Despite my woodsy upbringing in New Hampshire, I’m not a regular hiker at this stage of life. But once in a while, a hike along my travels is worth it. The San Antonio Hot Springs in the Santa Fe National Forest was one of those hikes. Located about an hour outside of Santa Fe, New Mexico, the hike leads to stunning, cliff-side hot springs hidden in the mountains.
I did significant research on the hike before our trip and found the information to be varied. This is a relay of my experience as an inexperienced hiker but a pretty in-shape human. I walk 6-10 miles a day in the city.
The trail is a fire road which in many ways makes it easier to hike than a traditional middle-of-the-woods path. We did the hike in March and encountered a substantial amount of mud and ice on the trail which made things a bit more challenging. Though it’s categorized as a ten mile hike, my pedometer clocked us at 11 miles round trip.
You hike for a good 4-5 miles on the fire road before you come to a dirt parking lot area. In the summer months you can drive up the road and skip the bulk fo the hiking. But fair warning, the road isn’t super well maintained and requires a tough vehicle to maneuver.
After the parking lot you hike an additional mile to a sign that says “San Antonio Hot Springs.” Walk down the path past the sign and cross the narrow wooden bridge to your right. There will be two paths beyond the bridge, one to the right and one steeper one to the left. Take the path to the left.
Here’s when things get tricky. After a short stretch hiking up this path you’ll enter a field. From the field you should be able to see the steam rising out of the hot springs on the cliff side in front of you. Unfortunately the trail that leads out of the field doesn’t lead to the hot springs so you need to climb the pretty vertical stretch up to them on your own. The brush isn’t very thick so it’s manageable, but a challenging stretch to the top.
We went on a weekday morning and had the hot springs to ourselves for almost an hour. In the summer I assume it’s busier and you have to share the space.
One thing’s for sure, bring lots of water and wear real hiking boots. Mine are from Timberland. It may not be a strenuous hike for frequent climbers but it’s a long enough haul to require equipment. Also bear in mind that the altitude in this area of New Mexico is high, and therefore the air is thiner from the beggining of the hike.