come down into the village from the north. It is slower and can be icy in winter.

Parking is on and around the plaza. The tubs are a few steps from the car.

When to go

The Bath House is open year-round. Cool months are the nicest time for a hot soak, and weekday mornings are the easiest time to get a room without waiting. Summer weekends and holidays are busiest, when day-trippers from Albuquerque fill the village.

The Bath House’s website does not post its current opening hours (its “Summer Hours” link was broken when we checked), so call 575-829-3303 to confirm hours before you drive up.

Prices and booking

Prices from the Bath House’s posted price list, before New Mexico sales tax:

• 25-minute mineral bath: $18
• 50-minute mineral bath: $25
• Blanket wrap with 25-minute soak: $40
• Herbal wrap with 25-minute soak: $55
• Foot exfoliation with 25-minute soak: $50
• Massage: Swedish from $65 for 30 minutes to $140 for 90 minutes; deep tissue from $90 to $175.

Facials, cupping and waxing are also offered. The price list is not dated, so treat it as a guide.

Booking: call 575-829-3303 or toll free 866-204-8303 during business hours. The price page says reservations are required, while the home page welcomes walk-ins. A booking is the safer bet. Cancel by 9 a.m. on the day of your appointment or your card is charged.

Rules and etiquette

• No children under 14.
• No pets.
• No swimsuit needed in the private tub rooms.
• Bring your own towel. Towels are not provided.
• No colored bath products. Bath salts or oils with dyes stain the tubs. The gift shop sells products that are safe to use.
• Drinking water is sold on site, or bring your own.
• Health: the Bath House asks pregnant guests and anyone with a chronic medical condition to check with a doctor before a mineral bath or massage.

Where to stay nearby

The Bath House has no rooms. Jemez Springs has several small inns and B&Bs within walking distance of the plaza, including Canon del Rio and the Laughing Lizard Inn. The Santa Fe National Forest runs campgrounds along NM 4 north of the village; the Jemez Ranger District office in Jemez Springs (575-829-3065) has current status. The nearest chain hotels are in Bernalillo, Rio Rancho and Albuquerque, about an hour south.

Safety notes

• Heat: start with the 25-minute soak if you are new to mineral baths, and drink water. Get out if you feel faint.
• Altitude: the village is above 6,000 feet. Hot water and thin air together can make you lightheaded faster than at home.
• Winter driving: NM 4 over the mountains from Los Alamos can be icy. The southern route from San Ysidro is usually easier.
• Slippery floors: wet tile and tub steps are slick. Take your time getting in and out.

Nearby stops worth adding

Jemez Historic Site, at the north end of the village, protects the ruins of Giusewa Pueblo and its Spanish mission church. Just up NM 4, Soda Dam is a mineral formation the Jemez River cuts through, and Spence Hot Spring, about 7 miles north, is a primitive Forest Service soak reached by a short trail from a lot on the highway. Valles Caldera is farther up the road.