Hot springs near Taos, NM

Taos lies on a high plateau between the Sangre de Cristo Mountains and the Rio Grande gorge, a canyon cut along the Rio Grande Rift. Thermal springs emerge at river level in the gorge west and northwest of town, inside the Rio Grande del Norte National Monument, managed by the Bureau of Land Management's Taos Field Office. U.S. 64 runs west from Taos across the Rio Grande Gorge Bridge toward Tres Piedras, New Mexico 522 runs north toward Arroyo Hondo and Questa along the east rim, and New Mexico 68 follows the river south toward Pilar and the Orilla Verde area. The Carson National Forest covers the Sangre de Cristo Mountains to the east and the Tusas Mountains to the west.

Access to the river is limited. The BLM closed the road to two of the gorge springs during bridge work in 2023, and parking at the John Dunn Bridge is limited to a few spaces. To the east, U.S. 64 crosses Palo Flechado Pass toward Angel Fire, and New Mexico 38 crosses Bobcat Pass to Red River; both carry winter snow. The New Mexico Department of Transportation posts current winter conditions on NMRoads. Farther southwest, the Forest Service gates Forest Road 376 to San Antonio Hot Springs in the Jemez Mountains when snow arrives.