Place guide
Jemez Soda Dam
A natural dam across the Jemez River formed over centuries by mineral-rich hot spring deposits.
📍GPS: 35.791801, -106.686413
Soda Dam is a natural rock formation along the Jemez River, located north of Jemez Springs beside NM-4. Mineral-rich hot spring water flowing through the canyon deposited layers of calcium carbonate over thousands of years, eventually forcing the river underground through a cave-like opening in the rock. No one built it.
What to Do
Soda Dam sits directly beside the highway, with nothing between the parking area and the formation. You can explore around it, see small geothermal seeps, and sit in the mineral water.
How Much Time to Spend
10 to 25 minutes covers it. This is a quick roadside stop, not a destination.
Getting There
Soda Dam sits directly beside NM-4, with roadside parking right at the formation. You’ll see it from the highway.
It’s an easy stop to combine with Jemez Springs or Battleship Rock while driving the Jemez Mountain Trail.
Nearby places
Jemez Historic Site
Ruins of a large Pueblo village and 17th-century Spanish mission in the Jemez Mountains.
Jemez Hot Springs
Hot spring facilities in the town of Jemez Springs
Jemez Springs
A tiny mountain village known for hot springs, red-rock scenery, and easy access to the Jemez Mountains.