Place guide
Jemez Soda Dam
A natural dam across the Jemez River formed over centuries by mineral-rich hot spring deposits.
📍GPS: 35.791801, -106.686413
Soda Dam is a natural rock formation along the Jemez River, located north of Jemez Springs beside NM-4.
The dam wasn’t built by people. It formed as mineral-rich hot spring water flowed through the canyon and deposited layers of calcium carbonate over thousands of years.
Visiting Soda Dam
Today, the formation stretches across the canyon while the Jemez River flows through a cave-like opening in the rock.
Soda Dam is directly beside the highway, making it a popular natural attractions to visit in the Jemez Mountains. You can explore around the formation, see small geothermal seeps, and sit in the mineral water.
It’s an easy stop to combine with Jemez Springs or Battleship Rock while driving the Jemez Mountain Trail.
Nearby places
Jemez Historic Site
Ruins of a large Pueblo village and 17th-century Spanish mission in the Jemez Mountains.
Jemez Hot Springs
Hot spring facilities in the town of Jemez Springs
Jemez Springs
A tiny mountain village known for hot springs, red-rock scenery, and easy access to the Jemez Mountains.