Colorado’s hot springs are one of the state’s most popular outdoor attractions, and there are few better ways to relax, especially after a long day of play in the mountains. Some offer other amenities too, including water parks and accommodation.
Strawberry Park Natural Hot Springs, Steamboat Springs
What Is It? Many feel Strawberry Park Hot Springs are the very best hot springs in the Rockies.
Why Do It? At minimum, the 104-degree natural mineral pools are a state favorite, and the focal point of a complex filled with rustic cabins, riverside campsites, a covered wagon and even a train caboose, for those who want to stick around and enjoy them. It’s similar to other springs in that the closer you are to the spring, the hotter the pool; the closer to the river, the cooler the pool. Natural rock sides separate the pools, while the sandbed floors soothe your feet as you walk across them. They’re fabulous to enjoy year-round, although soaking in the soothing waters surrounded by a frozen landscape is a special delight.
Good to Know: It’s open for all ages during the day, but after sunset, it’s adults only and clothing is optional. After dark, the stargazing is extraordinary.
Glenwood Hot Springs
What Is It? Glenwood Springs is home to one of the hottest springs in the world.
Why Do It? Its source is the Yampah spring, which produces more than three million gallons of water every day, at temperatures of 122 degrees Fahrenheit. By the time it gets to the pools, the water has cooled to an idyllic 104 degrees. The Glenwood Hot Springs Pool is the largest on the planet, offering plenty of room to soak, swim and splash around, or simply relax on an inflatable. It even features a diving area and a lap lane. Soaking in hot mineral waters is a time-honored healing tradition in many cultures around the world.
Good to Know: During the warmer months of the year, there are two water slides in operation too, an Avalanche Falls Slide, which riders soar down on inner tubes, and the Shoshone Chute, a traditional body slide.
Mount Princeton Hot Springs Resort, Nathrop
What Is It? Mount Princeton offers both hot springs that sit within natural, rocky surroundings as well as human-created pools that are all heated by geothermal water.
Why Do It? Surrounded by gorgeous Rocky Mountain scenery, it’s truly a vacation destination in itself. It offers pools for fun and pools for relaxing in the healing mountain mineral waters, along with a long list of amenities. It boasts an excellent restaurant with a menu focused on fresh ingredients, including local produce; bars, a beer garden, yoga and fitness classes. At the spa, choose from a menu of various types of massage and body treatments.
Good to Know: If you want to get out and explore, you’ll have easy access to outdoor adventures, as well as shopping, art galleries, breweries, distilleries, and a winery in the nearby towns of Salida and Buena Vista.
Dunton Hot Springs, Dolores
What Is It? Dunton Hot Springs is a unique destination with a hot springs adventure that includes staying in a meticulously-restored 19th-century ghost town.
Why Do It? This five-star property is nestled against a backdrop of aspens and the rocky San Juan Range, dotted with historic log cabins and a mineral hot spring that’s set across 1,400 wildflower-filled acres. The secluded retreat sits about 30 miles southwest of Telluride, offering the chance to truly disconnect from the chaos of day-to-day life. After a day of hiking the miles and miles of scenic trails, heli-skiing, or rock climbing, come back for a relaxing soak.
Good to Know: You can also take advantage of a lavish spa, a saloon with wagon-wheel chandeliers, and the original bar that Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid once imbibed at – by looking closely, you’ll even see their names carved into the wood.
The Springs Resort & Spa, Pagosa Springs
What Is It? If you’re coming from the Front Range, the spectacular drive over Wolf Creek Pass to get to Pagosa Springs is worth the trip alone.
Why Do It? Once you arrive, you’ll discover a charming town that’s home to the world’s deepest geothermal hot springs. A wonderland of pools, in varying temperatures, sizes, and mineral compositions, it’s truly one of Colorado’s top hot springs destinations. Located in the heart of town along the San Juan River, visitors like to take a dip in the cool waters of the river and then get into the 114-degree Lobster Pot, or one of the slightly cooler options.
Good to Know: The spa offers massage and skincare treatments while lodging is available in the Springs Resort & Spa in rooms of various types.
Cottonwood Hotsprings Inn & Spa, Buena Vista
What Is It? Set on the banks of Cottonwood Creek, Cottonwood Hot Springs Inn and Spa features geothermal, gravity-fed mineral spas as well as a hotel, creek-side cabins and tent sites in the heart of the Rocky Mountains.
Why Do It? The springs, which were used for centuries by the Ute Indians as a spiritual gathering place, range in temperature from 94 to 110 degrees Fahrenheit.
Good to Know: The inn also offers spa services with a variety of massage therapies, salt scrubs, body wraps, reiki, iridology and more, designed to offer a peaceful way to balance your body, mind and spirit.
Hot Sulphur Springs
What Is It? Hot Sulphur Springs is the name of both the town and the springs that are its primary attraction.
Why Do It? If you happen to be visiting the west side of Rocky Mountain National Park, or Winter Park Resort, it’s an ideal spot to go for relaxing sore muscles after a day of hiking, or gliding down the slopes. These springs were also once used by the Utes, but today, visitors can enjoy soaking in different pools of varying temperatures, that range from 95 degrees to 112 degrees Fahrenheit, as well as indulging in a massage or other treatment at the spa.
Good to Know: Accommodation is available in cozy motel-style rooms, and the outdoor pools are all included in lodging rates.
Yampah Spa & Vapor Caves, Glenwood Springs
What Is It? The Yampah Spa is another fantastic hot spring option in the Glenwood Springs area that’s especially ideal for couples seeking a romantic escape.
Why Do It? It offers amazing geothermal stream baths in a gorgeous, natural environment, with the sub-level caves especially calming in the dim light. The vapor caves utilize the hot mineral waters, that, like the others in the state are naturally high in sulfur, nitrate, zinc, and potassium, as well as 30 other therapeutic minerals.
Good to Know: Enjoy incredible spa treatments that are combined with steam in the caves or a Natural Geothermal Thermal Mineral Bath. There is a full menu of options, including hair and nail services, massage, facials, and more.
