Penny Hot Springs - Free soaking · donation encouraged in Carbondale, CO (2026)
Locals rebuild rock pens on the Crystal River shoulder so bathers can mix scalding vents with snowmelt for the perfect soak beneath towering granite walls.
Penny Hot Springs is a free, BLM-managed wild soak right at the edge of the Crystal River, on Highway 133 between Carbondale and Redstone, Colorado. There's no developed pool — just hot mineral vents bubbling up through the riverbank gravel, where bathers stack stones into temporary basins to mix the 130°F vent water with cold Crystal River flow. The Crystal Valley scenery is the actual draw: granite walls, cottonwood corridors, and the iconic Crystal River bend right at the soaking spot. No facilities, no fees, no reservations. Limited parking on a sketchy CO-133 pullout.
What to expect
Park at the small striped pullout on CO-133 (room for ~6 cars; the sheriff tickets cars outside the stripes). Walk down the short steep path to the riverbank. Find or rebuild rock-walled basins where the hot vents emerge. Mix vent water with river flow to taste — basins are ephemeral and shift with each high-water event. Clothing-optional in practice. Pack out everything; there is genuinely zero infrastructure.
Temperature
98°-108°F
Pools
2 soaking pools
Best season
May-October
Reservations
Walk-up friendly
Dog policy
Leashed dogs welcome
Family policy
Adults only
Safety notes
- Spring runoff can blow out the pools entirely—do not wade when the river is raging.
- Parking is a tiny pull-out on CO-133; sheriff’s deputies ticket cars outside the striped area.
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.