Valley View Hot Springs
By the HotSpringsFind editorial team · How we compile records · Reviewed September 2026
Valley View Hot Springs is a developed hot spring listed near Moffat, Colorado. Reported soak temperature: 100°F. See the visit fact sheet.
Stop on Colorado Hot Springs Loop — see all stops, ordered south to north.
Current status
Nonprofit (Orient Land Trust) clothing-optional preserve with a strict daily visitor cap — day pass $20 (arrive 11am–6pm, out by 8pm), overnight $40/person/night plus accommodation; reservations by phone (719-256-4315, 9am–9pm) are effectively mandatory, and non-members can only book 24 hours ahead while OLT members book further out — the membership-tiered advance window is the de facto lottery.
Checked September 2026 · verified on the operator’s site · 3 sources ↓
Staying overnight?
A Salida room is a pre- or post-trip town stay, north of Valley View.
Salida is about 26 mi from the spring (straight line).
We may earn a commission from bookings through these links, at no extra cost to you.
Before you go
- Status: Reservation or permission required — confirm via Orient Land Trust — Planning your visit (24-hr nonmember window, visitor cap).
- Cost: Reported $20 — confirm current rates before visiting.
- Getting there: Reported 0.5 mi trail — confirm the route, road, and seasonal access.
- Water: Reported soak temperature 100°F — always test the water before entering.
- Rules: Reported clothing-optional; reported dog-friendly.
- Conditions: check weather, fire closures, and land-manager alerts the week you go — mountain access changes seasonally.
- Reservations/permits: None — admission is the paid day/overnight pass; OLT membership optional but controls advance booking
- Booking: Reservation required.
- Best time to go: Weekdays year-round; summer weekends hit the daily cap — members' advance-booking window matters most Fri–Sun; winter soaks are uncrowded but check road conditions
- Clothing reality: Official: clothing optional across the ENTIRE property — naturist open space, family-friendly; co-ed bathhouses. Customary: most guests nude at ponds. Legal private land trust.
- Kids: Allowed.
- Cell service: none — download maps and tell someone your plan.
- Accessibility: Ponds reached by short, rugged, well-used hillside trails — not mobility-friendly; cabins have geothermal heat but no bathrooms
- Daily visitor cap — reservations strongly recommended; non-members can only book 24 hours in advance (members get earlier windows by membership level)
- Book by phone 719-256-4315 (office staffed 9am–9pm) — online overnight booking 'coming soon' on new site
- Day-pass arrivals only 11am–6pm; property closes to day guests at 8pm; overnight guests must arrive before 9pm
- Cancellation/no-call fees — day pass 100% within 24h; cabins $50 within 2 weeks
- No campfires, no generators, no glass — anywhere
- Red-light headlamp preferred after dark
- Wi-Fi only at welcome center — limit device use elsewhere
- ~35 minutes to nearest gas/grocery — bring all food
- Elevation 8,600–9,000 ft — weather any time of year; dirt access road can need AWD in winter
- Supervised children 15 & under free
- Hazard: Steep uneven trails between ponds — headlamp after dark
- Hazard: High elevation cold snaps any month
- Hazard: Remote — no services within ~35 min
- Hazard: Rattlesnakes possible on warm trails
About this spring
Clothing-optional, off-grid hot springs preserve on a mountainside above the San Luis Valley, owned and managed by the nonprofit Orient Land Trust. Several natural hillside ponds and creekside pools (~95-107°F), rustic cabins, dispersed camping, and a bat colony at the old Orient Mine. Advance reservations mandatory. Fee: Day pass ~$20-34/person, reservation required (daily visitor cap ~100). Reservations required — daily capacity limited. Pets leashed and prohibited from pools. Dirt road can require AWD in winter.
Valley View Hot Springs is an off-grid, clothing-optional preserve on a mountainside above the San Luis Valley, owned and managed by the nonprofit Orient Land Trust. Natural hillside ponds and creekside pools run about 95–107°F, with rustic cabins, dispersed camping, and a trail up to the old Orient Mine and its bat colony. Access is managed, not walk-in: day passes run roughly $20–34 per person under a daily visitor cap of about 100.
Booking quirks matter here — non-members can only book about 24 hours ahead while members get earlier windows, so summer weekends fill fast. Reservations are made by phone during staffed office hours (9am–9pm); the dirt access road can require AWD in winter. Pets stay leashed and out of the pools. Confirm current rates and availability directly with the Orient Land Trust before driving up.
Directions & trailhead access
Off US-285 near Moffat in Saguache County — follow Orient Land Trust's directions to the unpaved access road, then walk the short trails between pools.
Colorado geothermal context
Colorado's springs rise along fault zones threading the Rocky Mountains — the same tectonics that built the ranges drive deep groundwater circulation. Many sites sit above 7,000 feet, so snowpack closes roads and trailheads well into late spring, and afternoon thunderstorms are routine in summer. Resort valleys like Steamboat, Pagosa, and Ouray anchor the developed end of the spectrum.
What a developed site means here
A developed site sits between primitive and resort: improved soaking infrastructure — built tubs, decks, stairs, sometimes changing rooms or vault toilets — often run by a land trust, nonprofit, or small operator. Expect modest fees or donation requests, posted etiquette rules, and more predictable conditions than a wild pool.
Best time to visit
June – September (Late Spring through Early Autumn)High-altitude mountain access routes and backcountry trailheads can experience seasonal snowpack from November through May. Peak summer and early autumn provide clear trail access and pleasant evening soak conditions.
Fact sheet
| Reported soak temp | 100°F |
|---|---|
| Source temp (historical) | 107°F |
| Hiking distance | 0.5 miles (easy) |
| Access fee | Reported $20 — verify |
| Clothing policy | Reported clothing-optional |
| Pet policy | Reported dog-friendly |
| Geothermal data reference | NOAA Thermal Springs List (1980 archive) |
| Check land status | Orient Land Trust — Planning your visit (24-hr nonmember window, visitor cap) |
Valley View Hot Springs FAQ
Is Valley View Hot Springs open right now?
Nonprofit (Orient Land Trust) clothing-optional preserve with a strict daily visitor cap — day pass $20 (arrive 11am–6pm, out by 8pm), overnight $40/person/night plus accommodation; reservations by phone (719-256-4315, 9am–9pm) are effectively mandatory, and non-members can only book 24 hours ahead while OLT members book further out — the membership-tiered advance window is the de facto lottery. (Status verified on the operator’s site, last checked September 2026.)
Is Valley View Hot Springs free?
Valley View Hot Springs is listed with reported fees near Moffat. Fees are reported; confirm admission, parking and permit costs with the site manager.
What temperature is Valley View Hot Springs?
Valley View Hot Springs has a reported soak temperature of 100°F and a historical source temperature of 107°F in survey records. Historical data may not reflect current conditions — always test water before entering.
Is Valley View Hot Springs clothing optional?
Valley View Hot Springs is listed as traditionally clothing-optional in directory records. Confirm current rules before visiting, as policies change.
How far is the hike to Valley View Hot Springs?
The hike to Valley View Hot Springs near Moffat, Colorado is a 0.5-mile walk (easy) from the designated vehicle access area, per public trail records.
Where to stay in Salida
A Salida room is a pre- or post-trip town stay, north of Valley View. Reserve the preserve visit and any on-site overnight stay directly.
Salida is about 26 mi from the spring (straight line).
We may earn a commission from bookings through these links, at no extra cost to you.
Sources & references
- Orient Land Trust — Planning your visit (24-hr nonmember window, visitor cap) — operator · 2026-09
- Orient Land Trust — Rates & Accommodations ($20 day / $40 overnight + cabin rates, cancellation fees) — operator · 2026-09
- Orient Land Trust — homepage (clothing-optional, member advance booking) — operator · 2026-09
Details above were verified against the named sources on their listed dates — conditions change, so recheck before traveling. · How we verify our data · Report a correction
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