Kutsu PointHot springs · 1 hr 30 min from the ridge
Mt. Princeton Hot Springs
Ninety minutes west, down into the Arkansas River valley near Nathrop, hot water has been rising out of the ground at Mt. Princeton since long before anyone built a resort around it. Today you can settle into the developed pools or wade into Chalk Creek itself, where the springs seep up through the gravel and soakers stack rocks into private pools, all of it beneath the fourteen-thousand-foot wall of the Collegiate Peaks. Day passes are available, and the drive across South Park, with the peaks growing the whole way, is half the pleasure.
What to do
- 01
Soak in the creekside springs, where hot water rises through the gravel of Chalk Creek and you shape your own pool
- 02
Move to the developed hot pools when you want a steadier temperature and a longer, lazier soak
- 03
Make a full day of it with lunch in nearby Buena Vista or Salida on the Arkansas River
Know before you go
- Day passes are available but not unlimited. Check current availability and hours at mtprinceton.com before you make the drive.
- The creek pools shift between hot and cold as the current moves. Water shoes help, and at this altitude bring plenty of drinking water.
- Best for
- Sore legs after a big hike, couples, anyone chasing the classic Colorado soak
- When to go
- Year-round. A winter soak, with snow on the peaks and steam rising off the creek, is worth the drive on its own.
- Official site
- mtprinceton.com
1 hr 30 min from your front door
Reach it, and still be back by the fire.
Kutsu Point sleeps sixteen on forty private acres, the perfect basecamp for Mt. Princeton and the rest of the Front Range.
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Bring everyone.
Check the dates, hold the week, and get the whole group up the mountain.