Swissvale Warm Springs

What to expect

Swissvale Warm Springs is a set of lukewarm springs by the Arkansas River at Swissvale, a small community on US 50 east of Salida. It shows up in hot spring directories because it is in federal and state geothermal records. It is not a place you can visit for a soak.

The springs have been surveyed several times. The USGS sampled the main spring, listed as Swissvale Warm Spring A, on June 2, 1976. Directories that use that sample give a temperature of about 82°F28°C and a neutral pH. The Colorado Geological Survey’s 1992-1993 assessment of low-temperature geothermal sites lists two of the springs, Spring A at about 81°F27°C and Spring F at about 73°F23°C. Both are vent temperatures, taken where the water comes out of the ground. That is cooler than a typical swimming pool and far from a hot soak.

The more important point is access. When the Colorado Geological Survey visited in June 1993, it reported that the springs had been unused in 1978 and were still unused. At some point between the two visits, someone dug a soaking pool about 25 feet by 15 feet and 4 feet deep, roughly 50 feet from Spring F, and diverted that spring’s whole flow into it before the water ran on into the Arkansas River. By 1993 the pool had filled with moss and algae, and it did not look as if anyone had soaked there recently. The survey also recorded that the springs were on private property posted for no trespassing, and that no one was living there.

We could not find any later source describing a public pool, an operator or a change in access. That is why this listing is marked as not open. If that changes, we will update it.

Why it is on our list

Many hot spring lists are built from the federal geothermal database and the USGS place-name system, which is how Swissvale ends up next to real soaking destinations. Those records tell you that surveyors found warm water here. They do not tell you that the water is warm enough to enjoy, that there is a pool, or that you are allowed on the land.

Some sites also put Swissvale Warm Springs in Chaffee County, because Salida is the nearest town. The USGS record and the Colorado Geological Survey both place it in Fremont County, which starts just east of the Chaffee County line.

Getting there

You can drive through Swissvale, but there is no signed site, pullout or trail for the springs.

Swissvale sits on US 50 in the Arkansas River valley between Wellsville and Howard, roughly 7 miles east of Salida in a straight line. From Salida, follow US 50 east out of town along the river. The highway is paved and carries a lot of summer traffic, including trucks and rafting shuttles.

The USGS coordinates for the spring were interpolated from a map and are only accurate to about 1 minute of latitude and longitude, which is more than a mile on the ground. A local road named Swissvale Road runs through the community, but we have no confirmed access point. Do not leave the highway and walk onto private land to look for the springs.

When to go

Because there is no public site, there is no best season. If you are passing through, the Arkansas River valley between Salida and Cañon City is a pleasant drive in any season. Summer is rafting season, with busy put-ins along US 50, and winter is quieter and colder, with occasional snow on the highway.

Rules and access

• Treat the springs as private. The most recent survey we found describes the property as posted against trespassing.
• Do not trespass to look for them. Colorado landowners have strong legal protections, and fences and signs mean what they say.
• No facilities. There is no parking area, toilet, trash service or maintained pool.
• Use public river access responsibly. The Arkansas Headwaters Recreation Area, run by Colorado Parks and Wildlife, manages river access points and campgrounds along this stretch. A daily vehicle pass is needed at its sites.

Where to stay nearby

Salida is the closest town, with motels, inns, restaurants and fuel, and it is the main base for the upper Arkansas valley.

Arkansas Headwaters Recreation Area campgrounds line the river. In Fremont County they include Rincon, Point Barr, Vallie Bridge and Five Points, and in Chaffee County there are Hecla Junction, Ruby Mountain, Railroad Bridge and Salida East. Colorado Parks and Wildlife lists 318 campsites across the recreation area. Check the current booking system and fire restrictions before you go.

Safety notes

• Highway shoulders: US 50 is narrow in places along the river. Only stop at proper pullouts.
• Water quality: A stagnant, algae-filled pool is a poor place to bathe even where access is allowed. Do not drink untreated spring water.
• River hazards: The Arkansas runs cold and fast during spring runoff. Stay off the banks in high water.
• Private property: Rural landowners in Colorado may confront trespassers. Stay on public land.

Soaking alternatives nearby

If you came to the Salida area for a soak, the region has plenty of real options with clear access rules. In town, the Salida Hot Springs Aquatic Center runs a public geothermal pool. North up the Arkansas valley, Mount Princeton Hot Springs Resort has large pools and creekside soaks, and Antero Hot Springs Cabins near Nathrop rents cabins, each with its own spring-fed soaking pool. South over Poncha Pass, Valley View Hot Springs has natural, clothing-optional ponds above the San Luis Valley.