Manby Hot Springs

What to expect

Manby Hot Springs, also called Stagecoach Hot Springs, is a set of small rock-lined pools on the east bank of the Rio Grande, deep in the gorge northwest of Taos. Warm water seeps up through the sand and gravel at the river’s edge and collects behind low stone walls. The pools have sandy bottoms and are a few feet deep at most.

The setting is the reason to come. Basalt cliffs rise hundreds of feet on both sides, the river slides past within arm’s reach, and the crumbling stone walls of an old bathhouse and stagecoach stop stand just above the water. The springs are on Bureau of Land Management land inside the Rio Grande del Norte National Monument.

The water is warm rather than hot. NOAA’s 1980 thermal springs list put it at about 100°F38°C where it emerges. The main pool next to the river usually sits near body temperature, around 97-98°F36-37°C, and the smaller pools are cooler, roughly 90°F32°C. That makes it a long, lazy soak in summer and a chilly one in winter, when you will want warm layers for the walk out.

There are no toilets, trash cans, changing areas or drinking water. Pack out everything you bring.

A short history

People were using the springs long before any buildings went up. In the 1890s two Taos merchants built a toll bridge across the river here, and the site became a stop on the stagecoach route between the Chili Line railroad at Taos Junction and Taos. In 1906 the British-born Arthur Manby gained control of the land grant that included the springs. He planned a resort in the 1920s but only finished a rock bathhouse and a few cabins before a 1927 flood took out the bridge and several buildings. Manby was found dead in his Taos home in 1929, and the resort never happened. The ruins you see are what is left.

Getting there

Access is the part that has changed, and the part that matters most.

For years almost everyone parked at the end of Tune Drive in the Stagecoach subdivision west of Arroyo Hondo and walked a short, steep path down into the gorge. That road and the parking area cross private land. After years of crowding, trash and complaints from residents, the neighborhood closed Tune Drive access in 2021, with BLM promising enforcement. The president of the Stagecoach Neighborhood Association told the Taos News at the time that the only legal access is floating the river or walking a fisherman’s trail along it. Treat Tune Drive as closed and do not park in the subdivision.

On foot from the John Dunn Bridge area. From Taos, drive north on NM 522 to Arroyo Hondo and turn west on County Road B-007, which winds down to the John Dunn Bridge over the Rio Grande. The springs are roughly 2 miles downstream on the east bank. The route along the river is unmaintained. Expect boulder hopping, loose rock, a little scrambling and some route-finding, and plan on it taking longer than the distance suggests. In summer, high water, poison ivy, overgrowth and rockfall can make it impassable. Atlas Obscura notes that the last stretch of road down to the river is rougher than the main gorge roads, so low cars may do better parking near the bridge.

By boat. The springs are on the Rio Grande Wild and Scenic River, and you can reach them on a float trip. Motorized boats are banned on this stretch. This is whitewater country, so go with experience or with a licensed outfitter.

Download an offline map before you drop into the gorge. Signal is poor at river level.

When to go

The single biggest factor is the river. The pools sit only a few feet above normal water level, and if the Rio Grande rises more than a few feet they go under. Snowmelt and summer thunderstorms can both do it. Check the USGS stream gauges for the Rio Grande in the Taos area before you leave, and do not expect to soak during high flows.

Low-water months make for the easiest walk and the best pools. Cooler weather suits the mild water, but the gorge holds cold air in winter and ice can make the rocks slick. In summer, start early: the canyon bottom gets hot and the walk out is in full sun.

Weekdays are quieter. Even with the Tune Drive route closed, the pools are small and fill quickly when a group arrives.

Rules and etiquette

• No camping or loitering overnight. BLM supplementary rules for the Albuquerque District, which includes the Taos Field Office, prohibit camping or occupying the area from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. at Manby Hot Springs and at the John Dunn Bridge site.
• Respect private land. Do not use Tune Drive or cut through the Stagecoach subdivision.
• Clothing. Nudity is common at the pools. Public nudity is banned at the John Dunn Bridge recreation site itself, so change at the springs, not at the car.
• Glass. BLM rules prohibit glass containers where posted. Bring plastic or metal.
• Leave the ruins alone. Do not climb on or move stones from the old walls, and do not rebuild or dam the pools.
• No soap in the water. The pools are small and the river is right there.
• Pack it out. That includes food scraps and toilet paper.

Closures do happen. BLM closed the John Dunn Bridge area, including the Manby trail, during the bridge replacement in 2022 and 2023 (order NMFDO0000-23-04, which ran to March 19, 2023). Check with the Taos Field Office at 575-758-8851 if you are unsure about current conditions.

Where to stay nearby

There is no camping at the springs. Nearby options:

• Taos, about 12 miles away, has the full range of hotels, inns and services.
• Orilla Verde Recreation Area, south of Taos along the river near Pilar, is the BLM’s main campground area in the gorge.
• Wild Rivers Recreation Area, north near Cerro, has BLM campsites on the rim and a visitor center (575-586-1150).
• Arroyo Hondo, on NM 522 where you turn off for the bridge, is a small village with few services.

Safety notes

• River hazards. The Rio Grande is cold and fast in places. Do not try to wade or swim across, and watch children and dogs near the bank.
• Footing. Most trouble here comes from the walk, not the water. Wear real shoes and allow plenty of daylight to get back.
• Heat and sun. Summer temperatures at the canyon bottom can be high, with little shade on the route. Carry more water than you think you need.
• Water quality. Soak water is not tested, and river water mixes in. Keep your head above the surface.
• Rattlesnakes and poison ivy are both found along the gorge bottom.
• Remoteness. Tell someone where you are going. Help is a long way off once you are down in the gorge.

Nearby stops worth adding

The John Dunn Bridge area also has a second small soak, Black Rock Hot Springs, on the west bank close to the bridge. It falls under the same BLM night closure rule. South of Taos, the Rio Grande Gorge Bridge on US 64 gives the classic view down into the canyon, and the Rio Grande Gorge Visitor Center near Pilar (575-751-4899) is the place to ask about river levels and trails.