About this spot
Devil's Punch Bowl is a genuine, well-documented cliff-jumping and swimming hole on the South Fork Crystal River near the ghost town of Crystal, Colorado, in the Elk Mountains. Reach it via Gothic Road from Crested Butte, over rough, high-clearance Schofield Pass Road (many vehicles have been damaged attempting to drive too far; most people park below Crystal and hike the last stretch). A waterfall feeds an emerald, bowl-shaped pool roughly 12 feet deep, with a second cascade draining it downstream. Jumpers leap from rock ledges about 20-25 feet above the water. The pool stays cold even in midsummer, and people have been injured jumping short or landing on rock, so check depth and clear the landing zone first. Jumping here is done at your own risk and is not officially sanctioned.