FROM THE NORTH
1. Somehow get yourself on 285 south heading toward Espanola, NM. (From
Colorado Springs you can take I-25 South and get off at Walsenburg to
go west on 160. Then get on 285 south at Alamosa. From points further
to the west of CO Springs you can get on 285 directly.) Go through Espanola
and continue for a few miles until you reach a traffic light with the
Cities of Gold Casino on your left.
2. Go through Espanola and continue for a few miles until you see an
exit on the right for Los Alamos (Route 502). You will also see the
Cities of Gold Casino on your left. Take this exit on to 502 West.
3. Drive 11.5 miles on 502. (The road will eventually start to climb
and become curvy.) As the road levels off you will approach the White
Rock/Highway 4 exit. Bare right and take this exit.
4. Drive 3.8 miles on Highway 4 and you will arrive at the town of White
Rock. (After only 1.0 miles of driving you should reach a traffic light
in the middle of nowhere. Continue straight on Highway 4 toward White
Rock.)
5. As you approach White Rock you will see a Shell gas station on your
right and Rover Blvd. on your left. Take a left onto Rover and drive
about 75 yds where you will take a left onto Meadow Lane.
6. Follow Meadow Lane as it makes a lazy right bend for 0.8 miles. You
should see the entrance to Overlook Park on your left. Take that left
and find the fields along the road.
FROM THE SOUTH (via Route 599, the BY-PASS)
1. From Albuquerque get on I-25 North.
2. When approaching Santa Fe take exit 276B (Route 599 North). You
will be
heading north on 599, no turns are required.
3. Continue to the end of 599 North (about 12 miles) where you will
have
several options. Stay in the far left lane and get on 285 North.
4. Continue on 285 North for about 25 miles until you reach the town
of
Pojoaque. Continue north toward the edge of Pojoaque and take the
Los Alamos (Route 502) Exit. You will see the Cities of Gold Casino
on
your right as you approach this exit.
5. At the bottom of the exit ramp continue through the traffic light
(baring slightly to the left) and drive under the overpass. You are
now
headed west on 502.
6. Follow instructions 3-6 (FROM THE NORTH) above.
FROM THE
SOUTH (through Santa Fe)
1. Get on I-25 North and take the St. Francis Rd. exit as you approach
Santa Fe.
2. Drive north on St. Francis Rd. through Santa Fe and continue on
this road out of town. St. Francis Rd. turns into 285 north as you
leave
Santa Fe.
3. Continue on 285 north for about 25 miles until you reach the town
of Pojoaque. Continue north toward the edge of Pojoaque and take the
Los Alamos (Route 502) Exit. You will see the Cities of Gold Casino
on your right as you approach this exit.
4. At the bottom of the exit ramp continue through the traffic light
(baring slightly to the left) and drive under the overpass. You are
now headed west on 502.
5. Follow instructions 3-6 above.
Directions to camping at Bandelier National Monument:
From the intersection of Highway 4 and Rover Bld. in White Rock, continue
driving through White Rock on Highway 4 for 8.3 miles. The entrance
to Bandelier National Monument will be on your left. The road to the
entrance is full of lazy curves and passes through classic New Mexico
countryside. The entrance to the Juniper Campground is a short distance
inside the gate on the right side of the road. Call (505) 672-3861
for
campsite info. There is running water available, but NO showers.
Directions to Spense Hot Springs (from Bandelier National Monument):
As you exit Bandelier, take a left onto Highway 4. Drive approximately
32 miles on Highway 4 and you will see a dirt pullout/parking lot on
the left side of the road. (There are often cars parked in the lot.
If you reach the town of Jemez Springs, you have gone 7 miles too far
past the springs.)
Pull into this lot and find the trail at the far end of the lot.
The trail goes down the bank of the river, crosses on a log, and then
goes back up the other side. It is approximately a quarter mile hike
up to the springs. There are actually several pools in the area, but
the main/best site usually has enough water for three connecting pools
running down the hillside. The pamphlet I have says that
clothing is optional, but I have heard of people getting ticketed for
nudity by park rangers during the past year!
A couple of landmarks to be aware of along the 32 mile drive to Spense
Springs:
1. After driving for 6 miles you will reach the junction with Route
502 which leads to Los Alamos. Continue straight on Highway 4. The
road
will begin to climb sharply with a few hairpin turns.
2. After driving approximately (?)6-8 more miles you will reach the
Valle Grande Caldera, a massive, beautiful expanse to the right of
the
highway.
3. Continuing along Highway 4 you will eventually come to a fork in
the road. The right fork leads to Fenton Lake/Cuba. The left fork leads
to Spense Springs and the town of Jemez Springs. Stay to the LEFT at
the fork and remain on Highway 4.
4. The 32 mile drive has some awesome beauty. I hope y'all get the
chance to enjoy it!
