South Canyon Hot Springs
Glenwood Springs, Colorado · on South Canyon Creek
Verified · 4 independent sources · top-verified
- WATER
- hot spring
- ACCESS
- Local spot, unofficial
- FEE
- Free
- SEASON
- Best in summer
About South Canyon Hot Springs
South Canyon Hot Springs is a small, undeveloped natural hot spring on a hillside above South Canyon Creek, on City of Glenwood Springs property about 3 to 4 miles west of downtown Glenwood Springs, Colorado. More soaking spot than classic swimming hole, it consists of one or two primitive rock-lined pools reached by a short unofficial trail from a roadside pullout, and it is popular with locals and travelers as a free, clothing-optional alternative to the town's commercial hot springs pools.
The springs sit in a steep, brushy canyon on the west side of South Canyon, part of the same drainage documented by the City of Glenwood Springs' South Canyon trail system (Tramway, Lightning Bug, Coal Camp trails), whose 'Tramway' name comes from a historic aerial tramway that once carried coal from South Canyon mines down to the railway along the Colorado River. The area is City of Glenwood Springs land, not a state park or federal site, and is not developed or promoted as an official swimming destination.
Swimming at South Canyon Hot Springs
Visitors soak rather than swim laps: multiple accounts describe one main rock-lined pool large enough for several people, reaching roughly 100-105°F, with a smaller, hotter pool near the source (up to ~109-112°F per some accounts) that can become murky or unusable. It suits soaking/relaxing rather than active swimming, with a clothing-optional norm reported by several sources.
How to get to this swimming hole
From I-70 Exit 111 (South Canyon) west of Glenwood Springs, follow South Canyon Creek Road (Hwy/CR 134) roughly 1-1.2 miles; a small gravel pullout on the right, just after crossing the Colorado River, marks the unmarked trailhead. A short informal path descends, crosses the creek, and climbs the hillside to the pools.
Parking: Small gravel roadside pullout/turnout with limited capacity; multiple sources note it fills on weekend afternoons.
The hike in
Unofficial/informal user path (not a named, maintained trail; distinct from the city's official Tramway/Lightning Bug/Coal Camp trail system that starts from the same general trailhead area)
- To the water
- Roughly 0.1-0.5 mi one-way (unofficial sources disagree, with estimates of 0.5 mi, 0.2 mi, and ~1/8 mi, and one first-hand visitor describes it as a ~2-minute walk); treat as a short walk of a few hundred yards to a half mile, not a substantial hike
- Time on foot
- About 5-10 minutes each way under normal conditions
Difficulty: Easy for a fit adult, but unofficial and unmaintained: crosses South Canyon Creek (no bridge), climbs a brushy hillside, and multiple sources note the dirt path gets muddy and slippery after rain or snow
Trailhead: Gravel pullout on South Canyon Creek Road (CR 134), reached via I-70 Exit 111 (South Canyon) then about 1-1.2 miles west on CR 134, just after the road crosses the Colorado River
This is a standalone short access path to the pools, not a waypoint on a longer official trail; it is unrelated in distance to the city's separate, longer Tramway/Lightning Bug trail network nearby
No trail signage or official markers; this is a social, user-created path rather than a formally mapped or land-manager-maintained trail, so distances vary by source and the route can be easy to lose after dark or in bad weather.
Plan your visit
Bringing kids
Not ideal for young kids
Water temperatures of roughly 100-112°F (with the smaller source-side pool running hottest) pose scald/overheating risk for young children, the trail crosses South Canyon Creek and can be muddy/slippery, there is no supervision or lifeguard, and the site has an established clothing-optional norm among visitors, factors that make it poorly suited to families with small kids.
Parking
Free
Small gravel roadside pullout/turnout on South Canyon Creek Road (CR 134) just past the Colorado River crossing, about 1-1.2 miles from I-70 Exit 111; hotsprings.co describes it as a small dirt lot that fills on weekends, so weekday/early visits reduce the risk of not finding a spot.
Restrooms
None on site
No facilities on site (confirmed by hotsprings.co and consistent with other aggregator accounts); nearest restrooms would be in Glenwood Springs proper, several miles away.
Water clarity
Varies with season and flow
Multiple sources describe the main soaking pool as clear enough to see the bottom when well-maintained, but hotspringexpert.com specifically calls the smaller secondary/source pool murky, and mineral/sulfur content plus heavy use can cloud the water; no aggregator claims consistently clear water at both pools.
On the water
Restrictions: Not applicable, this is a small, undeveloped hot-spring soaking pool on a minor creek (South Canyon Creek), not a body of water suited to kayaks, canoes, paddleboards, or motorized craft. No source mentions any watercraft use here.
The Colorado River itself (with a river access point about 1 mile away per RIDB data) does support rafting/kayaking in Glenwood Canyon generally, but that is a separate stretch of river, not the hot-spring swimming/soaking area this entry covers.
What regulars say
Visitors report a strong sulfur smell, mosquitoes at dusk, and a clothing-optional norm, and they advise weekday, early-morning, or late-afternoon visits to avoid weekend crowds at the small pullout.
Backstory
South Canyon was historically mined for coal, and the 'Tramway' trail/road name derives from an aerial tramway that once carried coal down to the Colorado River railway. The broader area is linked to two significant fire events: the 1994 South Canyon (Storm King Mountain) wildfire that killed 14 firefighters across the river, and the 2002 Coal Seam Fire, which started from an underground coal mine fire in South Canyon and burned roughly 30 homes in Glenwood Springs. That underground coal fire is still active and underwent emergency state-led mitigation in 2025-2026.
South Canyon Hot Springs: FAQ
Does South Canyon Hot Springs charge a fee?
Free; no entrance fee or reservation required.
Is South Canyon Hot Springs kid friendly?
Water temperatures of roughly 100-112°F (with the smaller source-side pool running hottest) pose scald/overheating risk for young children, the trail crosses South Canyon Creek and can be muddy/slippery, there is no supervision or lifeguard, and the site has an established clothing-optional norm among visitors, factors that make it poorly suited to families with small kids.
How hard is the hike to South Canyon Hot Springs?
A hike is required, about Roughly 0.1-0.5 mi one-way (unofficial sources disagree, with estimates of 0.5 mi, 0.2 mi, and ~1/8 mi, and one first-hand visitor describes it as a ~2-minute walk); treat as a short walk of a few hundred yards to a half mile, not a substantial hike to the water (about 5-10 minutes each way under normal conditions). Wear real shoes, since approaches to natural swim spots are often rocky or rooty.
Where do I park for South Canyon Hot Springs?
Small gravel roadside pullout/turnout on South Canyon Creek Road (CR 134) just past the Colorado River crossing, about 1-1.2 miles from I-70 Exit 111; hotsprings.co describes it as a small dirt lot that fills on weekends, so weekday/early visits reduce the risk of not finding a spot.
When is the best time to visit South Canyon Hot Springs?
Described as accessible year-round, with summer through early fall favored by one source and weekday/early-morning or late-afternoon visits recommended by several sources to avoid weekend crowds.
What are the rules at South Canyon Hot Springs?
No official designation or posted rules for the springs themselves were found; community sources describe informal Leave No Trace norms (pack out trash, no glass containers) and a clothing-optional custom. The adjacent official South Canyon trail system (Tramway/Lightning Bug/Coal Camp) has posted rules such as no dogs due to wildlife and seasonal trail closures, but the city's own trail-system page does not mention or endorse the hot springs.
What water body is South Canyon Hot Springs on?
South Canyon Hot Springs is on South Canyon Creek, a natural hot spring verified in USGS hydrography data.
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