7 Colorado Hot Springs Coloradans Head to Once the Snow Starts
Denver’s first measurable snow usually shows up around the third week of October.
That’s about when a long, hot soak in a hot spring starts to sound like the best plan for a cold weekend.
Here are some of the best hot springs to visit this winter, and what to know before you drive.
1. Strawberry Park Hot Springs
Strawberry Park Hot Springs in Steamboat Springs stays open once the snow starts, and its winter driving rules run from November 1 to May 1.
In that stretch, you need a 4WD vehicle with snow tires to make the drive up.
A two-wheel-drive car doesn’t qualify, even with chains.
The last two miles of road are unpaved, steep and winding.
If you don’t have that setup, arrange a shuttle.
Sort out the ride first.
The pools stay open 365 days a year, with last entry at 8 p.m. Sunday through Thursday.
You reserve every pool visit in advance, which guarantees you a parking spot.
Adult admission is $30.
You pay in cash because the resort takes no credit cards and has no cash machine on site.
2. Indian Hot Springs
Indian Hot Springs in Idaho Springs says it’s open year round, and it sits directly off I-70, only 30 minutes from Denver.
Denver’s records on first snowfalls of at least 0.1 inch go back to 1882, and the average date lands on October 19.
Your drive up uses I-70, and that stretch has winter tire rules.
On weekdays, you can walk into the mineral pool and the caves without a reservation.
Weekends change that.
The mineral pool splits into four time slots on Saturday and Sunday, and the caves require reservations.
What the Traction Law Requires on I-70
Colorado’s Passenger Vehicle Traction Law covers I-70 between Dotsero and Morrison from September 1 through May 31, whenever the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) turns it on.
The law applies to any hot springs trip that uses that stretch.
If you drive a two-wheel-drive vehicle, you need tire chains or an approved traction device on two or more drive tires.
Chains must be on your tires once CDOT activates the overhead signs.
Upgrading to all-season or mountain-snowflake tires doesn’t make a two-wheel-drive vehicle compliant.
If you drive a four-wheel-drive or all-wheel-drive vehicle, tires with at least 3/16 inch of tread depth satisfy the law when they carry a mountain-snowflake, M+S or all-weather rating.
The fine runs up to $500 plus a $79 surcharge, and it rises to $1,000 plus a $157 surcharge if you get stuck and block the road.
3. Hot Sulphur Springs
Hot Sulphur Springs Resort & Spa runs 20 pools on site, and gravity moves the water through all of them.
The resort says it uses no pumps or filters and that the mineral levels haven’t changed since they were first measured in 1946.
The public pools stay open 365 days a year, from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m.
They take walk-ins only, with the last walk-in at 9:15 p.m., so you skip the booking.
The resort bans eating, smoking and alcohol in the pool areas, and it requires clothing, so you pack a swimsuit.
No skinny-dipping.
4. Mount Princeton Hot Springs
Mount Princeton Hot Springs Resort in Nathrop calls its pools open year-round, with posted hours of 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily.
Day passes sell at the resort, so you don’t need a reservation.
Pay when you arrive.
A day pass covers the Historic Bath House, Creekside Springs, Upper Pools and Infinity Pool.
The resort limits the Spa & Club pools to overnight guests and spa patrons ages 16 and up.
There’s also a Locals Punch Pass Club.
The newsletter covers seasonal hours, so check the schedule before you drive.
Psst! How much do you know about hot springs? Take our quiz and see if you can ace it.
Quiz
Hot Springs Pop Quiz
Answer these questions on hot springs and snow. We bet you can’t get them all right. Prove us wrong?
The Ute people called the Glenwood Springs hot springs Yampah. What does that word mean?
5. Ouray Hot Springs
Ouray Hot Springs Pool lets you soak in winter with snow-covered canyon walls in view.
The public soaks from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., and you don't need a reservation.
Members with a 12-month membership get the first hour, from 10 to 11 a.m., and everyone else waits.
The Overlook Pool averages 102 to 106 degrees, and temperatures can vary with the weather.
The pool's hot water came from one gravity-fed line in Box Canyon from the 1920s until the 1980s.
Supplemental water from the 1980s made winter operation possible for the first time.
If you hold an Ouray Ice Park membership card, you get 20% off daily admission while the Ice Park is open.
Pools may close occasionally for maintenance or temperature control, so you check the closure notices on Facebook and Instagram before you go.
Check first.
6. Penny Hot Springs
Penny Hot Springs stays open once the snow starts, and Pitkin County lists the springs as open year-round, so you can reach them from Highway 133 in any month.
You'll find the springs on the west bank of the Crystal River, opposite Filoha Meadows Nature Preserve and near Redstone.
A 2020 management plan called for a lease with the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT).
The CDOT right of way covers some of the pools, the parking area and the slope between the highway and the river.
The lease lets Pitkin County manage that land and restore degraded areas of the slope.
The parking area falls under that lease.
The county owns just 0.1 acre, and the parking area sits on CDOT's right of way.
Tiny soak, big lease.
7. Iron Mountain Hot Springs
Iron Mountain Hot Springs in Glenwood Springs says it stays open in all weather conditions, and it doesn't offer refunds or rainchecks for weather.
The resort posts hours of 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily.
Iron Mountain has 35 pools, with water between 89 and 108 degrees.
The cold plunges run between 45 and 55 degrees.
You don't need a reservation, but tickets sell out, especially on weekends.
Book ahead.
Buying online saves you $5 a person.
The resort's wintertime advice is to bring sandals for the walk between pools and a robe to stay warm.
Iron Mountain supplies two towels with your soak.
Winter Logistics at Strawberry Park
Strawberry Park Hot Springs says the Colorado State Patrol and the Routt County Sheriff's Office strictly enforce traction laws.
Tickets and liability apply if you cause an accident or get stuck without proper equipment.
Parking is very limited, so a shuttle helps you avoid winter driving hazards.
Leave your dog at home because no pets are allowed on the property or in vehicles.
There's a heated changing cabin, but wear your swimsuit under your clothes and bring a robe.
There's no cell service or Wi-Fi, so save your directions and reservation confirmation before you leave.
Plan accordingly.
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