Penny Hot Springs

Penny Hot Springs is the easiest free soak in the Crystal River valley. You park at an unsigned pullout on the east side of Highway 133, just north of mile marker 55 and a few miles north of Redstone, then pick your way down a short, steep bank to the river. Hot water surfaces at about 130°F and mixes with the Crystal River in a single rock-walled pool roughly 20 feet across and two feet deep, usually somewhere between 100 and 106°F, with room for ten or a dozen people.

Soakers shift the rocks to change the mix, so check the temperature before you settle in. Pitkin County manages the spring as open space under a 2020 management plan; it is open year-round with no fee and no permit. Dogs must be leashed and kept out of the water, camping is not allowed at the springs, glass is banned, and swimsuits are officially required.

The county's Filoha Meadows preserve lies across the river. From roughly March through May, snowmelt floods the pool with cold water and soaking becomes impractical. The downside: the lot holds only about 20 cars, it fills quickly on weekends, and one shared pool can feel crowded on any sunny afternoon.