5 listings
Free Hot Springs in Colorado
No-fee soaks on public land. Pack it in, pack it out, and check access rules before you go.
We list 5 in Colorado, 2 of them near Pagosa Springs: the hottest is Piedra River Hot Springs (up to 105°F).
Conundrum Hot Springs
High-elevation backcountry pools in the Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness, about 8.5 miles one way from the Conundrum Creek trailhead near Aspen. Camping anywhere in the zone requires an advance Recreation.gov permit and use of your reserved site, and dogs are not allowed. Bear canisters are mandatory overnight, and the Forest Service asks visitors to pack out human waste.
Penny Hot Springs
Rock-ringed pools on the west bank of the Crystal River just off Highway 133 north of Redstone, partly owned and managed by Pitkin County Open Space. Access is free and year-round from a small roadside pullout. River levels decide conditions, and the pools are often under cold water during spring runoff.
Piedra River Hot Springs
Several small rock pools along the Piedra River west of Pagosa Springs, reached by a roughly 1.5-mile hike from the Sheep Creek trailhead off First Fork Road. The Forest Service lists temperatures of about 95-105°F depending on how much river water mixes in. Bikes and pack animals are not allowed, and poison ivy is common along the route.
Radium Warm Springs
A warm spring pool above the Upper Colorado River near the hamlet of Radium, southwest of Kremmling. The BLM directs visitors to a trailhead at the end of Warm Springs Road, because the old social trail from the CPW Mugrage site is closed to protect bighorn sheep habitat. A fee campground and river access are nearby at the Radium Recreation Area.
Rainbow Hot Springs
Primitive pools on the bank of the West Fork of the San Juan River in the Weminuche Wilderness, about 5.3 miles up the West Fork Trail northeast of Pagosa Springs. Camping is allowed only at nine designated sites, campfires are banned near the springs, and the first mile of trail crosses private land. Pool conditions shift with runoff and storms.