Jemez Springs, New Mexico

This small town rests in the red rock San Diego Canyon, adjacent to the Jemez River. Abundant outdoor activities and mineral springs make this a popular weekend getaway from Santa Fe and Albuquerque. Recreationists fish, hike, camp and rock climb while art lovers stroll through galleries. Those more talented attempt to capture the emotion of the landscape through photography and paints. Weary travelers rest and renew while soaking in mineral springs, surrounded by mountains, mesas and forest. Hot springs steadily bubble to the surface from heating by subsurface magma. The Jemez National Recreation Area (part of the Santa Fe National Forest) extends for miles both north and south of town along Route 4, a 64-mile stretch of road know as the Jemez Mountain Trail. For those immodest souls who like to bathe au natural, visit Spence Springs just 7 miles north of town. The key to finding the hot spring is to look for psychedelic-colored VW vans and bathers who look like they have lost their way to Woodstock. Jemez Springs is located on NM 4 between Los Alamos and Albuquerque.