Raspberry Hot Springs

What to expect

Raspberry Hot Springs is not a public pool or a wild spring. It is a small private spa on an off-grid ranch at about 9,000 feet in the hills above Idaho Springs, and you book the whole soaking area for your group for a set time. Nobody else is in the water with you.

The founder, music producer Alex Ginzburg, bought the first 5-acre parcel in 2011 and spent around 13 years building the house and spa by hand. The property has since grown to 30 adjoining acres surrounded by federal land, and Ginzburg runs it with Alyssa Halls, who handles most guest contact. It operates as a home occupation under a land trust, the Earth One Trust, which the owners say aims to keep the surrounding forest from being subdivided. They keep it low-key, with little marketing.

The soak itself is a stone-lined pool on a terrace in the forest, with chairs around it and views across to a row of 12,000 to 13,000 foot peaks, including Mount Flora, Mount Eva, Mount Bancroft, Witter Peak and Parry Peak. A travel feature on the spring described the water as naturally heated to around 104°F40°C year-round. We could not find a second source or any geological record for the water, so treat that figure as the operator’s description rather than a measured one.

Your base during the soak is a heated cedar barrel sauna. It is dry heat only, and it serves as your group’s changing room. There is a bathroom in the spa area, available only during your booking. There are no showers or sinks. The forest around the pool is ponderosa pine, aspen, spruce, Douglas fir and lodgepole pine, and the owners say moose wander through in spring and fall. Black bears and foxes live here too.

Getting there

The address is 899 Chinook Road, Idaho Springs, CO 80452. The operator recommends Google Maps, because Apple’s navigation has trouble finding it. Allow about 15 minutes from downtown Idaho Springs, and around an hour from Denver depending on I-70 traffic.

• Standard route (Chinook Road): Take I-70 to Exit 238 and head up Fall River Road. Turn right on York Gulch Road, then right on Chinook Road. After about half a mile, keep right at the T junction. The wooden “899 Chinook” sign is on the right.
• Snow route (Red Tail Ridge Road): Used only when it is snowy or icy. It adds about 1.5 miles of dirt road.
• Dakota Ridge Road: A summer and fall shortcut for guests coming from Central City, Black Hawk, Boulder, Nederland or Rollinsville. It needs 9 inches of clearance and real 4x4 experience, and it is closed in winter. If in doubt, use Chinook.

Every route ends with about a mile of steep, unpaved dirt. AWD or 4WD is required, and the operator’s own pages ask for anywhere from 7 to 8 inches of ground clearance, with 8 or more in winter. Turn traction control off on the dirt climbs. Look up your vehicle’s clearance by model rather than measuring it.

Park in a rock-lined spot facing the Buddha statue and check in at the kiosk on your left. The fenced area is a private home, so do not walk over there. From the parking area, a short path on dirt and flagstone steps leads to the spring.

When to go

The spring is open year-round, but winter takes planning. From September to May, watch your messages the night before and the morning of your soak. The ranch closes for active snowfall over an inch, or for overnight snow that makes the roads impassable. These are not county roads, and plowing is not guaranteed. Snow closures get a free reschedule or refund.

It is usually 15 to 20°F8 to 11°C colder here than in Denver, and at least 5°F3°C colder than downtown Idaho Springs. Bring layers even in summer.

I-70 traffic is the other variable. Friday, Saturday and holiday weekend traffic is heavy, and the Floyd Hill construction project has caused weekday delays of 20 to 45 minutes. Late arrivals do not get extra time, so leave a buffer.

Prices and booking

• Booking: Reservation only, through the website. Slots are one or two hours and are limited each day. Weekends book out well ahead.
• Price: Set per session and group size on the booking page. A 3% card processing fee is included.
• Towels: $5 each, or bring your own.
• Cancellation: Free changes or cancellation up to 72 hours ahead, minus a $30 fee and card fees for a refund. Inside 72 hours there is no refund unless the slot is rebooked. No-shows, including guests whose cars got stuck, get no refund.
• Your time limit covers the whole visit. Be out of the water 7 to 10 minutes before the end and back at the parking area on the hour.

Rules and etiquette

• 21 and over only. No minors on the property, and children may not be left in vehicles.
• Health rules: No pregnant guests, no open wounds, no contagious illness. People who need crutches or walkers cannot be accommodated on the rough terrain.
• Clothing: Optional in the forested spa area only. Cover up in the parking area.
• Food and drink: Allowed, but no glass in the spring area and no eating by the water.
• No smoking or tobacco anywhere, especially in the sauna.
• Dogs: Leashed dogs are welcome on the property but not in the pool. No unneutered males.
• Keep it quiet. Music during your soak is fine.
• Stay on the paths and leave no trace.

What to bring

A swimsuit if you want one, towels, a robe for walking between the pool and the sauna, and shoes for dirt paths. Slippers help on the cold terrace in winter. Bring a headlamp for late slots, sunscreen, an insulated water bottle and warm layers.

Where to stay nearby

There is no lodging on the ranch. Idaho Springs, about 15 minutes away, has hotels, motels and restaurants, and is home to the historic Indian Hot Springs. Georgetown, further west on I-70, and Central City and Black Hawk to the north are other bases. The operator suggests staying nearby the night before on holiday weekends to avoid I-70 delays.

Safety notes

• Altitude: At 9,000 feet, hot water and a sauna hit harder than at sea level. The operator asks guests to check with a doctor about existing conditions. Drink water and keep soaks short.
• No lifeguard or medic: You soak at your own risk.
• Footing: Paths have rocks, roots and steep steps. A walking stick helps if your balance is shaky.
• Road conditions: Do not attempt the road in a car that does not meet the clearance rule. Getting stuck counts as a no-show.
• Wildlife: Give moose plenty of space, especially on the entrance road.