The Springs Resort, Pagosa Springs (Mother Spring)

What to expect

When people talk about “the Pagosa hot springs” they usually mean two things at once: the Mother Spring, a steaming pool on the south bank of the San Juan River, and The Springs Resort & Spa, which has built dozens of soaking pools around it. This page covers both, because the spring itself is not somewhere you can get into.

The Mother Spring is the source. It sits among the resort’s pools, venting sulfur-smelling water that the resort puts at about 144°F62°C. The resort’s FAQ gives a little more detail: about 131°F55°C at the surface and about 144°F62°C in a thermal layer roughly 45 feet down. Guinness World Records lists it as the deepest geothermal hot spring in the world. The real depth is unknown, because, according to the resort, every attempt to sound it has run out of line first.

Water from the spring is piped into the resort pools, which step down terraces toward the river. There is no chlorine. The resort says the water runs through constantly, turns over about every two hours, and that pools are drained and power-washed about three times a week. Expect a sulfur smell, a slightly slick feel, and silver jewelry that turns dark if you forget to take it off. The resort’s published analysis shows a lot of sulfate (about 1,400 mg/L) and sodium (about 790 mg/L).

It is a busy, sociable place. On a winter night with snow on the rocks and steam drifting over the river, it is one of the best-known soaking scenes in Colorado. On a summer Saturday afternoon it can feel like a waterpark for grown-ups.

The pools

The resort roughly doubled in size in 2025 with a new wellness area. Its own pages disagree on the total (47, “45+” and “50+” all appear), and the pool map lists 52 named pools including treatment and class pools. Treat “about 50” as the honest number.

The pool map splits them into two groups:

• Original Pools (25): The terraced pools most people picture, included in General Admission. Posted average temperatures run from about 101°F to 112°F38°C to 44°C, with a cold plunge at 45-60°F7-16°C. Most are open to all ages. Five are marked 18 and over.
• Wellness Pools (27): The newer section, included with the Wellness Day Pass and hotel stays. Pools here range from about 101°F to 112°F38°C to 44°C, with cold pools of 45-60°F7-16°C and 56°F13°C, a contrast waterfall that pairs 103°F and 45°F39°C and 7°C water, and a mud studio and halotherapy sauna. More than half of this area is adults-only.

Staff measure and post every pool’s temperature every four hours, because wind, weather and crowds shift them. The resort sets each pool’s heat by how fast it fills from the spring: a faster fill means a hotter pool.

Getting there

Pagosa Springs is on US 160 in southwest Colorado, east of Durango and west of Wolf Creek Pass. US 160 runs through downtown as Pagosa Street.

The resort is at 323 Hot Springs Boulevard, on the south side of the San Juan River. From Pagosa Street downtown, turn south onto Hot Springs Boulevard and cross the river. Day visitors enter through the Bathhouse, which has the front desk, locker rooms with showers, rentals and a shop. Ask about parking when you book. The San Juan Riverwalk links the resort with downtown on foot.

When to go

The resort is open every day of the year.

• Monday to Thursday has the shortest waits, according to the resort. On weekends and holidays, arrive early.
• Winter evenings are the classic Pagosa soak, especially after a day at Wolf Creek Ski Area up US 160.
• Summer brings long days, but the hotter pools can feel very hot in afternoon sun. Mornings are more comfortable.

There is no soaking time limit at the moment, per the resort FAQ.

Prices and booking

Prices below are as the resort listed them in October 2026. They change often, so check before you go.

• General Admission (25 Original Pools): $74 adults, $42 ages 3-12. Seniors get $3 off, military and first responders $5 off.
• Wellness Day Pass (all pools): $119 Monday to Thursday, $159 Friday to Sunday. Includes a towel, robe, large locker, wellness activities, the halotherapy sauna and the mud studio.
• Local Day Pass: $30 adults, $27 seniors, $25 children 12 and under. You need ID showing you live within 60 miles, and you must buy it in person.
• Rentals: Towels $10, robes $20, lockers $13-15.
• Cabanas: Family cabanas run about $125-200 and need separate day passes. Wellness cabanas with two passes start at $433.
• Monthly memberships: From $59 for adults.

General Admission and Wellness passes are sold online, and the FAQ says passes are also sold at the Bathhouse desk, so a reservation is not required for an ordinary soak. Book cabanas well ahead. Guests who are pregnant or under 18 and want spa treatments should call the spa at (970) 264-4168.

Staying at the hotel includes 24-hour soaking from 9am on arrival day to 6pm on departure day.

Rules and etiquette

• Swimsuits are required. The Bathhouse sells suits if you forget yours.
• No outside food, drinks or glass in the pool area. Bring an empty water bottle and fill it. Food is sold at the Barefoot Grill, and the Canteen sells smoothies and alcohol to guests with ID.
• Kids: Water toys only in the Blue Lagoon. No running or splashing elsewhere. Adults-only and 18+ pools are signed.
• No personal speakers.
• Silver jewelry comes off before you soak.
• Flip-flops help. The rock paths between terraces get wet and hot.

Where to stay nearby

The resort’s own hotel has several room types, from classic rooms to suites, all with round-the-clock soaking. Elsewhere in town:

• Healing Waters Resort & Spa, also on Hot Springs Boulevard, is a smaller, cheaper motel with its own mineral pool.
• Overlook Hot Springs Spa on Pagosa Street has indoor and rooftop tubs but no rooms.
• Motels and vacation rentals line US 160 through downtown and uptown Pagosa.

For a free soak, Nathan’s Hippy Dip Hot Spring is a set of rock pools on the riverbank a short walk away, usable when the river is low. West of town, Piedra River Hot Springs is a wild spring at the end of a short, steep hike.

History

The Ute called the springs Pah gosah, a name usually translated as healing or boiling water, and one Ute elder rendered it as water with a bad smell. In Navajo tradition, this is where the Diné emerged into the present world. The Colorado Historic Hot Springs Loop dates the first bathhouse here to 1881. Pagosa Springs became a rail-served health resort town into the 1930s, and motel lodging came to the site in the 1950s. The current owners took over in 2018.

Safety notes

• Very hot pools: Several pools sit at 107-112°F42-44°C. Check the posted temperature, start cooler, and keep hot soaks short.
• Altitude: Pagosa Springs is a little over 7,100 feet. Visitors from sea level feel the heat faster, and alcohol hits harder.
• The Mother Spring: Do not try to touch or enter it. The water is far too hot for skin, and the resort strongly advises against drinking it.
• Pregnancy and medical conditions: The resort asks you to check with your doctor before soaking.
• Footing: Wet stone steps link the terraces. Walk, do not run, and watch for ice on winter nights.