Indian Hot Springs

What to expect

Indian Hot Springs is an old-fashioned bathhouse resort on Soda Creek, at the north edge of Idaho Springs. It is one of the closest hot springs to Denver, and it feels like a building that has grown in stages for more than 150 years: a historic main hall, hallways of private bath rooms, a cave complex dug into the hill and a scatter of lodging around the property. The owners say plainly that it is a historic site with quirks, and that they are partway through a long renovation plan.

The main attraction for most visitors is the mineral water pool. It sits under a big clear dome, ringed with banana trees, ferns and flowering plants that a staff botanist looks after. The resort lists the average water temperature at 96-102°F36-39°C, which is warm enough for a long, easy soak rather than a quick hot plunge. There are built-in benches around the edge, and plenty of people simply walk slow laps. The water is natural geothermal water with a small amount of chlorine added, and it has a mineral smell. Leave jewelry at home, because the water can tarnish some metals.

The other draw is the geothermal caves. These passages were cut into the rock in the early 1900s, and the water flows into walk-in pools set into the cave walls. They are a quiet zone, separated by gender, and limited to adults.

The pools and baths

• Mineral water pool: domed, plant-filled, about 96-102°F36-39°C, all ages. No lifeguard.
• Geothermal caves: men’s and women’s sections, ages 18 and up, quiet zone, no phones or cameras, swimsuits required. The cave water runs noticeably hotter than the pool.
• Classic Private Baths 1-7: seven original tile-lined rooms in the lower hallway, for up to two people, each with a shower and bench. The resort says these run the hottest, often 106-113°F41-45°C.
• Woodland Baths: Birch, Cottonwood, Douglas Fir and Evergreen, newer private rooms for two to four people, listed at about 105-110°F41-43°C.
• Outdoor tubs: modern tubs on a redwood deck with six-foot privacy fences on three sides, open to the mountain and the sky, for up to four people, about 108-112°F42-44°C. Two larger cedar tubs, Zuni and Thunderbird, hold up to three people.
• Club Mud: a mineral clay room for ages 16 and up that needs a pool admission. It has had closures for renovation work, so check before you count on it.

Towels rent for $5, and there are lockers on site. The gift shop sells swimsuits and flip-flops if you forget yours.

Prices and booking

Prices are from the resort’s own site as of October 2026. The resort uses three tiers: Monday to Thursday, Friday to Sunday, and “Summit” pricing on holidays and peak dates.

• Mineral pool: $30 weekday, $35 weekend, $40 Summit. Kids 2 and under free with a paying adult. $10 off if you soak before 10 am on a weekday.
• Caves: $35, $40 or $45, ages 18 and up.
• Refresh combo (pool and caves): $60 weekday, $70 weekend.
• Explorer combo (pool, caves, Club Mud and a towel): $80 weekday, $90 weekend.
• Private baths and outdoor tubs: priced per room, per hour, and include the listed number of guests. Rates run from about $50 for a classic bath on a summer weekday up to $170 for the largest Woodland bath on a peak winter date, and are higher in winter and at weekends.
• Discounts: seniors 65 and over, Clear Creek and Gilpin County residents, Colorado residents, military, first responders, teachers and Native American visitors can get discounts with ID, on weekdays only.

On weekdays the pool and caves are walk-in. On weekends and Summit dates the pool is split into four time slots (roughly 7:30 to 10 am, 10:30 am to 2 pm, 3 to 6:30 pm and 7:30 to 9:30 pm) and the caves into five slots, and you need a reservation. Cancelling a private bath or tub within 24 hours of the booking costs the full deposit.

Rules and etiquette

• Swimsuits everywhere public, including the caves. Older articles describe the caves as clothing optional. That is out of date.
• Caves are a quiet zone. Phones and cameras are not allowed.
• Kids: pool and private baths only. Under-16s without a driver’s license or permit must be with an adult at all times.
• Do not touch the plants around the pool. The resort asks guests not to pick at them.
• Shower before you get in, and keep your voice down in the cave passages.

Getting there

Idaho Springs is right on I-70, about 30 minutes west of Denver when traffic is light. Leave the interstate at the Idaho Springs exits, head into town and follow the signs to 13th Avenue and Soda Creek Road. The resort is at 302 Soda Creek Road, a few blocks from downtown. Roads are paved the whole way and there is parking at the resort and across the street at the Lodge.

The catch is I-70 itself. On winter weekends the westbound lanes fill with ski traffic in the morning and the eastbound lanes back up in the afternoon. A weekday visit, or arriving early, saves a lot of time.

When to go

The resort is open year-round, closing now and then for maintenance days posted on its online calendar. Weekday mornings are the easiest: no reservation needed, a cheaper pool rate before 10 am and fewer people. Weekends are busy with Denver day-trippers and families, which is why the timed slots exist. Winter is the classic season, with snow on Soda Creek and the warm dome feeling like a greenhouse, but it also brings the highest private bath prices and the worst I-70 traffic.

Where to stay nearby

• On site: the resort has historic rooms in the main building (some with a half bath only, toilet and sink), the remodeled Inn across from the main building, the Lodge across the street with fridges and walk-in showers, and family cabins along Soda Creek with full kitchens. Stays include weekday pool or cave access, plus one pool slot per day at weekends. Check-in is 3 to 9 pm, check-out 11 am, rooms are non-smoking and none have air conditioning.
• RV spots: boondock-style spots along Soda Creek, 30 by 20 feet, with no hookups. Each includes two pool passes and access to bathrooms and showers. Propane fires only.
• Idaho Springs: downtown has more motels, restaurants and breweries a short walk away.
• Georgetown: about 15 minutes west on I-70, with historic lodging and the Georgetown Loop Railroad.

Safety notes

• Heat: the private baths and tubs can reach 113°F45°C, much hotter than the main pool. Keep sessions short, drink water and get out if you feel light-headed. Idaho Springs sits at roughly 7,500 feet, so alcohol and heat hit harder.
• No lifeguard: keep children within arm’s reach in the pool.
• Footing: cave floors and tiled bath rooms are wet and slippery. Walk slowly.
• Driving: check I-70 conditions before winter trips. Chain and traction laws are enforced on the mountain corridor.

History

The Ute and Arapaho used the Soda Creek springs long before the gold rush. Prospector George A. Jackson made the first big gold find in the Colorado Rockies on nearby Chicago Creek in 1859 and wrote about visiting the springs days before. Through the 1860s the land passed through several hands and bathhouses were built, the cave passages were cut in the early 1900s, and the resort says original guest rooms date from around 1905. The Denver Gazette notes that visitors over the years included Frank and Jesse James, Walt Whitman and the Roosevelts. In 2014 the Lee family, who once owned Hot Sulphur Springs Resort in Grand County, took over and began the current restoration.