Fifth Water Hot Springs: trail, fees and access
Fifth Water Hot Springs, also called Diamond Fork Hot Springs, is a series of free rock-lined soaking pools in Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest, about an hour from Provo and Salt Lake City. Reaching them takes a 2.5-mile hike from the Three Forks trailhead, where the Forest Service charges a day-use parking fee. It's one of the stops in our hot springs in Utah guide, alongside free and reservation-only soaks across the state.
The two names refer to the same place: Fifth Water is the creek the pools sit along, and Diamond Fork is the canyon and access road, so both show up interchangeably in trail reports, land-manager pages and older guidebooks.
Fact box
| Field | Detail |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 40.083°N, 111.319°W, about 6,160 ft elevation at the main pools, per USGS topographic data for the Rays Valley quad |
| Temperature (source, historical) | The NOAA/NCEI thermal springs archive lists a record in this same drainage, "Diamond Fork Warm Springs," at 68°F (historical estimate, base year 1980) |
| Temperature (soaking pools, recent) | Roughly 100–102°F per Visit Utah's listing and multiple trail reports; pools closer to the creek run cooler after rain or snowmelt |
| Nearest town | Spanish Fork, Utah |
| Access | Hike, 2.5 miles one way from the Three Forks trailhead (about 5 miles round trip) |
| Elevation gain | Roughly 700 ft, from about 5,470 ft at the trailhead to about 6,160 ft at the pools |
| Parking fee | $10 per vehicle for 3 days, $20 for 7 days, or $60 for a season pass at the Three Forks trailhead; America the Beautiful and Uinta-Wasatch-Cache Forest passes are honored |
| Legal status | Public land, Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest, Spanish Fork Ranger District; day-use parking fee required, soaking itself is free |
| Season | Open year-round; the upper section of Diamond Fork Road is typically gated for winter from late November into spring, which adds several miles to the hike |
Trail and access
From Spanish Fork, Diamond Fork Road (Forest Road 029) follows Spanish Fork Canyon north off U.S. Highway 6 to the Three Forks trailhead, where there's a parking area, vault toilet, and the day-use fee station. The trail crosses a footbridge and follows Sixth Water Creek for about 1.1 miles before forking onto Fifth Water Creek for the remaining distance to the main pools, a total of roughly 2.5 miles one way with about 700 feet of elevation gain, rated moderate rather than strenuous.
In winter, the Forest Service typically closes the last stretch of Diamond Fork Road with a gate once heavy snow hits, usually by the end of November, and keeps it closed into spring depending on conditions. When the gate is closed, the hike starts from further down the canyon, adding several extra miles each way. Check current road status with the Spanish Fork Ranger District before a winter trip. Cell service is unreliable to absent along the trail, so download an offline map and tell someone your plan before you go.
The pools
Several rock-walled soaking pools step down along Fifth Water Creek, roughly 1.5 miles up from the confluence with Sixth Water Creek, where a small cold waterfall meets the warm water feeding the pools. The pools are natural rather than built structures, though visitors have stacked rock to shape the walls over the years, and their size and depth shift after high water. Because they sit directly in the creek bed, flow and temperature both vary with recent weather. The 100–102°F range in recent reports is far warmer than the NOAA archive's 68°F record for the drainage; that record ("Diamond Fork Warm Springs") sits about 2.6 miles from the pools, so it most likely describes a different, cooler spring in the same system rather than the soaking pools themselves.
How this guide was researched
This page was compiled from U.S. Forest Service recreation data for the Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest, the NOAA/NCEI thermal springs archive, USGS topographic data, Visit Utah's official listing and published trail reports. We haven't visited this site ourselves. Fees, road status and trail conditions change; verify current access with the Spanish Fork Ranger District before you go. Last checked August 2026.
FAQ
Is Fifth Water the same as Diamond Fork hot springs?
Yes. Fifth Water refers to the creek the pools sit on; Diamond Fork is the canyon and road used to reach the trailhead. Both names describe the same hot springs.
Is Fifth Water Hot Springs free?
Soaking is free. The Forest Service charges a separate day-use parking fee at the Three Forks trailhead, currently $10 for three days.
How long is the hike to Fifth Water Hot Springs?
About 2.5 miles one way from the Three Forks trailhead, roughly 5 miles round trip, with about 700 feet of elevation gain.
Can you go to Fifth Water Hot Springs in winter?
Yes, but the upper section of Diamond Fork Road usually closes for winter, which adds several miles to the hike each way. Check current road status before you go.
Do you need a permit for Fifth Water Hot Springs?
No permit is required, only the trailhead day-use parking fee.
We haven't visited these places ourselves, and every page says so rather than implying otherwise. Details are compiled from public land-manager, USGS and NOAA sources and cross-checked where possible; conditions, access rules and fees change without notice, so confirm with the managing agency before you go. Page last checked August 2026. Read our full methodology.