Nestled in the foothills of the Colorado Rocky Mountains, Boulder is a city that combines outdoor marvels with the urban development of a thriving city, complete with a vibrant food and craft beer scene. The embodiment of a traditional Colorado community, Boulder is a popular travel destination for sampling everything the state offers.
This quintessential Colorado experience even includes some of the state’s most spectacular hot spring facilities. While thermal pools are abundant throughout The Centennial State, many of the calmest and most surreal complexes are all within a short drive from Boulder.
From extensive thermal pool resorts to rustic primitive pools, visitors can escape the city and find soothing bliss at these six hot springs near Boulder, CO. (Distance from Boulder city center in brackets).
Hot Springs Near Boulder Colorado
1. Eldorado Springs Pool (8.7 Miles)
Located only 20 minutes south of Boulder, the Eldorado Springs Pool are the most accessible hot springs for visitors in the city. First opened in 1905, this thermal pool complex is nestled along the banks of the South Boulder River and is a spectacular day retreat for unwinding in the region’s mineral waters.
Once believed to be the largest swimming pool in the country at the time of its establishment, the Eldorado Springs Pool continues to attract visitors from around the world. The extensive swimming pool averages between 72- and 82-degree Fahrenheit waters and is sourced from an artesian spring 8,000 feet below the Earth’s surface.
A diving board and water slide are featured leading into the swimming pool, while an onsite snack bar operates nearby for added convenience during your day trip to the facility.
2. Indian Hot Springs (39 Miles)
While slightly further from Boulder, the Indian Hot Springs offer one of the most extensive thermal pool complexes in the state and are well worth the hour’s drive from the city. Popular amongst locals and international tourists alike, the Indian Hot Springs feature several onsite soaking options along with a wide array of additional onsite amenities.
The resort features a large public main pool with plenty of foliage for a natural environment feel. Meanwhile, the complex’s private indoor and outdoor tubs allow a more secluded soaking experience. Also featured within the facility is the Cave Pool, which provides a more natural setting for enjoying your mineral soak.
All of the thermal pools within the Indian Hot Springs property are fed by an aquifer from their natural underground spring source, and average balmy temperatures range from 106- to 110 degrees Fahrenheit.
While the thermal pools are the primary attraction of the resort, the complex also offers a full-service thermal spa, a large dining lounge, a gift shop, and even onsite lodging options for added convenience.
3. SunWater Spa (102 Miles)
Offering an opulent retreat excursion about an hour and a half from the city, the SunWater Spa is another fantastic hot spring near Boulder for visitors seeking a relaxing soak accompanied by a pampering full-body spa treatment.
Operating out of the resort community of Manitou Springs, the SunWater Spa features several soaking options, including seven outdoor cedar mineral tubs. Each of these natural mineral spring pools is fed by the Seven Minute Springs that famously flows through the karst aquifer beneath the community.
The outdoor cedar mineral tubs offer therapeutic soaks ranging from 90 to 103 degrees Fahrenheit. However, the spa also features a selection of saline pools for varying soaking options, including a cold plunge averaging 80 degrees, a large pool maintained at 96 degrees, and a hot tub averaging 104 degrees.
For enhanced pampering, the extensive spa also offers a diverse catalog of treatments and wellness classes, including yoga, Tai Chi, and meditation.
4. Hot Sulphur Springs Resort (103.2 Miles)
Tucked away in a small mountain community in Northern Colorado’s picturesque landscapes, the Hot Sulphur Springs Resort is a beautiful escape from the city. It offers visitors a thermal soaking experience that accentuates the overall natural beauty of the surrounding region.
While this hot spring resort requires a slightly further two-hour drive to access from Boulder, the extensive complex is well worth the journey and offers a full-service luxury experience throughout your stay.
The resort features 15 man-made mineral pools ranging from 98 to 112 degrees Fahrenheit. While the complex does feature a limited selection of indoor pools, most feature pristine outdoor settings that display breathtaking vistas to enjoy while you soak. The property also features a large indoor cold-water pool.
The Sulphur Spring Resort’s pools are filled with 100% natural spring water. The complex is renowned for its high calcium, chloride, fluoride, magnesium, potassium, sodium, sulfate, iron, and zinc concentrations.
5. Radium Hot Springs (117 Miles)
While the city is surrounded by some truly fantastic hot spring resorts and spas, the Radium Hot Springs may be the most idyllic primitive hot springs near Boulder. Along with requiring a two-hour drive to reach the parking lot, visitors must also engage in a short hiking trail from the trailhead or a kayaking adventure along the Colorado River to access this tucked-away thermal pool.
Nevertheless, those willing to brave the extended venture to reach the Radium Hot Springs are rewarded with one of the most breathtaking hot spring experiences in the state as they soak in a natural thermal pool surrounded by a pristine environment and the picturesque Colorado River.
While from the source, the Radium Hot Springs’ water is too hot to swim in, the pool’s convenient location along the river allows the cooler water to mix with the thermal waters to produce a comfortable soaking experience averaging 80 degrees Fahrenheit.
Unfortunately, the pool’s location near the river also means it can often become flooded when water levels rise in the spring. For this reason, the best time to visit the Radium Hot Springs is between mid-summer and winter.
6. Desert Reef Hot Springs (137 Miles)
Located about two and a half hours south of Boulder near Portland, Colorado, the Desert Reef Hot Springs was initially developed in the early 20th century as part of an oil mining initiative. However, when the mining development struck a natural mineral spring in 1924, all operations in the area ceased, leaving way for a hot spring resort to develop instead.
Situated in the Banana Belt of Colorado, a region that promises 350 days of sunlight throughout the year, the Desert Reef Hot Springs is one of the most enticing thermal pools in Colorado and offers a tranquil retreat within the idyllic setting.
The Desert Reef Hot Springs resort features a large outdoor pool fed from a natural mineral spring source 1,096 feet below the Earth’s surface. From this source, the water averages a scorching 132 degrees Fahrenheit but is cooled to more comfortable temperatures by the time it is filled into the pool.
The complex maintains the thermal pool throughout the winter at around 100 degrees Fahrenheit. Meanwhile, the water is kept just below body temperature for a refreshing dip in the summer months.
