Piedra River Hot Springs - Best Hot Spring Hike Pagosa Springs
The best free hot springs in Pagosa Springs, CO have to be the Piedra River Hot Springs, or as some call it, Sheep Creek Hot Springs.
The quick 1.5 mile hike down to the Piedra River Hot Springs is worth the 45 minutes scenic drive from downtown Pagosa Springs.
Compared to the Hippie Dip Hot Springs in town, this remote location will let you experience the calming Piedra River and picturesque San Juans with peace and solitude.
We recommend going during the summer months when more of the hot springs are accessible and warmer due to the Piedra River calming down.
PIEDRA RIVER HOT SPRINGS
DISTANCE | 3.0 miles roundtrip
ELEVATION GAIN | 616 ft
TIME NEEDED | 2 hr
BEST TIME TO VISIT | May-October
DOGS ALLOWED | Yes
Please keep in mind to leave no trace behind, especially at these beautiful hot springs so we can respect and enjoy them for years to come. Pack it in, pack it out!
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Directions to Piedra River Hot Springs
Best Time to Visit
Know Before You Go
Trail Map
Hiking Piedra River Hot Springs
What to Bring
Where is the Piedra River Hot Springs
Take Highway 160 West from downtown Pagosa Springs for about 22 miles.
Just before you cross the Piedra River, you will turn right on USFS road 622 (a dirt road).
From here you will travel on 622 for 6.8 miles as you wind up the mountain.
Dirt Road to Piedra River Hot Springs.
As you can see from the picture above, the road is decent for almost any car to travel on when it hasn’t been raining, but I will admit it is not as nice as Piedra Road past Turkey Springs.
I would not advise towing on this road as there are tight and narrow switchbacks with no shoulder or rail.
The parking lot for Piedra River Hot Springs
At the end of the 6.8 miles, you will see the Piedra River Hot Springs trailhead parking lot on your left.
I recommend downloading the city of Pagosa Springs on your Google Maps App if you aren’t familiar with the area as there is no service once you are on road 622.
Best Time to Hike Piedra River Hot Springs
May - June: Once road 622 opens in late April, this trail starts to become popular on weekends. During late spring the Piedra River is usually still high, covering most of the hot springs and making the visible hot springs not very hot.
The upside to this time of year is you won’t have as many people or flies, if any, to share your pool with.
July - September: As the Piedra River starts to mellow out, more hot springs will become visible and some will get very hot! Since this is the best time of year, I’d recommend going during the week or early in the morning. The con during this time is horse flies and mosquitoes are more prevalent.
November - April: Unfortunately this trail is not accessible during winter due to road 622 being closed for heavy snowfall.
Know Before You Go
Check the Pagosa Ranger District Road status before driving to the Piedra River Hot Springs as road 622 (First Fork Rd) does not open until late April and closes around October.
You do not need a high-clearance or 4x4 to get to this trailhead.
The road does get windy, steep, and narrow at times, but it is in good condition if there hasn’t been a lot of rain.
There is no cell service once you are on USFS road 622.
There are no restrooms at the trailhead or along the trail.
Trail Map - Piedra River Hot Springs
View and download the hiking trail from All Trails
Hiking Piedra River Hot Springs
We started our hike around 5pm in late April, after we got off work, and still had plenty of time for the hike and a 45-minute soak at the hot springs.
Once you get to the parking lot it will be obvious where the trail starts. Make sure you’ve got your water, mosquito-repellent, and towel at the very least.
The trailhead for Piedra River Hot Springs [Sheep Creek Hot Springs].
Unlike most hikes, the first mile of this trail is straight downhill. I actually prefer to start hikes going uphill with fresh legs, but this won’t be the case getting to the Piedra River Hot Springs.
There are plenty of switchbacks to make this downhill descent fairly easy, but I swear somehow these same switchbacks get much steeper on your way back uphill. Definitely save some water for the trek back to your car!
As you’ll notice from our pictures, dogs are welcome on the trail and are not required to be on a leash as long as you have proper control over them.
It is fairly easy and obvious to stay on the correct trail for the first mile, but once you end the switchbacks and get down to the river you’ll notice a fork in the trail.
Make sure to stay right at the fork (see picture below) and continue on for another half mile as you walk alongside the Piedra River.
Stay right at the fork once you get down to the river.
This last half mile is mostly flat and you may be tempted to stop short for the one-off trails that go left toward the river, but keep going until the end if you want the best hot springs!
You can also download the All Trails app and find this hike under “Sheep Creek Hot Springs” where you can follow the navigation and make sure you end up at the correct hot spring pools.
After 1.5 miles of hiking, you should see a nice meadow of green grass and if you look downhill to your left you’ll see the different hot spring pools along the riverbank.
If you go in spring or early summer, the lower hot springs may be covered by the high-flowing Piedra River and the upper hot springs can still be fairly cool in temperature.
The upper hot springs can be completely empty during summer and fall, but you’ll get much warmer temperatures in the available hot springs.
Either way, any time of year the Piedra River Hot Springs are accessible is a great time to go and experience them!
Soaking in the upper hot springs along the Piedra River.
Not much can compare to the peacefulness and tranquility of relaxing in nature’s creations while hearing the constant flow of an energetic river. It can put one in quite the meditative mindset.
Please keep in mind that these are natural hot springs so don’t move the rocks, leave any food or trash behind, and try to remain from adding any oils or lotions to your body before soaking.
We usually grab a Murphy’s incense stick to light up beside us if the mosquitoes are bad so we don’t have to spray ourselves with DEET or similar chemicals.
Switchbacks along the trail.
I recommend trying to head back to the car with at least an hour of daylight left if you plan to go during the evening as we did.
This gives you enough time to climb back up that steep hill and get far enough down the winding road before the sun goes down completely.
I hope you enjoy the Piedra River Hot Springs as much as we do, it really is one of the best free hot springs and natural treasures in Pagosa Springs!
best of Pagosa Springs —
- Hike Piedra Falls in Pagosa Springs
- Top-Rated Pagosa Springs Restaurants
- 10 Best Things to do in Pagosa Springs
- 7 Must-Visit Hot Springs in Pagosa Springs (paid & free)
Packing Essentials - Hot Springs
Hiking shoes: the men’s Brooks Cascadia and women’s Altra Lone Peaks are our favorite. Plus, the most comfortable hiking socks with a lifetime guarantee.
Sun hat: I love a great hat that is versatile enough to wear in town or on a hike.
Bathing Suit: this high-waisted two-piece and one-piece are my favorites.
Bug Spray: we love using these incense sticks when soaking by the river.
Towels: this is the best microfiber towel on the market as it’s super absorbent, feels incredible, a normal size, and still packs down very small.
Sunscreen: the UV rays in CO are strong! Coola is our go-to sunscreen since it’s incredibly lightweight and never feels greasy
Water: Bring at least 1L as hot springs are dehydrating and the uphill trek back to your car is tiring.
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Tips for Visiting Hot Springs
Please be respectful and do your part to keep the healing waters around for all the generations to come.
Do not bring anything made of glass
Dehydration is more prevalent when soaking (similar to a sauna), drink plenty of water
Bring a change of clothing so you don’t have to hike back in wet clothes (chafing)
It is common for people to enjoy remote hot springs naked
Be mindful that hot springs are a relaxing environment, not a pool party
Leave no trace in the wild; pack it in and pack it out
