Soda Dam Hot Springs
Soda Dam Hot Springs
4.2
About
Photogenic but small, these springs give off a strong sulfur smell.
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
4.2
165 reviews
Excellent
65
Very good
67
Average
29
Poor
3
Terrible
1
JamieJW
Quakertown, PA4,506 contributions
Nov 2021 • Couples
Sitting right by the side of the road, you can pull off the highway and walk down to the river and dam.
Amazing rock formation that partially blocks the river flow with hole at the end of the rock letting water flow through.
Very cool, worth a short stop.
Amazing rock formation that partially blocks the river flow with hole at the end of the rock letting water flow through.
Very cool, worth a short stop.
Written November 9, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
M J
Austin, TX7,843 contributions
Jul 2021
My husband and I went to Jemez Soda Dam Hot Springs on a Thursday afternoon. The dam is right along highway NM-4. It is a very interest rock formation with a waterfall (Jemez River) running through a hole in the rock. A drive by is not enough to see the dam. Get out of your vehicle and walk around. There is parking along the road for 8-10 vehicles and 4 vehicles were parked there when we arrived. Just below the waterfall, we saw water bubbling up in a pond in several places. There is no fee and no restrooms. We were there about 15 minutes. Awesome place.
Written August 4, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
harryatkck
Kansas City, KS981 contributions
Feb 2022
It was late in the day when I visited so I didn't have time to get out & walk on it. However, I've never seen another rock formation quite like it. The dam itself is not that long & there is an opening that the water in a small stream gushes out of in a circular flow. It is on the east side of the road & you have a great view of it from the road if you don't want to get out of your vehicle. I'm glad I made to the time to visit.
Written March 7, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Christina B
Louisiana6,962 contributions
Oct 2023 • Couples
We passed it up on the way in. It’s on the opposite side of the road and faces mostly to on coming traffic. There is a pull off area. We stopped on our way back to White Rock. Easy quick stop with just a short walk down to see it fully. You can see it from the road as well if mobility is an issue.
Written October 2, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
TucsonTraveller2
Tucson, AZ2,586 contributions
Apr 2021
Just came across the Jemez Soda Dam on Hwy 4 from Bernalillo, NM. It is Hwy pullout, easy to miss if southbound on Hwy 4. The natural Soda Dam with a beautiful waterfall under the roof of the dam. You can walk around the Dam which is amazing.
Written May 1, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
cante87
Albuquerque, NM233 contributions
Jun 2012 • Friends
Soda Dam is located 3/4 of a mile north of the town of Jemez Springs on Highway 4 just to the right side of the road. This has been a tourist attraction for over a hundred years. The first thing you notice is the odd looking formation. You can climb up into it and feel the heat from volcanic action. There is a little pool of warm water located at the top which is like a treasure to be discovered. There are cave formations inside and it's a wonder that it's allowed just to climb around inside. (No signs advising not to touch formations).
If you come prepared with a swim suit and water shoes or sandles going into the water is a lot of fun. It's called Soda Dam because gas leaks up from the bottom of the pond area forming little pockets of bubbles. There are also hotspots in the water where heat rises from magma pools deep within the earth. The water level has been pretty low the last few years, some of this area being ankle deep and others about seven feet. Word to the wise: watch out for sharp volcanic rock under the water. I've never been there when I didn't come away with at least a few scrapes.
There is a beautiful waterfall at the base of the formation that is fun to swim behind or let it fall on your back if the water is low enough to stand up in.
Most people just stop by and look at this area and maybe climb the formation, but the real fun is in getting in the water and playing in the falls. My friends and normally spend about an hour there and then go into Jemez Springs and get a bath at the Jemez Springs Bathhouse to relax and clean off a bit. Afterwards I'd recommend eating at Los Ojos restaurant across the street from the bath house. They have a wide variety of food choices and lots of old west decor. It makes you feel like you went back in time!
If you come prepared with a swim suit and water shoes or sandles going into the water is a lot of fun. It's called Soda Dam because gas leaks up from the bottom of the pond area forming little pockets of bubbles. There are also hotspots in the water where heat rises from magma pools deep within the earth. The water level has been pretty low the last few years, some of this area being ankle deep and others about seven feet. Word to the wise: watch out for sharp volcanic rock under the water. I've never been there when I didn't come away with at least a few scrapes.
There is a beautiful waterfall at the base of the formation that is fun to swim behind or let it fall on your back if the water is low enough to stand up in.
Most people just stop by and look at this area and maybe climb the formation, but the real fun is in getting in the water and playing in the falls. My friends and normally spend about an hour there and then go into Jemez Springs and get a bath at the Jemez Springs Bathhouse to relax and clean off a bit. Afterwards I'd recommend eating at Los Ojos restaurant across the street from the bath house. They have a wide variety of food choices and lots of old west decor. It makes you feel like you went back in time!
Written June 21, 2012
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Camper35323
Albuquerque, NM1 contribution
Soda dam is a must see if you are in the area. It's a natural hot spring, and, thus, smells like suflur, which is the only drawback. You can swim in the pool created by the waterfall. There is also a natural waterslide behind the fall that will thrust you into the pool. Lots and lots of fun. Lots of print ads have been shot here.
Written July 12, 2003
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Bernard W
Dallas, TX1,946 contributions
Dec 2017 • Family
I have read about the Soda Dam Hot Springs and wanted to go before, but it never worked out until now. We went in December, so I wasn't sure it would be worthwhile--too cold to dip toes in the water. But it was worth it. Mesmerizing place. Climb or not, it is wonderful--beautiful area.
Written January 1, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
ArtNe
15 contributions
Dec 2018 • Couples
If you are interested in seeing red rocks, go somewhere else. These supposed 'sacred' cliffs are filled with trash and debris. In some places there is more broken glass, bottle caps, and plastic liquor bottles than sand. Also, do not use the trail without a guide but good luck finding a guide. The visitor center will provide a map of the trail but no information that a guide is required. The sign at the trail is so faded as unreadable. And, if you use the trail without a guide you run the risk of getting a ticket or worse. This is another Jemez Pueblo scam. And watch out for the speed trap in this area.
Written December 21, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Jason V
Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States117 contributions
The highway was expanded so all the springs along the road are no longer visible. No soaking anywhere here any longer. The person who wrote the post about them in OCT 2012 clearly hadn't been here in a decade.
Written March 13, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Soda Dam is just outside Jemez Springs NM which is about 250 miles from Raton going through Santa Fe. It's shorter if you want to go the back way through Taos and Los Alamos.
Written October 18, 2018
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