Black Rock Hot Springs (Taos) - Free soaking · donation encouraged in Arroyo Hondo, NM (2026)
Rock-lined soaking pools sit at river level beneath basalt cliffs, offering dawn light over the Rio Grande Gorge and easy links to the nearby Manby trail.
Black Rock Hot Springs is a small set of riverside basalt-rimmed pools above the Rio Grande Gorge near Taos, New Mexico — a 0.4-mile downhill walk from a dirt-road pullout, well known to locals and consistently included in 'best wild springs' lists despite zero infrastructure. The pools sit a few feet above the river itself, varying in temperature from very hot (at the source) to ambient depending on river level and recent flow. It's a free, clothing-optional, dawn-or-dusk kind of place.
What to expect
Park at the unmarked pullout on the Rio Grande Gorge rim road. Walk the 0.4-mile switchback trail down to the river — steep enough that the return takes notably longer. The pools are small (2-4 people each), often occupied during weekends, and the etiquette is strict: pack out everything, no glass, no soap. Best at sunrise on a weekday.
Temperature
98°-106°F
Pools
2 soaking pools
Best season
May-October
Reservations
Walk-up friendly
Dog policy
Leashed dogs welcome
Family policy
Adults only
Safety notes
- Spring runoff regularly floods the pools and can sweep bathers downstream—skip visits when the Rio Grande exceeds 2,000 cfs.
- Tune Drive is rutted and icy in winter; carry chains and be prepared to hike the final mile.
Amenities & etiquette
FAQ
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Nearby hot springs
Ojo Caliente Mineral Springs Resort & Spa
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A 155-year-old bathhouse surrounds four distinct mineral pools—iron, soda, arsenic, and lithia—plus a mud pool, yoga yurt, and farm-to-table restaurant tucked in the Rio Ojo valley.
Riverbend Hot Springs
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Riverside tiled pools and private soaking rooms hug the Rio Grande, pairing panoramic desert sunsets with hammocks, cooling misters, and boutique casitas in downtown T or C.
San Antonio Hot Springs
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Terraced stone pools cling to the hillside above the San Antonio River, fed by a steaming vent that spills into successive basins with cooling temperatures.
Spence Hot Springs
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A half-mile forest trail climbs to travertine-lined pools perched above the East Fork Jemez River, with views down canyon toward Battleship Rock.
Editor’s picks nearby
- Ojo Caliente day pass — the four-mineral resort between Taos and Santa Fe — $75 day pass, 11 pools, strict no-phone deck, continuously operating since 1868.
- San Antonio Hot Springs — the high-elevation Jemez wild soak — 5-mile round-trip on FR-376 (closed in winter).
- Spence Hot Springs — the easier Jemez option — half-mile path to terraced creekside pools.