Just North of Gila, New Mexico, up a very bumpy and steep dirt road we found Brock Canyon. An older man, wearing an old button down shirt and faded blue jeans, we met at San Francisco hot springs told us of this place and how to find it. He couldn't make it down the road in his large RV so he was stuck at San Francisco with his tiny little dog.

So Greg, Lyndsay and I set off on another Hot Spring discovery adventure. We headed South and when we got to Gila, we headed north into the mountains. Slowly and slowly the road got more bumpy and steep. New Mexico's rolling mountain ranges began to form around us. Suede hills with bits of rocky outcroppings and the occasional pine dotted the landscape. When we finally rounded the last corner Brock Canyon came into view far below. We still had to make it down the worst of the road. Large rocks were now strewn across the road forcing us to swerve about to avoid them. Recent rain had eroded parts of the track creating huge trenches down and across the gravel. Slowly we crawled our GMC Savana over this rough terrain before we made it to the canyon floor.

We found a great campsite next to the river, among towering trees, and began searching for the hot springs. Our first finding was hot water seeping out of the riverside. A crude tub was made in the river but it was very muddy and cool so we continued our search. We finally came upon a large pile of rocks in the shape of a tub along a dry river bed. The rocks were lined with a tarp to hold the water and hot spring water was shooting out of a thick plastic tube and into the tub. At first touch the water was scorching. We used a long plastic tube to divert the hot water into the creek bed to allow the tub to cool. After some time we sat down to enjoy the steamy natural hot water and the beautiful scenery around us. As we soaked, bees and wasps dipped down to the spring water for a drink.

We were located in a large tract of National Forest land, which consisted of pine tree covered mountains and meandering creeks in their valleys. In this area we ran into several people that were subsistence living, eating what they could catch and staying in rudimentary shelters. It truly felt off the beaten path. Not your average tourist with a week vacation to kill was coming here.

We relaxed and enjoyed spending time with our new friend and fellow hot spring adventurer Greg whom we met at Hotwell Dunes. Another couple we met at Hotwell Dunes also showed up. They were on their way across the USA from Oregon to North Carolina and just happened to stop at the same place as us again. We spent hours relaxing in the water and swapping stories of travel and adventure. They gave us recommendations on where to go as we slowly made our way east and then back to Canada.

Brock Canyon was a hot spring experience unlike any other. It was one of the most exclusive springs we have visited, partly due to the poor condition of the access road and partly due to many people not knowing it existed. The scenery was beautiful. It was amazing to camp on the side of a beautiful flowing river in the New Mexico mountains with new friends we met along the way at other hot springs. The tub was nothing special and the natural water was far too hot to enjoy right out of the pipe. But the overall experience we had was amazing and I would highly recommend visiting to camp and soak.

Cleanliness - 2
Amenities - 1
Exclusivity - 5
Scenery - 4
Community - 4
Camping - 5