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Conundrum Hike & Hot Springs in Aspen, Colorado
Conundrum Hike & Hot Springs is located in Aspen, Colorado, and is one of the area’s most popular attractions amongst avid hikers. The all-natural hot springs are situated in the Maroon Bells forest. These geothermal hot springs are the perfect treat to soak your tired body in after a full day of hiking. The trail is filled with colorful wildflowers, Aspen trees, sunny meadows, and streaming waterfalls.
Conundrum Hike & Hot Springs Breakdown
Length: 18 Miles
Elevation Gain: 2,791 ft
Route: Out & Back
Heavily Trafficked
Overnight Hike: Permit Required
Difficulty: Hard
How to get to the Conundrum Trailhead
Conundrum trailhead is located at the end of Conundrum Creek Road. This is a dirt road that is well maintained and easy to access. Take Castle Creek road roundabout exit and follow it down until you find Conundrum Creek Road on the right-hand side. Google Maps will say you have arrived before you reach the trailhead, just follow the dirt road until you meet a dead end with a large parking lot. It takes about 20 minutes to get to the trailhead from downtown Aspen.
Conundrum Hike & Hot Springs Tips
- Bring Plenty of Water and Food
- Wear good quality Hiking Boots
- Pack out what you pack in.
- Recommended times to Hike – June to October
- This is a long gradual hike at a high elevation, take your time and take breaks when needed.
- Bear Canisters are required!! *Find More Information Below
- Try to pack light!
- Book your permits well in advance!
- Mosquitos can be bad, pack some small bug repellent wipes to save on space.
What to Pack for Conundrum Hike
- Osprey Hydration Pack
- Rain Coat
- Sunscreen
- Headlamp
- Swim Suit/Towel
- Hiking Boots
- Food/Snacks – Think! High Protein Bar
- Extra pair of Socks
- Water Shoes – Chacos
- Map
- Camera
- Toilet Paper
- Hat/Sunglass
- Bear Canister
*Good hiking boots are essential for this hike. You will come across many different types of terrains including technical rock scrambling.
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Conundrum Hike Permits
Permits are required for the Conundrum Hike and Hot Springs. It is highly encouraged to do this hike in at least two days and camp overnight. You will need to get a permit and reserve your campsite well in advance. We purchased our permit on Tuesday at 8:00 AM on June 15th for our hike in August. You can read more about release dates and purchase your permit at recreation.gov.
Bear Canister
Bear canisters are required for the Conundrum hike. You can bring your own but if you don’t have one, no worries! Ute Mountaineer store in the town of Aspen rents them to hikers for several days. We purchased our canister for 2-days, one night for about $16.00. Purchase your own bear canister here!
The Journey
Wildlife + Mushrooms
Along our hike, we saw tons of grasshoppers. Some were a bright green color and ginormous! We also saw a few deer right next to us while soaking in the hot springs. Mushrooms lined the trail. Some were a bright red color and reminded us of Mario Cart!
Wildflowers
We did the Conundrum hike in the middle of August and the wildflowers were flourishing. We saw Columbines (Colorado’s State Flower), Sunflowers, Fireweeds, and Indian Paintbrush. My favorites were the red Indian Paintbrush and bright purple Fireweeds.
Fun Fact: Fireweed gets its name from the rapid growth it has in the high Alpine areas.
Creek Crossing + Bridges
There are four bridges you will need to cross. Most of the bridges are well built but with a heavy pack, you will need to go slow and watch your balance. At 6 miles, there is a large creek crossing. You will need to change your shoes for this crossing. It is about 12 feet wide with not too many rocks to step on. I wore my Chacos and they worked great. The rocks are a bit slippery so you will want some shoes with good traction.
Aspen Trees + Open Meadows
The hike is a continuous maze of meadows and lush forests. It is an easy and identifiable pathway. The hike has a gradual climb with a few very steep sections and some plateaus. The views of the valley are absolutely gorgeous but my favorites parts were heading into the Aspen trees. The contrast between the bright sunshine on the meadow and the dark Aspen forest is magical.
Conundrum Creek + Waterfalls
The entire trail runs along Conundrum Creek. There are many waterfalls throughout the hike that run into the creek. You will come across a few water crossings along the steep mountainside. Each waterfall crossing is easy and absolutely gorgeous. The Conundrum Creek provides for some nice water to fill up on, you must use a water purification because the creek water is NOT drinkable. Get your water purification here!
Conundrum Hike Campgrounds
When you purchase your hiking permit you will choose your campsite for the night. There are 19 campsites ranging from 2 people, 4 people, and 6 people. After doing some research we chose campsite #1 because it was near the hot springs but not too close. Some campsites are quite far or involve extra hiking. I would recommend campsites #1, #2, #3, #7, and #8. View the campsite map here.
Meals + Snacks
Since this is an overnight hike you will need to do some meal planning and pack in your food. We packed in some sandwiches for dinner but luckily we had some yummy leftovers from our lunch in Aspen Village at Aspen Sports Bistro. I thoroughly enjoy my leftover salmon and Ben devoured his leftover pulled pork sandwich. I prepacked overnight oats for breakfast which included, oats, vanilla protein powder, cinnamon, and a dash of salt. I just added some water to the bag the night before and the oats absorb the liquid. The next morning, I sliced some fresh bananas on top, and it was delicious.
Read my Full Restaurant Review on Aspen Sports Bistro
Hot Springs
One of the best things about this hike is the all-natural hot springs. The hot springs are near the campgrounds about 9 miles in. There are two pools, one smaller one and one larger one. I enjoyed the larger pool because it was about 102°F and much cleaner than the upper smaller one. Both tubs offer great views of the mountains and valley. The smaller pool was not super hot and quite dirty, but there is a really neat green wall. The hot springs are such a nice treat to relax in after hiking 9+ miles with a pack! We thoroughly enjoyed them and ended up sitting in them for most of the evening.
Tip: If you are planning on sitting in the hot springs past dark, be sure to bring a headlamp or some sort of flashlight because the trails back to the campsites can be steep, rocky, and difficult to navigate.
Another great Colorado Hike – Crag Crest
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