discover carbondale’s lucky penny with a soak in penny hot springs

Feb 3

What to Bring:

Towel
Water bottle
Water shoes/flip flops as the rocks in the pools can be sharp and the water is murky
Beer or other beverage of choice
Robe if you are feeling ~extra~
Beanie

Directions and Parking:
A 15-minute drive south of Carbondale, Penny Hot Springs is located at the base of a granite cliff about 100 yards north of mile marker 55 along Highway 133. There is plenty of free parking along the unpaved side of the road. Look for parked cars to help guide you as it can be hard to know when to stop (especially in the snow). From there, you can walk directly down to the springs!

How to Soak:

From the parking lot, follow the dirt path down to the springs (they can be slippery so be careful!). You’ll see various pools of different depths and sizes. I suggest testing a few to find one that is an ok temp and spaced away from others. I just about burned my foot off walking through a feeder stream so be mindful that these are natural springs where the temperature is not controlled! We had to test a few pools before finding one that was a comfortable temperature.

If you’re looking for an extra shock to the system, try dunking in the cool river water between hot soaks. Cold water therapy is known to reduce muscle soreness, boost your immune system, and may even ease symptoms of depression! We also took advantage of the cold water by chilling our beers in the river.

History of Penny Hot Springs:
”When local hotelier Dan Penny built a lodge and bathhouse over naturally occurring hot springs along the Crystal River in the 1960s, free-spirit bathers would flock to the springs to soak in the nude. This offended nearby residents, so they destroyed the bathhouse and dumped boulders and tar into the pools. In the early 1990s, Pitkin County acquired the land, rebuilt the springs, and to this day, nature continues to spill mineral-rich, hot water into the pools for bathers to enjoy.” - Outdoor Project