Faywood Hot Springs, New Mexico: Pools, Cabins and Camping

What Faywood Hot Springs is

Faywood is a resort-style property rather than a primitive forest soak. The site describes itself as a natural mineral water high desert oasis with private cabins, RV and tent camping, massage therapy, and conference or retreat facilities, so you can arrange a soak and a bed in one place.

That matters when you are comparing options across the state. Many New Mexico soaks are hike-in pools with a pullout and a short trail; Faywood is the other kind of stop, where the water is the centerpiece of a property with lodging and campsites attached. If your group includes someone who wants a short walk from bed to pool, this is the easier choice.

Where it is

Faywood sits just off Highway 61 in the small community of Faywood, about 25 miles north of Deming in southwestern New Mexico. The resort's address is 165 Highway 61, Faywood, NM, which puts it on the direct desert route between Deming and Silver City.

From Interstate 10 at Deming, the drive north on Highway 61 is short enough that Faywood works as a stopover on a longer southern New Mexico loop. Silver City, the gateway to the Gila country, is the next town west and north, and the hot springs around Gila Hot Springs make a natural companion stop if you are building a multi-day soak itinerary.

Getting there and parking

Highway 61 is paved and the resort entrance is directly off it, so you do not need a high-clearance vehicle or a forest-road permit to reach the pools. Arrive with a full tank and water, because services thin out quickly once you leave Deming or Silver City, and the surrounding country is open desert with long views and little shade.

If you are staying overnight, check in first and park at your cabin or campsite rather than leaving a vehicle at the day-use area. For a day soak, plan to park once and walk the property, and keep glass bottles out of the pool area entirely; broken glass around a soaking pool is the one thing that ruins everyone's afternoon.

The pools

The public pools at Faywood can be used either clothed or clothing optional, so know the policy before you book and decide whether that suits your group. Private pools are reserved for overnight guests, which is the clearest reason to turn a day soak into an overnight stay.

The pools are open-air and set in the desert landscape, which is the appeal: you soak under a wide sky rather than in an enclosed bathhouse. The resort describes the experience as open-air pools under sun, moon, and dark night skies, and the night soak is the one to plan for if you are staying over.

Because the water is untreated geothermal mineral water, keep your head above the surface and treat the pools as a soak, not a swimming workout. The rock and decking around open-air pools get slick, so walk rather than hurry, and keep an eye on children near the water.

Water and setting

The water at Faywood is geothermal mineral water, and the resort's own description leans on the contrast between hot water and arid high desert. That is the honest appeal of the place: the soak is comfortable, the air is dry and clear, and the night sky over the property is part of the experience.

Do not expect a lush forest setting. Southwestern New Mexico is open country with strong sun, cool nights, and wind, so pack a hat, sunglasses, and a layer for after the soak. The reward is a quieter, more spacious kind of hot-spring afternoon than you get at a crowded commercial pool.

Fees and hours

Faywood is open daily from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., which gives you a long window for a day soak and makes an evening arrival realistic if you are driving in from Deming or Silver City.

Day-use rates, cabin rates, and reservation terms are set by the resort, so confirm the current price and availability directly with Faywood when you book rather than relying on an old listing. If you want one of the private pools, book an overnight stay, because those pools are tied to guest status.

Cabins, RV sites and tent camping

Faywood offers private cabins plus RV and tent camping on the property, so you can match your shelter to your budget and your tolerance for desert nights. The cabins are described as new and small but appealing, which suits couples or a small family who want a bed and a short walk to the water.

The resort's own listing includes private cabins, RV and tent camping, and retreat facilities, so it can handle a group trip as well as a two-person getaway.

Camping here means desert camping: wind, sun, and cold nights, with the soak as your reward at the end of the day. Bring your own shade, water, and warm layers, and treat the campsite as you would any exposed high-desert site.

Rules and etiquette at a developed pool

At a developed pool, Faywood Hot Springs' posted rules govern, and the two things that matter most at Faywood are the clothing-optional policy on public pools and the private pools reserved for guests. Read those before you book so that your group knows what to expect.

Keep glass out of the pool area entirely, shower before you soak, and keep voices low around the water in the evening. Those are the small courtesies that make a shared pool pleasant for everyone, and they cost nothing.

Best time to go

Spring and fall are the sweet spots in this part of New Mexico: warm days, cool nights, and water that feels good rather than punishing. Summer afternoons get genuinely hot, so plan your soak for the morning or after dark, when the desert cools and the night sky opens up.

Winter is the quietest season and the most atmospheric for an evening soak, but desert nights drop hard, so bring real insulation if you are camping. Weekdays are calmer than weekends year-round, and the private pools give overnight guests a way to soak away from the day-use crowd.

Nearby springs and stops to combine

Faywood is well placed for a southern New Mexico hot-spring loop. Head west and north toward Gila Hot Springs for a more primitive soak in the Gila country, or drive east toward Truth or Consequences, the state's best-known hot-spring town, where Riverbend Hot Springs sits right on the Rio Grande.

If you are planning a longer tour, the state's developed resorts and primitive soaks are different enough that it pays to see the whole picture before you book. A broader guide to hot springs in New Mexico helps you sequence Faywood with the northern resorts and the Gila country on one trip.

North of Santa Fe, Ojo Caliente Hot Springs and Jemez Hot Springs make a separate northern loop, so decide whether you are building a southern desert trip or a northern mountain one. Trying to do both in a single long weekend means a lot of windshield time and not much soaking. If you are weighing that kind of multi-stop resort trip further afield, the hot springs in Utah offer a similar mix of developed pools and remote soaks to compare against.

Leave No Trace for primitive soaks on the same trip

If your itinerary includes a primitive hike-in soak such as Gila Hot Springs, pack out everything you bring in, including food scraps and tea bags, and leave the rocks and pools as you found them. Soap, sunscreen, and bug spray belong away from the water, and a small pack towel beats a heavy one when you are walking back to the car.

Plan Your Visit

Faywood Hot Springs is the comfortable, developed option in a region full of rough-and-ready soaks: open-air mineral pools, a clothing-optional public pool, private pools for overnight guests, and cabins or campsites so you do not have to drive back to town after dark. Book directly with the resort for current rates and availability, and confirm the pool policies before you go.

Pair it with a stop in Silver City or a soak at Riverbend Hot Springs on the Rio Grande, and you have a southern New Mexico road trip built around water. Check the resort's current hours and policies before you drive out, and let the desert night do the rest.