Conundrum Hot Springs
Aspen · Elk Mountains / Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness
Hike-inhike-in (about 8.5 miles one way)no feeclothing-optionalreservations required
°F scale 60–120
Waternot published
FeeFree to soak
Seasonsummer
LandUSFS (White River National Forest)
WhereAspen, Colorado
DriveDenver ≈ 3 h 45, Colorado Springs ≈ 4 h 30
This is the backcountry soak Colorado hikers save for: a natural pool high in the Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness, about 8.5 miles up the Conundrum Creek valley from a trailhead near Aspen. Day use is free, which makes for a very long day on foot. Sleeping up there takes a Recreation.gov permit year-round, and you camp only in the site you reserved. Snow buries the trail from roughly October to late June, so aim for July through September, as the Forest Service suggests. Leave the dog at home, pack a bear canister and forget the campfire.
From White River National Forest / Recreation.gov permits, last checked 19 September 2026.