Manby Hot Springs (Stagecoach)
By the HotSpringsFind editorial team · How we compile records · Reviewed September 2026
Manby Hot Springs (Stagecoach) is a primitive hot spring listed near Arroyo Hondo, New Mexico. Reported soak temperature: 98°F. See the visit fact sheet.
Current status
Free primitive rock pools (~97-100F) on the east bank of the Rio Grande inside Rio Grande del Norte National Monument — the old drive-in route over private Tune Drive was closed to vehicles in 2021 after being 'loved to death'; legal access now is a rugged ~2-3 mi fisherman's-trail hike from John Dunn Bridge or by boat on the river; long-standing clothing-optional custom.
Checked June 2026 · verified against an official source · 6 sources ↓
Staying overnight?
A town stay for Taos-area trips.
Taos is about 11 mi from the spring (straight line).
We may earn a commission from bookings through these links, at no extra cost to you.
Before you go
- Status: Open — last verified below — confirm via BLM via Taos News — visitors asked to park at John Dunn Bridge; BLM working on alternate access.
- Cost: Reported free access — fees and permits can change, confirm before visiting.
- Getting there: No verified hike distance on record — confirm the route and road conditions.
- Water: Reported soak temperature 98°F — always test the water before entering.
- Rules: Reported clothing-optional; reported dog-friendly.
- Conditions: check weather, fire closures, and land-manager alerts the week you go — mountain access changes seasonally.
- Reservations/permits: None — free BLM public land (Rio Grande del Norte NM / Wild & Scenic River corridor).
- Best time to go: Weekday mornings; trail open year-round — cooler months best, summer heat + poison ivy worst.
- Clothing reality: Official: no posted policy (BLM monument land). Customary: long-standing clothing-optional/nude use — repeatedly documented. Legal: no NM/BLM prohibition on simple backcountry nudity here, but the trail is shared.
- Cell service: none — download maps and tell someone your plan.
- Accessibility: Not accessible — boulder-hopping primitive trail along the gorge.
- DO NOT drive Tune Drive / the old stagecoach route — private roads, posted closed since 2021; BLM says legal access is only the John Dunn Bridge trail or by boat
- Trail is an unmaintained fisherman's path: narrow, dense vegetation, POISON IVY, large boulder scrambles — ~4.1 mi round trip, moderate-strenuous
- Parking at/near John Dunn Bridge is informal — BLM states there is no official trailhead parking
- Pools sit on the east bank at river level; high spring flows can reach the pools
- Pools hold ~6 bathers; popular weekends — clothing-optional crowd
- Remains of an old bathhouse on site; sandy-bottom pools ~97-100F
- Hazard: Poison ivy along trail
- Hazard: Boulder scrambling, narrow unmaintained path
- Hazard: Rio Grande currents/cold water if swimming
- Hazard: No facilities, no water, remote-ish
About this spring
Primitive rock-lined sandy-bottom pools on the east bank of the Rio Grande inside Rio Grande del Norte National Monument, set among ruins of a 19th-century stagecoach stop and bathhouse. Main riverside pool ~98°F. LEGAL ACCESS ONLY via the ~2 mi riverside hike from John Dunn Bridge or by boat — the private rim roads are closed and posted. Private-property shortcuts CLOSED — do not use. Narrow trail with boulders and dense poison ivy; pools submerge at high water.
Manby Hot Springs, also known as Stagecoach Hot Springs, bubble into primitive rock-lined, sandy-bottomed pools on the east bank of the Rio Grande within Rio Grande del Norte National Monument, on BLM land in the Wild and Scenic River corridor. Pueblo peoples reportedly knew the spring as Wa-pu-mee, 'water of long life.' The site became a stagecoach-era attraction after 1880, when the narrow-gauge Chili Line began stopping at Taos Junction, and merchants Miller and Gusdorf built a toll bridge to the springs in the 1890s.
The ruins belong to Arthur Rochford Manby's unrealized 'Lost Springs of the Aztec' resort scheme — only a rock-walled bathhouse (its entrance one story above the spring, reached by staircase) and cabins were built before a 1927 flood destroyed the bridge and cabins; Manby was found decapitated in his Taos home in 1929, spawning ghost legends. The main riverside pool runs about 98°F. Since 2021, legal access is limited to floating the river or walking the fisherman's trail, as all road approaches cross private land.
Directions & trailhead access
Hwy 522 N from Taos ~12 mi, County Rd B007 to John Dunn Bridge area; hike south along the river ~2 mi.
New Mexico geothermal context
New Mexico's springs follow the Rio Grande rift — the deep fault system that lets magma-heated groundwater rise along the river corridor from Colorado to Texas. The Jemez Mountains and Gila Wilderness hold most of the natural pools; monsoon season (July–September) brings violent afternoon storms and flash-flood risk to canyon sites.
What a primitive site means here
Primitive springs have no facilities: no changing rooms, no trash service, often no maintained road to the pool. Expect natural rock or gravel bottoms, water temperature that varies by spot and season, and other visitors who may treat the site informally. Pack out everything you bring, test the water before entering, and leave the pool cleaner than you found it.
Best time to visit
October – April (Fall, Winter & Spring)Desert thermal zones experience high summer ambient heat. The cooler months from late autumn to early spring offer the most refreshing ambient conditions for open-air soaking.
Fact sheet
| Reported soak temp | 98°F |
|---|---|
| Source temp (historical) | 98°F |
| Trail access | Recorded coordinates — access unverified |
| Access fee | Reported free — verify locally |
| Clothing policy | Reported clothing-optional |
| Pet policy | Reported dog-friendly |
| Geothermal data reference | NOAA Thermal Springs List (1980 archive) |
| Check land status | BLM via Taos News — visitors asked to park at John Dunn Bridge; BLM working on alternate access |
Manby Hot Springs (Stagecoach) FAQ
Is Manby Hot Springs (Stagecoach) open right now?
Free primitive rock pools (~97-100F) on the east bank of the Rio Grande inside Rio Grande del Norte National Monument — the old drive-in route over private Tune Drive was closed to vehicles in 2021 after being 'loved to death'; legal access now is a rugged ~2-3 mi fisherman's-trail hike from John Dunn Bridge or by boat on the river; long-standing clothing-optional custom. (Status verified against an official source, last checked June 2026.)
Is Manby Hot Springs (Stagecoach) free?
Manby Hot Springs (Stagecoach) is listed as free to access in Taos County, New Mexico. Fees and rules change — verify current status with the land manager before visiting.
What temperature is Manby Hot Springs (Stagecoach)?
Manby Hot Springs (Stagecoach) has a reported soak temperature of 98°F and a historical source temperature of 98°F in survey records. Historical data may not reflect current conditions — always test water before entering.
Is Manby Hot Springs (Stagecoach) clothing optional?
Manby Hot Springs (Stagecoach) is listed as traditionally clothing-optional in directory records. Confirm current rules before visiting, as policies change.
How do you access Manby Hot Springs (Stagecoach)?
Manby Hot Springs (Stagecoach) is on public land — verify current road access, fees and rules with the land manager before visiting.
Where to stay in Taos
A town stay for Taos-area trips. Check gorge access and any operator reservation before choosing a spring.
Taos is about 11 mi from the spring (straight line).
We may earn a commission from bookings through these links, at no extra cost to you.
Sources & references
- Taos News — 'Loved to death': Drive access to Manby Hot Springs to close (Aug 2021; Stagecoach Neighborhood Assoc: only legal access is floating the river or the fisherman's trail) — news · 2021-08
- BLM via Taos News — visitors asked to park at John Dunn Bridge; BLM working on alternate access — official · 2021-08
- Wikipedia — Manby Hot Springs (Rio Grande del Norte NM, BLM Wild & Scenic corridor, private Tune Drive, conservation easement, 97F pools) — community · 2025
- AllTrails — Manby Hot Springs Trail (open year-round, dogs leashed, boulders/poison ivy, ~6.6 km out-and-back; updated Jun 2026) — community · 2026-06
- nevadahiking.org — Manby page (2-mi riverside hike is legal route; private shortcuts closed) — community · 2025
Additional references for this record; a source link does not guarantee current conditions.
Details above were verified against the named sources on their listed dates — conditions change, so recheck before traveling. · How we verify our data · Report a correction
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