New Mexico

Geology: Blue Hole, Carlsbad Cavern, Chuska Mountains, Manzanos Mountains, Membres, Rio Grande Gorge, Rio Grande, Rio Puerco, Sacramentos Mountains, Sangre de Christo Mountains, San Mateo Mountains, Ship Rock, Pecos, Valles Caldera National Preserve, White Sands, Zuni Mountains

Blue Hole

Santa Rosa’s Blue Hole is an 81-foot-deep artesian well bordered by a ring of sandstone featuring azure waters in a soda bottle–shaped configuration. The well was once used as a fish hatchery, but it now serves as a dive-training and recreational site for those with water on their minds. Because the water has a stable temperature of 61 degrees F, you can dive here year-round (winter is the busiest season) with just a quarter-inch wetsuit as thermal protection. Down in the well, the scenery is surreal. The cylindrical sides are as wide as 130 feet in places, and the gray rock walls are covered with a thin film of algae. The water itself is a deep, clear blue, with visibility up to 80 feet. A metal grate covers the opening to the spring, which feeds the well with a flow of 3,000 gallons of water per minute. The Santa Rosa Dive Center is open on weekends to rent gear and provide air fills. The shop opens midweek only by appointment for certified divers and groups.

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