Fifth Water Hot Springs

What to expect

Fifth Water Hot Springs is the best known wild soak in northern Utah, and for good reason. Hot water seeps out along a short stretch of Fifth Water Creek, a side stream of the Diamond Fork River in the Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest, and mixes with the creek in a run of rock-lined pools. The water picks up a pale blue color from its minerals, and small waterfalls pour straight into several of the pools.

You smell it before you see it. The springs carry sulfur, so the last stretch of trail has a rotten-egg tang that fades once you are in the water. The first big pool sits beside the lowest waterfall. A little farther up, between that fall and a taller, multi-step waterfall, are more pools, and there is a third fall higher up the drainage. Temperatures change from pool to pool and even within a pool depending on where the hot inflow enters. Visit Utah puts the soaking pools at about 100-102°F38-39°C, with the source near 111°F44°C. Move around until you find a spot you like.

This is a popular place, not a quiet one. On a warm Saturday you will share every pool. There are no facilities at the springs themselves: no toilets, trash cans or changing areas. The trailhead has a vault toilet and picnic tables, and that is it.

Getting there

The springs are about 40 minutes from Provo and 30 minutes from Spanish Fork.

• From I-15: Take exit 257A and head east on US-6 toward Price. Turn left onto Diamond Fork Road (Forest Road 029), which is paved, and follow it about 11 miles up the canyon. Three Forks Trailhead is on the right and is signed.
• The lot: It is small. Park only in the lot or the marked overflow pullouts. Law enforcement tickets and tows cars parked on the road. On summer weekends the lot is usually full by about 8 a.m.

From Three Forks, cross the bridge over Diamond Fork and follow the wide trail east along the north side of Sixth Water Creek. After about a mile you cross Sixth Water on a footbridge and take the right fork up the smaller Fifth Water Creek. The rest is a gradual climb up a narrowing canyon to the pools. The total is about 4.5 miles round trip on a well-kept trail.

There is a second approach from the top, at the Fifth Water Trailhead on Rays Valley Road, which you reach from US-6 farther east toward Strawberry Reservoir. From US-6, take the paved road north signed for Sheep Creek and Strawberry Reservoir and drive about 14 miles; the trailhead sign is sometimes missing. From there it is a walk downstream to the pools and a climb back out.

When to go

Spring and fall are the sweet spot. Air temperatures are comfortable for the hike, and the crowds thin out on weekdays. Summer is the busiest season, so start early and carry plenty of water.

Winter is quieter and very pretty, with ice on the waterfalls and steam over the creek. The catch is the gate on Diamond Fork Road, which is typically closed from mid-November to late April and adds roughly 3 miles to the outing. Some people bike or ski that stretch. Snow on the trail is usually packed hard by foot traffic, so microspikes work most days. After a big storm, bring snowshoes. If the gate is open but snow has built up on the road, you may need four-wheel drive.

Visit Utah and Utah.com both point visitors to the Diamond Fork Hot Springs Facebook page for current conditions.

Rules and etiquette

• Pay to park. Display a day-use pass ($10 for 3 days, $20 for 7, $60 for the season), an America the Beautiful pass or a Uinta-Wasatch-Cache pass. You can buy the digital version on Recreation.gov before you lose signal. The kiosk takes cash or check.
• Keep your swimsuit on. Forest Order 04-19-22-532 bans public nudity on all Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest land from July 2022 to July 2032. Violations can bring a fine of up to $5,000. Nudity is still seen here, but it is illegal and it does get cited.
• No glass. Pack drinks and snacks in plastic or metal.
• Pack out everything. Bring a garbage bag and take your trash, and anyone else’s, back to the trailhead.
• No soap. Keep shampoo and sunscreen out of the pools.
• Alcohol rules follow Utah law. A forest order bans possession by anyone aged 18 to 20 and open containers in vehicles.

Water quality

The Forest Service posts a harmful algal bloom notice for Fifth Water on its trailhead page, and the Utah Department of Environmental Quality monitors the site. Bacteria in the pools can cause skin rashes. The advice is simple: do not dunk your head, do not drink the water or get it in your mouth, avoid touching the algae on the pool walls and bottoms, keep pets from drinking or wading, dry off completely, do not hike out in wet clothes, and shower as soon as you can. Check the DEQ advisory map the day you go.

Where to stay nearby

There is no camping at the pools and no lodging in the canyon.

• Diamond Campground sits in Diamond Fork Canyon on the drive up. It is run by a concessionaire, has restrooms and usually water, and is open roughly April 10 to October 25. Book on Recreation.gov. The stay limit is 16 days.
• Dispersed camping on the national forest is allowed in some areas, limited to 14 days in any 30 under order 04-19-22-533.
• Spanish Fork and Provo have the nearest motels, restaurants and gas.

Safety notes

• Footing: The rocks around the pools are slick with algae and mineral crust. Wear sandals or shoes with real grip, and watch kids near the waterfalls.
• Heat and hydration: Soaking after a summer hike drains you fast. Drink water and keep soaks short.
• Parking: Tickets and tows are common. Do not park on the road shoulder.
• No signal: Cell service in Diamond Fork is patchy. Download your map and tell someone your plan.
• Winter: Days are short. Carry a headlamp, especially if the gate is closed and you are adding miles.