Pitkin County Targets Penny Hot Springs Parking Violations With Daily Patrols

Aspen —A Jeep sits half-submerged in the cold water at Penny Hot Springs. It has no license plates. It did not crack the concrete or ruin the view.

But it broke a rule, and it broke the trust of Redstone neighbors who watch this stretch of highway like hawks.

Pitkin County officials are drawing a line in the sand — or rather, in the mud and water. They want visitors to stop treating Penny Hot Springs like a free-for-all parking lot and start treating it like shared property.

The recent vehicle incident is just the latest symptom of a growing population problem. Pitkin County Sheriff’s Patrol Division Chief Justin Thompson confirmed his department received an email from a local ranger. The Jeep had gone over the cliff. Crews pulled it out. No notable damage occurred.

That’s not the story here. The story is the pattern.

Thompson noted a rising tide of violations flagged by residents to both the Sheriff’s Office and the county’s trails division. The complaints are specific: overnight parking on the roadside, speeding trucks kicking up dust, and substance use — drugs and alcohol, that turns a peaceful soak into a party zone.

“What the residents out there do is what we need them to do - they keep an eye on things,” Thompson said. “Keep encouraging people to let us know when they see those situations that they think need our attention.”

The county is trying to match enforcement with presence. Thompson confirmed the Sheriff’s Office aims to schedule a patrol officer in the Redstone area, which includes Penny Hot Springs, every day from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.

It’s not guaranteed, though. Staffing levels and call volume in other parts of the county dictate whether that officer actually shows up.

“We’ll always respond if something happens,” Thompson said. “And it’s definitely an area that they do keep an eye on.”

There is a ban on roadside camping approved by commissioners earlier this year. Thompson admitted he isn’t aware of any citations issued under that ban yet. The law exists. The tickets have not arrived.

Gary Tennenbaum, director of the county’s Open Space and Trails division, sees the same picture. He emphasizes that his department is acutely aware of the crowd size.

“There’s a lot of use,” Tennenbaum stressed. “Don’t abuse the area … There are people that love the hot springs.”

Some argue the springs are being loved to death. Tennenbaum disagrees with the doom-and-gloom narrative, but he acknowledges the geography is difficult. The springs sit in a tight spot along the highway. Management requires partnership between the Sheriff’s Office and state highway patrol.

Infrastructure helps, too. A new bathroom installation has reduced the number of people relieving themselves directly in the mineral water. It’s a small win, but it matters when you’re trying to preserve the therapeutic quality of the springs.

The county’s Open Space and Trails division is currently evaluating ways to improve parking and access. Tennenbaum insists they are looking at options carefully. The elected officials have not made final decisions yet.

“There’s no perfect solution to this,” he said. “We’re still looking at options.”

The fear is that fixing the parking will squeeze the experience. They want to avoid making the area more constrained for everyone just to accommodate the cars.

Read that again. The officials are afraid of over-managing. They want respect, not a fortress.

The Jeep in the water is a symbol. It’s removable. The behavior is not.