In the late 1927, J O Langford believed in the healing waters of the hot springs he had purchased along the banks of the Rio Grande, and so he built a post office/store and motor court. The springs were a few feet from the rivers edge and he built a two story bath house so his guest could relax in the healing waters in as comfortable way as possible.
Unfortunately, both the Rio Grande and Tornillo Creek are prone to severe flooding and over the years, the bath house has washed away, leaving only the foundation standing. Located right at the rivers edge, whenever the Rio Grande rises more than 3 feet, the springs are totally flooded. Today visitors can reach the springs by driving on a very narrow, curvy dirt road that branches off the park road, walking .2 miles to the springs. Or they can hike the Hot Springs Trail that starts near Rio Grande Village and is 3 miles long. It is far more pleasant in the cooler months as it is quite open and the summer heat can be quite intense.
Originally the springs were know as Boquillas Springs from the fact they were located some four miles upriver from where Boquillas Canyon enters the Rio Grande. When Langford developed them, they were known as Langford Hot Springs, and today, they are usually simply called Hot Springs. The temperature of the spring water, which is heated geothermally, is 105°F year-round; the water contains calcium carbonate, calcium sulfate, sodium sulfate, sodium chloride, and lithium. 75 years ago, the springs' flow rate was 250,000 gallons a day, but more recent measurements show a slight decrease in flow.
Besides the springs, there are the remains of the old buildings, as well as pictographs for those interested in more than just the waters of the spring. To quote from a 1933 advertisement for the Langford Resort at the spring: Sufferers from asthma, kidney diseases, dropsy, juandice, pellagra, eczema, rheumatism.... have left their troubles here and gone home rejoicing. Why not you? Today when you visit the Park, take some time to visit the spring, after all what do you have to lose, other than a little time. Time which will be so enjoyably spent you won't notice it anyway.
View of the road to the spring. At this point it is split, each direction hugging one side of the small canyon that leads back to the parking area.
Looking down towards the old foundation and the Rio Grande. It is easy to soak your feet in the warm waters of the spring, turn around and plunge them in the cool waters of the Rio Grande.
The spring is located at the front of the ruins, and were it not for the foundation, it would, depending on the rivers flow, be within the river itself.
Two links that have further information on the spring can be found here and here.