Public hot springs with a page
Places on public land with checked access facts, by straight-line distance from Estes Park. Road distance is longer, often much longer in the mountains.
- Conundrum Hot Springs118 mi southwest · USFS · 8.5 mi trail100°F
- Penny Hot Springs119 mi southwest · County133°F
- Rainbow Hot Springs211 mi south · USFS · 5 mi trail104°F
Estes Park sits at the eastern entrance to Rocky Mountain National Park, surrounded by the Roosevelt National Forest. There are few thermal springs on this side of the Front Range; the nearest lie west of the Continental Divide in the upper Colorado River basin of Grand County, and farther southwest in the mountains reached from Interstate 70. Trail Ridge Road, U.S. 34, crosses the national park to Grand Lake and the Colorado River headwaters, where the Arapaho National Forest covers the valley. In winter the alternative is U.S. 36 or U.S. 34 down to the plains, then Interstate 70 west and U.S. 40 over Berthoud Pass into Grand County.
The National Park Service normally closes Trail Ridge Road to through travel in mid-October and reopens it during the last week of May, weather permitting; in 2024 the road closed on October 25. Pedestrians and skiers can use the road beyond the gates in winter. On Interstate 70 between Dotsero and Morrison, the Colorado Department of Transportation keeps its traction law in effect from September 1 through May 31, and it can apply the law to U.S. 40 and other state highways during storms.
In the NOAA Thermal Springs List, the closest entry to Estes Park is Eldorado Springs, about 33 miles southeast, with a source temperature of 79°F. The hottest within 150 miles is Hortense Hot Spring at 181°F, 118 miles south. The springs in range are in Colorado and Wyoming. Most entries in the list are undeveloped or on private land, so a name in the table below is not an invitation to visit.
All 28 springs within 150 miles
| Spring (NOAA name) | Distance | Direction | Source temp | State |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eldorado Springs | 33 mi | southeast | 79°F | CO |
| Hot Sulphur Springs | 37 mi | southwest | 111°F | CO |
| Idaho Springs | 43 mi | south | 115°F | CO |
| Steamboat Springs | 68 mi | west | 102°F | CO |
| Routt Hot Springs | 70 mi | west | 147°F | CO |
| Rhodes Warm Spring | 88 mi | south | 75°F | CO |
| Hartsel Hot Springs | 94 mi | south | 126°F | CO |
| Dotsero Warm Springs | 98 mi | southwest | 90°F | CO |
| Saratoga Hot Springs | 100 mi | northwest | 129°F | WY |
| Glenwood Springs | 110 mi | southwest | 124°F | CO |
| Cottonwood Hot Springs | 114 mi | south | 136°F | CO |
| South Canyon Hot Springs | 114 mi | southwest | 118°F | CO |
| Mount Princeton Hot Springs | 118 mi | south | 133°F | CO |
| Hortense Hot Spring | 118 mi | south | 181°F | CO |
| Conundrum Hot Springs | 118 mi | southwest | 100°F | CO |
| Penny Hot Springs | 119 mi | southwest | 133°F | CO |
| Browns Canyon Warm Spring | 122 mi | south | 77°F | CO |
| Browns Grotto Warm Spring | 123 mi | south | 73°F | CO |
| Cement Creek Hot Spring | 126 mi | southwest | 77°F | CO |
| Juniper Hot Springs | 127 mi | west | 100°F | CO |
| Ranger Hot Spring | 129 mi | southwest | 81°F | CO |
| Wellsville Warm Spring | 132 mi | south | 91°F | CO |
| Swissvale Warm Springs | 132 mi | south | 82°F | CO |
| Poncha Hot Springs | 132 mi | south | 160°F | CO |
| Canon City Hot Springs | 134 mi | south | 104°F | CO |
| Warm Springs (Immigrants Washtub) | 136 mi | north | 70°F | WY |
| Lower Waunita Hot Springs | 138 mi | southwest | 167°F | CO |
| Upper Waunita Hot Springs | 138 mi | south | 176°F | CO |
Hub pages: Colorado hot springs, Wyoming hot springs.
Other city pages within 250 miles: hot springs near Denver, hot springs near Breckenridge, hot springs near Buena Vista, hot springs near Colorado Springs.
Sources: NOAA NCEI, Thermal Springs List for the United States (about 1980, CC0); city center from the U.S. Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer; access facts from the agencies on each place page. Distances are straight-line, computed by outdoorstime. Roads and setting: nps.gov, codot.gov.
Data guide for trip planning. Roads, closures and rules change; check with the managing agency before you go.