Apache Tejo Warm Spring
Apache Tejo Warm Spring discharges at 97°F — 36.6 degrees above ambient air temperature — at 5,367 feet in Grant County, New Mexico. Located 272 meters from the nearest road, it requires a short walk to access. The modest thermal output places it in the warm spring category rather than a true hot spring.
The spring sits in the semiarid basin-and-range terrain of southwestern New Mexico near Hurley, where annual rainfall averages just 11.9 inches and snowfall barely reaches 8 inches. At this elevation, the landscape is dominated by desert grassland and scattered juniper, with the rugged Mimbres Mountains visible to the west. The surrounding Grant County terrain alternates between broad alluvial flats and rocky drainages typical of the upper Chihuahuan Desert transition zone.
Documentation on Apache Tejo Warm Spring is limited. The name combines Apache, referencing the Indigenous peoples who long inhabited the Gila region, with Tejo, a Spanish term sometimes associated with yew trees or boundary markers. The spring appears in the 1980 NOAA/NCEI thermal springs compilation. No significant commercial development has been recorded at the site, and it remains in a largely undeveloped state.
Visit during fall or spring to avoid summer heat that regularly exceeds 100°F in the surrounding lowlands. Bring adequate water and sun protection, as shade is scarce. The short walk from the road crosses open terrain without a maintained trail. No facilities or permits are known to be required. Nearby Silver City provides the closest services and lodging options.
Is Apache Tejo Warm Spring worth visiting?
Best for
- Warm-water soaking