Sulphur Canyon

Bubbling mudpots at Sulphur Springs.

Courtesy of Jessica Miller

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Scenic View/Photo Spot

Sulphur Springs was acquired by Valles Caldera National Preserve in 2020. It contains volcanic features like sulfuric-acid springs, volcanic fumaroles and steaming mud-pots, and supports a range of “extremophile” algae and bacteria living in the high-temperature acidic pool and stream environments. Many of the geothermal features on the property are found nowhere else in New Mexico, and similar sites are very rare in the western United States. Originally patented in 1898 as a mining claim by New Mexico businessman and politician, Maríano Otero, who mined sulfur at the site from 1902 to 1904. The Otero family then developed the site as a health resort spa, which operated through much of the twentieth century until it burned down in the 1970s. In the late 1980s, Los Alamos National Laboratory established an experimental geothermal well on the site. Access from NM-4, Mile Marker 27, FS 105 to metal gate and parking area. We ask that you please do not bathe in the hot springs due to the water's acidity. 

Duration:

2 minutes, 27 seconds

The density of geothermal features in Sulphur Canyon reveals the volcanic origins of Valles Caldera. Hot springs, mud pots, and fumaroles adorn this fascinating area along the park’s western boundary. Learn more about the geothermal activity at Valles Caldera National Preserve in this Caldera Chat with Ranger Topher!

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