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Every Hot Spring

Cottonwood Hot Springs

Cottonwood Hot Springs is a hot spring with developed pools near Buena Vista in Chaffee County, Colorado. Water at the source is recorded at 136°F (58°C), hot enough to scald. It is run as a resort or commercial operation. A fee is charged. Swimwear is expected.

136°F58°C recorded at the source
Scalding at the source. Do not enter without a cooled, mixed pool.

Cottonwood Hot Springs Inn and Spa is a resort on naturally fed artesian hot spring water in the Colorado Rockies near Buena Vista, offering soaking passes, lodging and spa treatments. Bathing suits are required.

Facts

Coordinates
38.8126, -106.2224 (Google Maps, OSM)
Source temperature
136°F (58°C)
Access
Resort or commercial
Type
Developed pools
Fee
Fee charged
Clothing optional
No
Nearest town
Buena Vista
Data sources
NOAA NCEI, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Official sources (linked below). See sources

Map

Larger marker is Cottonwood Hot Springs; smaller markers are other springs within 50 miles.

Quick answers

Can you soak at Cottonwood Hot Springs?
Cottonwood Hot Springs is a resort or commercial operation, so soaking is on the operator’s terms. Check the operator’s website for hours, prices and reservations.
How hot is Cottonwood Hot Springs?
The hottest recorded reading at the source is 136°F (58°C). That is the outlet temperature, not a pool temperature; water cools as it flows away from the source. Water this hot can cause serious burns, so test any pool by hand first.
Is Cottonwood Hot Springs free?
No. A fee is charged. Fees change, so confirm before you go.
Is Cottonwood Hot Springs clothing optional?
No. Sources indicate swimwear is expected at Cottonwood Hot Springs.
Where is Cottonwood Hot Springs?
Cottonwood Hot Springs is near Buena Vista in Chaffee County, Colorado, at coordinates 38.8126, -106.2224.
What other hot springs are near Cottonwood Hot Springs?
The closest listed springs, in straight-line distance, are Charlotte Hot Springs & Botanical Gardens, under 1 mi; Hortense Hot Spring, 6 mi; and Mount Princeton Hot Springs, 6 mi.

Before you go

  • Temperatures are measured at the source and can be far hotter than any soaking pool. Test with a hand before stepping in.
  • Access, fees, and road conditions change. Verify with the land manager or owner; "public" here reflects survey records, not a current right of entry.
  • Water in natural springs is untreated. Keep your head above water and avoid soaking with open wounds. Some springs carry Naegleria fowleri risk.
  • Pack out everything, including soap residue. Many springs have been closed because of trash and overcrowding.

Sources

Dataset last rebuilt October 11, 2026. Not yet checked on site by a person. Access, fee, clothing and closure details appear only when a source below states them. How this data is built.

Checked against

  1. Operator website (cottonwood-hot-springs.com)

Merged from

  1. NOAA NCEI Thermal Springs List (archived 2025): survey location and source temperature, public domain
  2. OpenStreetMap: mapped feature and its tags, ODbL
  3. Wikidata: name, county and website, CC0