Unnamed Thermal Spring

Sierra County, New Mexico · Near Truth or Consequences
32.9530°N, 107.5800°W · 5,580 ft
94°F 66°F air · Good soaking weather 5,580 ft Short Walk Camping nearby (7.4 mi)
Aerial view of the ground around the spring LiDAR bare-earth view of the same ground around the spring
Aerial LiDAR bare earth

Drag the handle to compare the two views. The orange dot marks the spring, in a frame about three quarters of a mile wide.

Sierra County, New Mexico, about 25 miles from Truth or Consequences, holds this unnamed thermal point with water reading in the mid-nineties. That is soaking temperature. Nothing else is known about it on the record: no owner, no access status, no chemistry, no road name. The location and the temperature are the whole file.

Location

It sits around 5,600 feet in country with little snow and light rain. A short walk, about five hundred yards, is what separates it from the road. Kingston Campground is the closest camp listed, a bit over seven miles off. Public or private, the surrounding land is unrecorded.

Winter is the season on file. Find out whose land it is first. No fee, no sample, no image. Kingston Campground works as a base. The temperature figure has no sample date attached, so it may be decades old. Go to scout it, and count any soak as a bonus.

Terrain

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 this spring.

Setting
Gentle slope
The ground tilts gently up to the north.
Highest ground nearby
186 ft above the spring
Within a quarter mile, to the north
Cross-section through the spring

A slice through the ground from north to south, about 0.6 miles end to end.

Elevation data: USGS 3D Elevation Program. Aerial imagery: USGS The National Map. Public domain.

Heat Below
121 milliwatts per square meter of heat flow

That's about twice the US average of 65. It's higher than at 72% 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.

Heat flow estimate: Stanford Thermal Earth Model (Aljubran & Horne, 2024), CC BY 4.0.

Monthly Climate
41°
Jan
45°
Feb
54°
Mar
61°
Apr
68°
May
80°
Jun
78°
Jul
77°
Aug
71°
Sep
61°
Oct
50°
Nov
41°
Dec
Annual Precip: 10.1 in Annual Snow: 6.4 in
Best Time to Visit
January Air 41°F · Water 94°F · +54° contrast
December Air 41°F · Water 94°F · +53° contrast
February Air 45°F · Water 94°F · +49° contrast
January offers 40°F more contrast than June
Current Conditions
66°F
Mostly Cloudy ENE 20.7 mph 88% Good soaking weather
Today 85° Low 64° Partly Sunny then Chance Showers And Thunderstorms 52% precip
Spring is +9° warmer
Wednesday 84° Low 63° Showers And Thunderstorms Likely 60% precip
Spring is +10° warmer
Thursday 82° Low 62° Chance Rain Showers then Chance Showers And Thunderstorms 54% precip
Spring is +12° warmer
Friday 82° Low 61° Showers And Thunderstorms Likely 57% precip
Spring is +12° warmer
Saturday 82° Low 60° Mostly Sunny then Chance Showers And Thunderstorms 45% precip
Spring is +12° warmer
Nearby Camping
Nearby Camping
Kingston Campground 7.4 mi away

Small campground located along the north side of New Mexico Highway 152, near mile marker 40, near Middle Percha Creek, on the eastern edge of the small town of Kingston, NM.

Reserve on Recreation.gov →
Mile-High Advisory 5,580 ft

this spring sits at 5,580 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 22% stronger than at sea level, so bring sunscreen and drink more water than you normally would.

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Temperature
94°F
Warm Hot Boiling
Water Temp 94°F (35°C)
Avg Air Temp 61°F
Above Ambient +34°F
Warm air, warm water September
Access
Road Access Short Walk
Distance to Road 0.3 mi
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the water temperature at ?
has a water temperature of 94°F (35°C). This is a warm thermal spring.
Where is located?
is located in Sierra County, New Mexico at 5,580 feet elevation, near Truth or Consequences. Coordinates: 32.9530°N, 107.5800°W.
How do I get to ?
has Short Walk road access (0.3 mi from the road).
Can I camp near ?
Yes, Kingston Campground is located nearby (7.4 miles away).