Jemez Springs is a small village strung along the Jemez River in a canyon of red and cream cliffs in northern New Mexico, and it feels a long way from anywhere. State Route 4 follows the river here, winding through a gorge of banded sandstone, with cottonwoods along the water and juniper on the slopes. It is a land of hot springs, tucked into the base of the Jemez Mountains, and the village has baths and a few small inns where tired riders can sit in mineral water.
The history is deeper than the size of the place suggests. The ancestors of the people of Jemez Pueblo lived here for centuries, and at Giusewa, where the village now stands, Spanish Franciscans built a mission church early in the 1600s, the walls of which still stand within the state historic site. Nearby, Soda Dam, a lump of travertine built by mineral springs, forces the river through a hole in a natural bridge. Jemez Pueblo, downriver, keeps the Towa language and holds feast days, and the red mesas along the road are part of its homeland.
The road is a joy, with wide, easy bends through the canyon, easy gradients and few straights. Red Rocks, a stretch of towering cliffs north of the village, is the highlight, glowing in the afternoon sun. Weather in the mountains can change quickly, and summer afternoons bring thunderstorms with sudden rain and lightning. Winter can leave ice on the shaded corners, and in late autumn the cottonwoods turn gold. The surface is generally good, but rockfall can drop stones onto the pavement.
Services in Jemez Springs are limited, and the village is small, with a couple of cafés and a general store. For reliable fuel, plan around Los Alamos, thirty-seven kilometres away over the mountain, or San Ysidro on the other side. Take water, wear a layer and allow time for a soak.