White River National Forest · Colorado

Conundrum Creek

11 mi of trail, end to end · native material surface · trail No. 1981 · trail class 3 · typical grade trail_grade · tread 18-24 inches wide · hiking, horse

Trailhead Conundrum Creek TH #1981 Drive there

Conundrum Creek TH #1981 the Forest Service's write-up

<strong>Fees are charged for high season </strong>overnight stays in permitted zones of the Maroon Bells - Snowmass Wilderness, and for parking and shuttle reservations at <a href="https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/whiteriver/recarea/?recid=82346">Maroon Bells Scenic Area.</a> · reservation required

ALERTS:

• Bear canisters are required for all backpackers in the Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness.

• Advance reservation permits are required for overnight stays in the Maroon Bells - Snowmass Wilderness Overnight Permit Zones.

Get Permits

The Conundrum Creek Trail, in the Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness , generally parallels Conundrum Creek weaving 8.5 miles and 2,500 vertical feet up the valley and through the woods and meadows to the popular Conundrum Hot Springs.

The best time to visit Conundrum Hot Springs is July through September. From early October to late June, the campsites and trail are snow covered and the trailhead is inaccessible. Avalanche hazards exist in the valley. Snow makes route finding difficult.

Mt. Hayden looms at the start of the hike followed by views of Cathedral Peak, Conundrum Peak and Castle Peak. The trail crosses Conundrum Creek three times before the hot springs. The first crossing at 2.5 miles and the second at 6 miles are spanned by primitive log bridges. The third crossing requires wading through the creek. This creek crossing can be hazardous, especially during spring runoffs . At 8 miles, there are remnants of a cabin, and the hot springs are just ahead on the left on the other side of the creek. A log bridge spans the creek for accessing the hot springs.

Restrictions <strong>Conundrum Creek Trail </strong>is within the <a href="https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/whiteriver/recarea/?recid=81118#requirements">Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness, </a>The following regulations are in place to protect this special area: <ul><li><strong>A permit is required&nbsp;</strong>for overnight stays within the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/fseprd571832.pdf">Conundrum Hot Springs Zone</a>&nbsp;(<a href="https://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/fseprd609625.pdf">permit camp site map</a>). View&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/fseprd582007.pdf">Forest Order</a>.&nbsp;</li><li><strong>Bear resistant containers are required</strong>&nbsp;for all overnight visitors.&nbsp;<a href="http://igbconline.org/certified-products-list/">IGBC approved</a>&nbsp;bear canisters must be capable of holding all scented items (including toiletries, garbage, dog food, etc.)</li><li><strong>Human waste bags (WAG) bags are highly recommended</strong>&nbsp;and are available free of charge at the trailhead. WAG bags must be packed out.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BpiX07wPKgE&amp;feature=youtu.be">Learn how</a>&nbsp;to use a WAG bag. If a WAG bag is not used,&nbsp;visitors are required to deposit solid human waste in holes dug 6 to 8 inches deep at least 200 feet (70 paces) from water, camp and trails.</li><li><strong>Group size is limited to 10 with no more than 15 stock animals in one group</strong>. Each designated campsite in the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/fseprd1083862.pdf">Conundrum Hot Springs&nbsp;</a><a href="https://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/fseprd571832.pdf">Permit Zone</a>&nbsp;has a site-specific maximum group size&nbsp;(from 2-6 people).Large groups multiply impacts to the wilderness and disrupt the solitude of others.</li><li><strong>Dogs are prohibited&nbsp;in the Conundrum Creek Valley&nbsp;</strong>from Silver Dollar Pond to Triangle Pass, including the hot springs.&nbsp;<strong>&nbsp;Everywhere else, dogs must be leashed.</strong></li><li><strong>Campfires are prohibited&nbsp;</strong>at all designated sites at Conundrum Hot Springs, within &frac14; mile of Crater Lake and above 10,800 feet.&nbsp;Campfires consume wood, accumulate trash, kill fragile alpine vegetation, sterilize the soil and scar the land. Lightweight camp stoves are recommended.</li><li><strong>Campers must camp in designated sites</strong> at Conundrum Hot Springs, Copper Lake, Crater Lake, Geneva Lake, and Capitol Lake.&nbsp;&nbsp;Everywhere else campers should set up more than 100 feet from lakes, streams and trails and use previously impacted campsites.&nbsp; Help provide a feeling of solitude, camp out of sight of others and fragile areas.</li><li><strong>As with all designated Wilderness, motorized and mechanized equipment is prohibited&nbsp;</strong>including bicycles, motorbikes, chainsaws, ATVs, carts, drones, hang gliders and paragliders.&nbsp;This equipment is prohibited to provide visitors with a primitive recreational experience and to preserve outstanding opportunities for solitude.</li></ul>&nbsp;

This hike on fs.usda.gov

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About this trail's facts

The lines are the US Forest Service's National Forest System trails layer (public domain), read 2026-10-16 and simplified for the map; the length is the line's, end to end, and the class, surface, grade and tread width are the forest's own entries where it publishes them - a forest that publishes the centreline alone has none. The trailheads and the points along the way are the Service's recreation points, and the write-ups its own recarea text, unedited. Heights come from USGS 3DEP through Terrain Tiles on AWS (Mapzen/Tilezen), read along each line and rounded; a short trail on steep ground can be off by a few tens of feet. Closures change: check the forest's own site before you go.