Indian Hot Springs: Gay Cruising Denver

Indian Hot Springs is one of my favorite locations to go to, cruising or not.

https://indianhotsprings.com/

It’s a short 45-minute to an hour drive from downtown Denver, and it’s a great escape out of the city and into the mountains. It’s also a pretty straight shot to get there.

There are two different soaking options at Indian Hot Springs.

The Main Pool

The main pool (photo above) is family-friendly and sits in a very greenhouse-like environment. It’s the cooler of the soaking options. It’s still a hot spring, so the water is warm—probably somewhere in the 90s—but it has much more of a communal pool vibe. Kids are welcome, there are plants everywhere, and the entire space feels like a greenhouse.

It’s really magical, especially in the evening. During the day is great, too, but in the winter when the sun goes down, there’s something quite romantic and charming about being in the communal pool.

The Caves

Then there are the 18+ caves.

The caves are open every day of the week, but during the weekdays—Monday through Friday—they are clothing optional and gender-separated. There’s a men’s side and a women’s side.

The cave pools are much hotter than the main pool, so it’s much more of a sauna-like environment. I’m somebody who can’t be in the heat for too long, so if there isn’t any good action happening, I’m usually not down there for very long.

And these are actual caves.

There’s a lower locker-room area where it’s cooler, with benches where you can rest, lockers, cubbies, and places to put your stuff. You can bring your own lock if you want to use one of the lockers. Personally, I’ll usually just bring a backpack and leave it in one of the cubbies, and I feel perfectly fine doing that. I just don’t bring anything valuable in with me.

From there, you enter through a glass door into the cave section itself.

And back here is where the cruising can happen.

Cruising at Indian Hot Springs

A couple things to note: there are lots of straight guys who come here. If there’s a group of guys hanging out in shorts, the likelihood of something happening is probably pretty low. If that’s the case, I’ll usually go up to the main pool, hang out there for a while, and then check back later.

But it’s definitely cruisable.

It’s just very hit or miss depending on who’s there. There also aren’t as many places to hide or tuck away, so you do have to be a little bit more ballsy here.

There’s definitely a cruising crowd, though. It’s a gay watering hole for cruising—you just never quite know what you’re going to get on a particular day.

It’s also definitely riskier. There are signs saying that inappropriate behavior can be reported to law enforcement. That doesn’t stop me by any means, but play at your own risk.

Every once in a while, a staff member will come into the caves to check the temperature of the water. What I’ve noticed is that when there’s a lot of action going on, they seem to come in and “check the water” more often.

When staff members start making repeated trips into the caves, that’s usually my sign to go.

To me, that’s them saying, Okay, you guys are doing too much in here.

That said, I’ve definitely been there when six guys were all stroking together at one time.

Again, it’s completely hit or miss depending on the day.

If you want to maximize your chances, I’d say weekday evenings are your best bet, particularly Thursdays and Fridays. If I were choosing one time specifically, I’d probably go Friday evening.

Pricing & When to Go

The main pool is around $35, or around $40 if you want access to both the main pool and the caves.

Normally, you can have plenty of flexibility with when you go, just arrive, purchase a wrist ban and you can stay as long as you want. But on peak holiday weekends—think Labor Day, Memorial Day, New Years, and other busy holiday weekends—they can book out and switch to timed entry. On those days, you purchase a two-hour time slot rather than simply being able to show up and stay whenever you want.

If you’re planning to go over a peak holiday, definitely check availability or call ahead before making the drive.

What to Bring

• Your own towel

• A swimsuit for the main pool

• A water bottle

• A backpack or small bag for your stuff

• A lock if you want to secure your belongings in a locker

• Snacks if you plan to be a while - they don't sell any food there.

  
  

They also have a gift shop there if you need anything once you arrive.