Jemez Hot Springs was previously known as Giggling Hot Springs, a name that became locally famous before the property rebranded under its current cleaner name. The operation has been a Jemez Springs village staple for decades and is the principal commercial developed-pool option in the corridor. The Jemez Mountains hot-springs system feeds multiple springs in the area, both this developed property and the free wild springs (Spence, San Antonio) further up NM-4.
Four outdoor pools span 98 F to 105 F, fed by the local geothermal source which emerges around 142 F and cools as it moves through the pool system. The pricing structure is unusual: $25 per person per hour rather than a flat day pass, which creates a natural rotation through the pools rather than long open-ended soaks. Walk-in only for individuals; reservations are only taken for groups of 10 or larger booked by phone before opening hours.
The water-treatment story is unusually progressive. Rather than chlorine or bromine, the pools use a combination of ultraviolet light disinfection, ionizers, and an oxygen inversion system. The result is water that smells natural rather than chemical, which is one of the reasons visitors familiar with hotel-pool chlorine notice the difference at Jemez Hot Springs. Swimsuits are required (the property is not clothing-optional) and rentals are available for visitors who forget theirs.
Practically, Jemez Hot Springs is the developed half of a Jemez Mountains hot springs trip. The village of Jemez Springs is walkable: the Bath House Inn, Cliffside Inn, and several B&Bs are all within a few hundred yards of the pools. Highway 4 Cafe and Los Ojos Saloon handle food. Further up NM-4 are Spence Hot Springs (free wild) and San Antonio Hot Springs (free wild, longer hike), both primitive and clothing-optional. Most weekenders stay in Jemez Springs, do the developed pools one day and the wild pools the next.
