Ojo Caliente (Arsenic Spring)
Arsenic Spring is one of the sources at Ojo Caliente, the group of thermal springs also called Ojo Caliente Mineral Springs, about eighteen miles from Ohkay Owingeh. Our record places the point in Rio Arriba County while Wikipedia puts the group in Taos County. Hot, a little above 110. Sodium chloride water, slightly acidic. Access is unrecorded here, and so is the land owner.
The nearest road runs a few hundred feet off, though nobody wrote down which road. Elevation is about 6,200 feet. Close to two feet of snow falls over a winter, and the year averages cool. Nothing names the land unit or its designation. Arsenic shows up in the name and nowhere among the listed minerals, which are sodium and chloride.
Hot enough to need care; test before soaking, and cooling would help. The Riana campground at Abiquiu Lake is about 22 miles away. Chemistry dates from 1974. Best months on record are December through February, which up here means snow. Access and ownership should be checked before a visit.
Wikipedia says the Ojo Caliente springs were used by native New Mexicans for many years, and gives Ojo Caliente Mineral Springs as a second name for the group.
Aircraft with laser scanners measured this ground to within inches. The scan strips out trees and buildings, leaving the bare shape of the land around Ojo Caliente (Arsenic Spring).
Drag the handle to compare the two views. The orange dot marks the spring, in a frame about three quarters of a mile wide.
- Setting
- Canyon floor
- Steep ground climbs away on both sides of the spring.
- Highest ground nearby
- 225 ft above the spring
- Within a quarter mile, to the north
A slice through the ground from southwest to northeast, about 0.6 miles end to end.
Elevation data: USGS 3D Elevation Program. Aerial imagery: USGS The National Map. Public domain.
That's about 1½ times the US average of 65. It's higher than at 52% of the springs on this site.
Heat flow measures the warmth working its way up through the ground from deep inside the earth. Where it runs high, rain and snowmelt that seep down through cracks in the rock come back up hot.
See every spring on the geothermal heat map →
Heat flow estimate: Stanford Thermal Earth Model (Aljubran & Horne, 2024), CC BY 4.0.
The water at Ojo Caliente (Arsenic Spring) is slightly acidic (pH 6.6). It is notably rich in sodium (supports circulation and skin hydration) and chloride (natural antiseptic with skin health benefits).
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Overview Riana Campground is located on a 150 ft. bluff overlooking the scenic Abiquiu Lake in northern New Mexico, just one hour northwest of charming Santa Fe. The lake sits at an elevation of 6,400 feet on the Rio Chama, a tributary of the legendary Rio Grande. Recreation Abiquiu Lake offers many opportunities for outdoor recreation. The fishing here is some of the finest in northern New Mexico. Visitors enjoy boating, water skiing, and hiking. Lake shore access for boat launching is 1 m...
Ojo Caliente (Arsenic Spring) sits at 6,220 feet above sea level, way above the mile-high mark. You may not feel the altitude strongly, but hot water still dehydrates you faster at elevation. UV is about 25% stronger than at sea level, so bring sunscreen and drink more water than you normally would.
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Ojo Caliente (Arsenic Spring) is road-accessible, so you can bring more gear. The water runs hot, so extra hydration is key.
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