Soda Dam, Jemez NM

Heading north on Highway 4 into the Jemez Mountains, just past the Jemez State Monument is Soda Dam. As the road winds its way up along the twisting Jemez River, you come to a 50 foot-tall natural dam. This feature was created by limestone deposits laid down over the centuries by water flowing from the towering mountaintops that surround the dam.

Instead of a lake, the dam has formed instead a tunnel that channels the river through the structure and sends the waters cascading down the opposite side into a small pool that is perfect for cooling off in the hot summer months. Though the spot can be popular with teenagers who like to jump off the rocks into the water below, the Forest Service warns that the water levels can be highly variable, the activity is prohibited.

Visitors can also follow a snaking trail to the top that overlooks the river on the other side, and can be a good spot for a picnic, as long as the sometimes strong sulfur smell of the pool water is not prohibitive. In the cooler months, the spot is much less crowded than in the summer, when many tourists as well as nature lovers from Albuquerque and Santa Fe flock to the beautiful mountains that are so much greener and cooler than the surrounding high desert mesa.