I am pretty sure New Mexico was nicknamed the ‘land of enchantment’ solely because of Jemez Springs! I have never seen such an amazing place in all of New Mexico. This beautiful land rolling with mountains, decorated with pine trees and aspens, and booming with wildlife. In the time I was there I saw more chipmunks than I could count, countless squirrels, fish, falcons, snakes, deer, and foxes. It was everything you could hope for when visiting the mountains.
As a mama of 3 little ones, and another on the way; a problem I find when heading to the mountains is finding things that my family of littles can do. Jemez Springs, New Mexico not only had more than enough things for us to do, my kids were NEVER bored! Keep reading to find what was so wonderful about exploring Jemez Springs, NM with kids!
What we liked about Jemez Springs:
- It was SO BEAUTIFUL! This was the best part of our time in Jemez Springs. It is mountains and creeks, trees and flowers, deer and foxes. You are surrounded by all shades of green, intense rock formations, and gorgeous waterfalls. Okay you get my point! It is jaw-dropping gorgeous where ever you turn.
- If you are a hiker or an outdoor lover, this is the place to be! There were SO many hikes! Just in the Jemez Springs area there are at least 62 hikes! From easy to hard and short to long. There are hikes to lookouts, hikes to lakes, hikes to waterfalls, hikes to rocks and scenery and even hikes to hot springs. If you can hike it, they have got it!
- Aside from hiking there are a variety of outdoor activities. Just in the short weekend we visited; we hiked, fished, swam, waded in hot springs, and kayaked. There is something here for everyone.
- One pro that we loved is that we unplugged from the modern world. We were thoroughly in nature. We had no service so that means no phones, no internet scrolling, no movies; just life in the great outdoors. As a mother it was a good reminder of how important it is to get off the screen and be with my kids.
What we didn’t like about Jemez Springs:
- Where having no cell phone service was nice because we spent more time together, it also was a pain for navigation purposes. Yep google maps was a no go! Good thing my mama taught me how to read an actual map without the navigation, but we did get lost and turned around quite a few times. I know its old school, but it pays to have an actual paper map of the area!
- Prepare to do all of your own cooking cause there are no restaurants, and there is only one very, very small convenience store. There literally is nothing within about an hour to an hour and a half range.
- Being out in nature was fantastic, but there was one outdoor activity that we love to do that Jemez Springs does not really offer; swimming! There is no where to swim! There are lakes, creeks, and hot springs but these are mostly for sticking your feet in. No where to just swim and enjoy the cool water on a hot day.
- The drive to Jemez Springs is breath taking, but it is also gas taking! No matter which way you drive to Jemez Springs, it is a very, very long drive through the twist and turns of the mountains. If you get car sick, like my daughter does, barf bags are handy to have in the glove box of your car!
- Snakes! Yep we saw some snakes. The ones we saw weren’t poisonous, but still not a fan!
Things to know before you go to Jemez Springs, NM:
- Download your hiking trails and locations before you go. There is no service anywhere near here, so buy yourself a good paper map and mark where your trailheads are. Or download the trailhead location and trail map from the apps to your phone. It will make finding them 100% easier.
- Bring cash. A lot of the parks or stations that require admission are cash only.
- If you are going fishing, I would get your license before going. There is one place where you can get a fishing license, but it takes a long time for that to get processed due to the lack of technology.
- If you get car sick, make sure you bring medication or a barf bag cause you sure are driving through some twisty mountains.
- If you are camping at Fenton Lake State Park, book months to a year in advance!
Things to do in Jemez Springs, NM with kids:
Jemez Historic Site
Growing up I went to many a historic site. While some people may think that is lame; look at these pictures and tell me it wouldn’t be cool to see this! I love walking through history, but walking through the hallowed kivas of the native Americans is such an amazing experience.
It is incredible to see what these ancient people were able to build. The ruins at this site are so well taken care of too. I mean you would not even think that these were 700 year old ruins! It is not a huge area, so no excessive walking. You can walk through most of the ruins and even go down a ladder deep into a kiva. (No photos allowed in kiva)
It is an amazing and very easy place to go with kids. The majority of it is all outdoors, but there is a one room museum in the admission building.
Location: 18160 NM-4, Jemez Springs, NM 87025
Hours: Wed-Sun 10am-4pm, closed Mon-Tues
Price: $7 per adult, 16 and under are FREE, NM residents with ID get the first Sunday of each month FREE
Fenton Lake State Park
Our favorite thing to do in Jemez Springs, was visiting Fenton Lake State Park! This park literally has it all! Camping, fishing, kayaking, hiking, playground, yep it is the outdoor hot spot!
I will start with camping. Heads up right now, if you want to camp, then you need to book way in advance! I mean like months in advance! There are a ton of spaces, but it is a highly trafficked state park, so if is pretty much always packed.
It is a state park so don’t be expecting electricity, sewage, and water. There are pit toilets so that’s a plus, but other than a picnic table you are pretty much in nature. Do not let these lack of amenities bother you though, because the campsites are GORGEOUS! You are surrounded by creeks, pine trees and so many animals and flowers.
I just have to share about these tents we used while we were there! Have you ever used a pop-up tent before? They are magic!! One of my biggest pet peeves about camping is how long it takes to set up a tent and take it down. As a mom of 3 toddlers, it is a little difficult to watch my kids in the woods (next to a deep creek might I add) and set up a tent at the same time. Hence the reason I LOVE these pop-up tents! It takes me literally 30 seconds to pop open the tent and 2 minutes to spike it to the ground! That’s it! MAGIC! Plus they are super durable!
The campsites are located past the lake, so you will not be camping by the lake. You are not far from the lake though and honestly the lake gets so busy you will not want to be right by it. The Hal Baxter Memorial Tral is a trail that connects the farthest campsites to the actual lake and it is only a mile to the lake and a mile back. It take you right alongside a gorgeous creek too!
Fishing is the number one reason people come to this state park. This lake is beautiful and I guess a great spot to fish, though to be honest I did not see one person catch a fish while I was there. Hopefully you have better luck than all of them.
Canoeing and kayaking are also allowed on the lake so instead of fishing on the shoreline, head out to open water. Gas powered boats are not allowed on the lake. It is so peaceful to just kayak on this gorgeous lake. While we were kayaking we even saw a falcon swoop down and catch a fish.
Have you ever tried one of these inflatable kayaks? These things are wonderful! Instead of hauling a giant kayak everywhere, you can bring this deflated foldable kayak that you can stick in the back of a car! It takes up such little room and all you have to do is blow it up, hop in, and paddle your way around the lake! It is super easy to blow up and take down as long as you have a good pump. This one that we used comes with its very own electric pump!
Location: 455 Fenton Lake Rd, Jemez Springs, NM 87025
Hours: 6am-9pm
Admission: $5 day use by vehicle, walk-ins FREE
Seven Springs Fish Hatchery
If you are looking for a great place to take your kids fishing, then look no further. I know it says fish hatchery, but really it is a kids fishing pond. Stocked with fresh rainbow trout this is a great place for kids to get a fish, especially since they don’t have to compete with the adults. This is for kids 12 and under to fish and they can fish without a license.
Even if you aren’t fishing, this is such a beautiful area, that I would advise visiting and just walking around the ponds to admire the beauty!
Location: 346 Forest Rd 314, Jemez Springs, NM 87025
Hours: 8am-5pm daily
Admission: FREE
Spence Hot Springs
Although there are not many swimming options in Jemez Springs, there are water wading options in hot springs! Just a short 0.7 mile hike there and back, this hike does not take very long. At the end of the hike, on the mountainside are 2 gorgeous natural hot spring pools. These pools are not necessarily hot, but they are warm. It actually feels really good on your legs after making the hike up the springs.
If you want more information about Spence Hot Springs then click here.
So yes the majority of the hike is up, so the majority of the hike back is down. The hike like I said is short, but it is not necessarily easy. It is rocky and there are lots of high steps. On AllTrails.com it is actually categized as a moderate hike due to the ascent and descent, plus rocky terrain.
These hiking water shoes are perfect for this hike. Unless you want to haul up a separate pair of water shoes from your hiking to the springs. The springs are pretty slippery and rocky so it is nice to have a pair of shoes to wear into the springs.
The hike is a very beautiful hike, and you will probably feel more like you are in Colorado than New Mexico with how green and full of flowers it is.
A couple things you should know about the hot springs before you go though is that there is a risk of a deadly bacteria in the water (as is a risk in all natural hot springs) that enters through the nose. It is advised that you do no put your face underwater.
Also supposedly this it is not uncommon for people to soak in the pools nude, so beware of the naked people. Luckily there was only another family there when we went so everyone was fully clothed.
This was a fun hike for my kids though, with the challenge of climbing rocks and walking through small creeks. I have 3 kids all under the age of 5 and I am currently pregnant and I was able to do this hike, with some help with my kids. So if you are thinking of hiking with kiddos, it is a possible hike.
For more hints on how to get your kids to enjoy hiking or for fun games to play while hiking than check out these articles.
Admission: FREE
Location:
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