Penny Hot Springs
133°F
Source water (NOAA)
Short walk
Easy access
Free
No fee reported
Penny Hot Springs is a free, county-managed primitive hot spring beside the Crystal River on CO-133 near Redstone. Water emerges at about 133°F and flows into small rock-walled pools that mix with cold river water. The site has a short but steep scramble from the roadside parking area. It is popular and often crowded, and local rules ban dogs, glass and camping.
01 · Before you go
Plan your visit
What to expect on the ground: rules, facilities and when to go.
- No dogs
- Swimsuits required
- Toilets & parking
- PoolsAbout six small pools
- BusyMid-summer through fall and winter, after spring runoff.
- SeasonOpen year-round. Spring snowmelt runoff often floods the pools and can wash out the rock walls. The best soaking is mid-summer through winter.
- Free to soakNo fee to visit.
Best time to go. Mid-summer through fall and winter, after spring runoff. Go earlier in the day to avoid crowds.
02 · Live
Conditions
Access status, weather and hazards. Closure feeds are checked automatically every morning.
Access
No closures reported
No closure, fire or weather warning found in Forest Service, wildfire (NIFC) or National Weather Service feeds. That isn't confirmation it's open, so check with Pitkin County Open Space and Trails.
Checked 14 Oct · updated daily
The site was closed in March 2020 during COVID-19 distancing orders. The county adopted a management plan in 2020 that bans dogs, glass containers, amplified music and camping. It also added a portable toilet with a changing enclosure. In late 2023 and early 2024 the county was considering modest parking and trail improvements.
Source water reaches about 133°F and can cause serious burns, so test the temperature before getting in. The path down to the river is steep and rocky. High water during spring runoff floods the pools. Pool levels are low late in the season, and the area is often crowded and muddy.
03 · Route
Getting there
Nearest town: Redstone.
- 1
The springs are on CO-133 about 14 miles south of Carbondale and about 3.2 miles north of the Redstone entrance.
- 2
Park in the large unsigned pull-off on the east side of the highway, a few hundred feet north of mile marker 55.
- 3
A steep, rocky, unimproved path leads down to the Crystal River, where the rock-walled pools sit at the base of the granite cliffs.
39.2270, −107.2240 · nearest town Redstone, CO
04 · Where to stay
Stay nearby
Start early and stay close. Places to stay near Redstone, from campgrounds to cabins.
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