Old Town Hot Springs - Day-use fee or pay-per-soak in Steamboat Springs, CO (2026)
Community-owned since 1888, Old Town captures the Heart spring in eight pools ranging from lap lanes to waterfalls, plus a full gym and childcare wing right in downtown Steamboat.
Old Town Hot Springs is the community-owned recreation center in downtown Steamboat Springs, Colorado — a working YMCA-style facility that happens to use the natural Heart Spring as its primary water source. Eight pools (lap, fitness, soaking, kid waterslides, hot tubs at varying temperatures), a full gym, group fitness classes, and a child-care center make it more community center than spa, and locals use it heavily. Day passes ($29+) include access to everything except the spa-style hot pools upgrade. The property has been continuously operated as a public bathing facility since 1888, making it one of the oldest in Colorado.
What to expect
Walk in (it's two blocks east of Steamboat's gondola), pay at the front desk, and you have access to the eight pools, full gym, locker rooms, and group classes. Most visitors plan 2-4 hours. Towels rentable. The hot pools sit outdoors with mountain views; the lap pool is indoor. Waterslides for kids run on a schedule (closed below 35°F). Pair with skiing in winter or with the hiking trails of Routt National Forest in summer.
Temperature
98°-103°F
Pools
8 soaking pools
Best season
Year-round
Reservations
Walk-up friendly
Dog policy
No pets at pools
Family policy
Family windows available
Safety notes
- Snow days and powder mornings fill the parking lot fast—use the transit stop out front when the gondola crowd hits.
- Waterslides and splash features shut down below 35°F; check the daily schedule before promising kids rides.
Amenities & etiquette
FAQ
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Nearby hot springs
Avalanche Ranch Hot Springs
Carbondale, CO
Three cascading stone pools spill toward the Crystal River with elk-antler lighting, barn-style changing rooms, and cozy cabins tucked beneath Mount Sopris.
Cottonwood Hot Springs
Buena Vista, CO
Hand-built stone pools sit beside Cottonwood Creek, shaded by ponderosa pine and free of chemical additives. Rustic lodge rooms, creekside cabins, and tent sites make it an easy base for Monarch Pass ski days.
Dunton Hot Springs
Dolores, CO
A restored 1880s ghost town now operates as an ultra-luxury hideaway with log cabins, chef-led dining, and cedar-lined bathhouse pools fed by a 104°F artesian spring. Winter heli-ski packages and summer fly-fishing fill out the all-inclusive itineraries.
Glenwood Hot Springs Resort
Glenwood Springs, CO
America's largest mineral pool taps the Yampah spring and pairs a 405-foot lap pool with a therapy soak. Renovated locker rooms, on-site hotel rooms, and a splash zone make it easy to mix with skiing or rafting trips.
Editor’s picks nearby
- The Springs Resort in Pagosa Springs — 25 mineral pools terraced down to the San Juan River, fed by the 1,000-foot-deep Mother Spring — $79 timed-entry day passes, the most refined of the major Colorado resorts.
- Strawberry Park Hot Springs — the Steamboat-area cult favorite — six stone-bordered pools tucked in aspen forest.
- Valley View Hot Springs — the clothing-optional San Luis Valley nature preserve — multiple pools and a sauna deep in the Sangre de Cristo foothills.