Intro
Perched at roughly 11,200 feet, Conundrum Hot Springs ranks among the highest elevation hot springs in the United States. Tucked deep within the Maroon Bells–Snowmass Wilderness of Colorado’s White River National Forest, the springs sit above the tree line, encircled by soaring 14,000-foot peaks.
Access to the springs is via the Conundrum Creek Trail, a 9-mile one-way hike (about 18 miles round-trip) with an elevation gain of around 3,000 feet. The trailhead is located about a ten-minute drive from Aspen and lies entirely within the Maroon Bells–Snowmass Wilderness.
The spring water emerges from the ground at 122°F and is directed into two primary soaking pools via a hand-built, rock-lined channel. The larger of the pools measures about 15 feet across and 4.5 feet deep. As the water flows through the rock channel, it cools naturally, reaching a comfortable soaking temperature of around 98°F in the main pool.
The hike took me about 3.5 hours on the way in and 3 hours on the way out, doing several micro stops to photograph flowers, which seemed to be in peak bloom. I hung out soaking in the hot spring for 30 minutes. For the first 10 minutes of my soak, I had the hot springs to myself.
Below are some photos from my hike.
