Fifth Water Hot Springs and Falls — Attraction in Mapleton

Did this hike with my wife. Cool views on hike. But…(and a big but) 1.)The pools are full of torn plastic and a butt load of algae(someone who made those pools never bothered to try mortaring and sealing the stuff but left the plastic to rot). 2.) poop and trash everywhere!(left over towels, tampons, a pee jug(found on my last visit there on June 2nd),dog poop bags no one cleans up, trash and leftover plastic bags line the sulfuric river up to the site of the hot springs. 3.)trail needs some serious maintenance. Open holes fences galling down into the water due to mud slides, I only put moderates because it’s relatively flat except for a few risky spots. 4.) people tend to be naked in the hot springs here(so check beforehand if you have kids). 5.) did I already bring up the human fecal matter around the area because people don’t use the bathroom prior? I did…well it’s a problem. 6.) snakes. Mostly gofer or grass snakes but me and my wife did encounter 2 rattle snakes on our last hike so…watch where you step! Overall a underwhelming experience based on the photos I saw of this...

5/29/2023: The trail is largely intact. One section is washed out and has a steep bypass with rope assist. Almost all pools that the river touches are submerged or gone. The developed sets of pools above and below the waterfall are in good shape (full and warm). The upper pools are only accessible via wading through very cold and very swift water. There is a loose rope over the water as a guide but it cannot bear weight. The plank that normally crosses the water to these pools is gone. Crossing is doable with good grip water shoes or Sandler and the river is about 3-4 feet deep at most.

The water is perilous for dogs and small humans. Medium to large humans will find the whole experience delightful and refreshing.

If the gate is closed and you have to park by the road: make sure none of your tires are remotely touching the road or you will likely get a ticket. They are not forgiving because this road must stay passable for...

This is such a really nice hike, as the experience is to go when there is snow. I do have to say I found there’s a lot of wrong information to get to the hotspot springs. If you come in winter, they close part of the road a mile before you start the hike. So, you do 1 mile. Once you turn right, it will be around 2.5 miles up to the hot spring pools. Google Maps shows the pools are in the middle of the hike, but the actual hot springs pools are on the second pin. I do highly recommend you come with proper winter clothing and good hiking shoes, and if possible, get some spikes. I was not in shape, but it took me 2 hours from the start of the hike. But the road that was closed a mile back took me 1 hour, so in total, I did 3 hours for 3.5 miles one way. I was going slow as my wife is pregnant. We didn’t time correctly, so on our way back down, it got us through the night. It was a great hike, and I will...