ROAD CONDITIONS

Thursday, January 2nd CLOSED

  • Chinook Road is inaccessible extreme Snow/Ice Hazard

  • Dakota Ridge Road access is CLOSED.

  • Red Tail Ridge Road Access (4WD/AWD & 7+ inches Ground Clearance required)

Snow tires may be required to access the Ranch, depending on conditions of the day. If snow tires are a necessity, we will contact you prior to your soak to inform you. Studded tires or snow chains are the only suitable substitute for snow tires in these cases - All-terrain and all-season tires will not cut it!

Feel free to call or text (text preferred) to inquire about road conditions on the day of your soak.

Alternate Snow Route:

  • I-70 > Exit 238 > Fall River Rd. > York Gulch Rd.

  • When coming up York Gulch, *skip Chinook Rd.* (Google Maps will tell you to turn right on Chinook, just drive past it)

  • Continue for 1 mile > hard right turn on Red Tail Ridge Rd.

  • Continue on Red Tail for 1 mile until it meets the top of Chinook at the T > do not turn right (downhill)

  • Keep going straight and uphill on Chinook (1/4 mile)

  • You will see 899 Chinook on the right

When utilizing the alternate snow route, use caution on the section of York Gulch from just past the junction with Chinook to the junction with Saddle Dr. (1/3 mile). The road narrows here, the grade gets steeper, and there are washboards - drive slow, watch for oncoming traffic, and yield if it seems a vehicle won’t be able to slow down or move over safely due to icy road surface.

ROUTES

There are three main routes to access the ranch:

  • Chinook Road

  • Red Tail Ridge (Alternate Snow Route)

  • Dakota Ridge Road (Spring/Summer/Fall 4X4 ONLY)

Regardless of which route you take, 4WD or AWD with 7+ inches of ground clearance is REQUIRED to access Raspberry Hot Springs. The final mile of either route is composed of steep, unpaved dirt roads.

This requirement applies to guests year-round and is for the safety and protection of our guests, as well as the residents of our mountain community who would be blocked by stuck vehicles.

If your car is not capable of off-road driving, do not take Dakota Ridge Road Access. It is a shortcut if you are coming from Central City, Black Hawk, Boulder, Nederland, or Rollinsville, HOWEVER, it is an extremely difficult road that presents a number of dangers to people unaccustomed to or unprepared for 4x4 trail driving. If you have any doubt about your vehicle’s ability to take this route, PLEASE USE this route: I-70 West to Exit 238 to Fall River Road/St. Marys/Alice > Fall River Road > York Gulch Road > Chinook Road. Dakota Ridge Road is not accessible during the winter months.

DELAYS

Rock Scaling for the Floyd Hill Project on I-70 West continues to cause 20-45 minute delays every 60-75 minutes from 9 AM to 3 PM, Monday through Thursday.

Holds may extend delays to 4 PM. Westbound I-70 traffic will be held east of the Hidden Valley interchange (Exit 243). CDOT advises drivers to stay on I-70, that there is no recommended detour route. You can text floydhill (one word, lowercase) to 21000 for updates.

Please plan on these delays so that you don’t miss your reservation. There’s plenty to do in Idaho Springs if you arrive early, or you can come up to the ranch and do a short hike to stretch your legs before soaking.

WEATHER

Fall has departed and winter is upon us. Please check weather reports and road conditions prior to driving up here, and keep an eye on your phone and email if winter conditions are expected. We may need to close for the day due to dangerous road conditions - if this is the case, we will text the number we have on file for you. As a courtesy, please respond so that we know we have reached you. If we don’t hear from you, we will call and email to ensure you’ve received our message. Again, please confirm receipt so that we don’t have to resort to sending an owl or a carrier pigeon. Appointments will be rescheduled or refunded if we are forced to call a snow day.

Feel free to text us for current dirt road conditions: (303) 718-7971

Our nearest weather station is Central City, Colorado.

And here is a link to the I-70 West Webcam at the Mt. Evans/Hwy 103 offramp (Exit 240): coloradowebcam.net