The Best Hot Springs in Colorado: Ranked
Colorado sits on a lot of geothermal activity. The result is hot water coming out of the ground in places spread across the western half of the state. Some of those places have been turned into resorts. Some are still just pools in the dirt next to a river.
These are the ones worth your time, ranked.
1. Strawberry Hot Springs (Steamboat Springs)
The best hot spring experience in Colorado. Not the fanciest. Not the most accessible. The best.
Strawberry is 7 miles north of Steamboat on a dirt road. In winter, the road requires four-wheel drive or chains, or you can take the shuttle from town. The springs sit in a narrow valley surrounded by trees. The pools are natural, rock-lined, and fed by 104-degree water that mixes with the creek. You find your temperature by moving closer to or further from the source.
The setting does the work. No concrete. No lounge chairs. Just hot water, cold air, and the sound of the creek.
Price: $20 per adult.
Clothing: Required during the day. Optional after dark (adults only after dark).
Reservations: Required. Book online at least a few days ahead, especially for weekend evening slots.
Best season: Winter. Snow on the ground, steam rising off the water, cold air on your face. Nothing else compares.
2. Dunton Hot Springs (Dolores)
This is a different category entirely. Dunton is a restored ghost town turned luxury resort in a remote valley between Telluride and Cortez. The hot spring pool sits in a restored log bathhouse.
You are paying for the totality of the experience. The hand-hewn log cabins. The silence. The library with a woodstove. Meals cooked by a serious kitchen. It is the kind of place where you leave your phone in the room and do not miss it.
Price: Rooms start around $900 per night. The springs are for guests only.
Clothing: Optional.
Reservations: Required. Book well in advance.
Best season: Winter for the contrast of snow and hot water. Summer for wildflowers and hiking.
Dunton is expensive. It earns every dollar.
3. Ouray Hot Springs Pool
The public pool in Ouray is the most accessible high-quality hot spring in the state. A large complex at the north end of town with multiple pools at different temperatures ranging from 96 to 106 degrees. The lap pool is cooler. The soaking areas are hotter.
The backdrop is the box canyon. Mountains on three sides. Open sky above. In winter, you soak in hot water while snow falls on your head. In summer, the views keep you in the pool longer than you planned.
Price: $18 for adults. $12 for kids.
Clothing: Required.
Reservations: Not required, but the pool enforces capacity limits during busy periods. Summer weekends can have a short wait.
Best season: Year-round. Winter evenings are the best sessions.
4. Iron Mountain Hot Springs (Glenwood Springs)
Glenwood Springs has two hot springs operations. Most people go to the Glenwood Hot Springs Pool, the large swimming-pool-style facility in the middle of town. Iron Mountain is the better choice.
Iron Mountain sits along the Colorado River just south of town. Sixteen smaller soaking pools are spread along the riverbank, each at a different temperature. The design is modern but not sterile. You move between pools as you like. The river is right there.
Price: $32 for adults. $22 for kids.
Clothing: Required.
Reservations: Strongly recommended, especially on weekends. Book online.
Best season: Fall and winter. The river, the pools, the cool air. Summer is busy and the heat makes a hot pool less appealing.
5. Cottonwood Hot Springs (Buena Vista)
A small, quiet operation between Buena Vista and Cottonwood Pass. Several natural pools at different temperatures in a creekside setting. The vibe is low-key and a little bit crunchy. They also run a small lodge and cabin rental.
Cottonwood is the kind of place where people come to decompress, not to post about it. The pools are small enough that you might share one with two other people and nobody talks.
Price: $25 for adults.
Clothing: Required.
Reservations: Recommended for weekend visits. Walk-ins accepted when space allows.
Best season: Winter and fall. The smaller pools and quiet setting reward cold weather.
6. Valley View Hot Springs (Crestone)
The most remote entry on this list and the one with the most rules. Valley View sits on the western slope of the Sangre de Cristo Range near the tiny town of Crestone. It is run by a nonprofit land trust. The springs are a series of natural pools on a hillside with views across the San Luis Valley.
The setting is extraordinary. Miles of open valley below. Mountains above. Almost no development visible in any direction.
Price: $20 per person for a day visit. Overnight stays available in rustic lodging.
Clothing: Optional. This is a clothing-optional facility at all times.
Reservations: Required. Strictly enforced. Capacity is limited to preserve the experience. Book well ahead for weekends.
Best season: Spring and fall. Summer days can be hot at this elevation. Winter access requires a rugged vehicle on the approach road.
How to Choose
If you want the classic Colorado hot spring experience, go to Strawberry in winter.
If money is not the question and you want something you will remember for years, book Dunton.
If you are passing through with the family and want something easy, Ouray Hot Springs Pool is the best combination of quality and accessibility in the state.
If you want solitude and do not mind the drive, Valley View is in a class by itself.
Every one of these places is worth the trip. The hot water is just the excuse. The mountains do the rest.