Traveling from Albuquerque to Valles Caldera and the Dark Sky areas inside it, we passed by a gorgeous little waterfall on the Jemez River as the road wound through the Jemez Reservation. We stopped and took a quick look around, and I saw a beautiful place that was inspirational all on its own. It’s actually a a grouping of fifteen hot springs which have formed a unique calcium carbonate and travertine formation creating a bridge over the Jemez River and the waterfall below it where the river continues.
Photo: Charles Boyer
The dam was formed by deposits from thermal spring water that accumulated over the course of 7,000 years or more. The river flows through a dome-like bridge created by the deposition of these minerals across the river. The waterfall is over 300 feet long, 50 feet high, and 50 feet wide at the base.
