Probably the closest wild hot springs to Denver.
It is located along the river with no man-made structures in sight except for a freight train.
Caution
The access is no longer from the CO Parks and Wildlife Mugrage Campground along the Radium Road (CR 11). The campground was closed in 2020 along with the access trail. Instead, the Bureau of Land Management has developed a new trailhead and hiking trail from Warm Springs Road, located between the Pumphouse Recreation Area and Radium Road.
Jump at your own risk
It is only a little over two hours drive from Denver.
Take Interstate 70 west to the Silverthorne exit and head north toward Kremmling.
Turn left on Trough Rd. (Grand County Road 1) just before the Colorado River.
Continue traveling west on Trough Rd. for 12.4 miles and turn right onto Warm Spring Rd. for .9 miles, accessing the trailhead parking area.
There are other ways to get there, such as by kayak, but this can be the most straightforward.
From the trailhead, it is a short, mostly flat hike.
I saw a long train whistling and undulating like a snake.
Because of its low location along the Colorado River, Radium Hot Springs can be completely submerged depending on the time of year and weather conditions.
It is probably best to avoid visiting in the spring, when the river is full of water due to melting snow.
As I walked along, keeping an eye on the direction of the river, I spotted a sign attached to a rock that juts out into the river.
It looked like a diving spot.
I liked that it wasn't "no jumping in" but "jump at your own risk."
At the bottom of the valley
This sign marked the path to the hot springs.
To the left of the rock was a steep ravine, and when I peeked in I could see people soaking.
It is in the path of commercial rafting tours and is usually crowded with people on weekends.
The pool itself was small, about 15 feet in diameter, with a trickle of 97 degrees F water gushing out from between the rocks.
The overall water temp of the pool was about 86 degrees F, making it for the hot season.
Volunteers discovered the place, which had originally been left to fall into disrepair and reclaimed by the BLM, and in the 1980s; and the rocks were broken up, and the pool took their current appearance.
It might have become a little too famous now because of its location in the suburbs of the city.
Still, nothing should have changed about the natural view from the pool.
Summary
Radium Hot Springs, Kremmling, Colorado, U.S.
My rating
Type: Undeveloped
Rule: Clothing optional
Chlorination: No
Water temp: Up to 97 degrees F