Colorado has a lot of cute mountain towns to explore but if you’re into skiing, you might be staying in one of the resort towns that sit at the bottom of the slopes. While it isn’t necessarily a ski town, there are some great things to do in Glenwood Springs. And just because it isn’t a ski town doesn’t mean there isn’t skiing nearby. However, there’s a lot more to do in this town than I thought and it makes for a great weekend getaway.
Glenwood Springs is located about two and a half hours directly west of Denver. It’s cute and quaint with one main street off of I-70. My sister and I came up here for a getaway–mostly to hit the hot springs in Glenwood Springs–and I wasn’t really sure what else there was to do there. But whether you come in the winter of summer, there’s plenty of things to check out.
Things to do in Glenwood Springs:
1. Visit the Hot Springs Resort
The Hot Springs Resort in Glenwood Springs is home to the largest hot springs pool in the world. It’s one big community pool with 1,078,000 gallons of water. It has a diving board on one end, roped off areas for people who swim laps and a separate ‘adult’ pool that is several degrees hotter. It’s nestled between the river and the mountains, so you have a great view of the mountains while you soak.
The hot springs pool is fed by the Yampah Spring and I actually thought the pool temperature was pretty mild. My body doesn’t handle cold temperatures very well so it could have been hotter for me. Especially if we had gone in winter…I’m not sure I would have been able to stay in the main pool if there was snow all around. But as I said, the ‘adult’ pool was much hotter and would be the one to enjoy in the middle of winter (we went in the Spring).
2. Hike to Hanging Lake
Hanging Lake is about a 10-15 minute drive from Glenwood springs and is a popular hike in Colorado. The name comes from the location–it’s a beautiful waterfall and lake that sits cliffside in the mountains. The lake is a beautiful, crystal turquoise with floating logs and lots of lush greenery surrounding the falls.
You have to hike up to it, about 1,000 feet in elevation. The first part of the trail is a rocky incline and eventually you get to a steep section with rock staircases and railings. It can give you a bit of vertigo if you’re scared of heights because the trail is quite literally on the edge at some points. Overall the trail is about 1.2 miles to the top so about 2.5 miles RT.
Update 2022: the Hanging Lake trail is currently closed due to storm damage that left parts of the trail impassable and unsafe. It’s set to reopen at the end of June 2022. Check here for updates.
3. Take the Gondola Up the Mountain
The Glenwood Gondola takes you up the mountains to the Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park. You get a great view of the city along the way. At the top of the mountain is the adventure park, an old-time store with snacks, and a restaurant called The Lookout Grille. You can sit outside and enjoy views of the mountains.
Tickets for the gondola are $21 per person. If you’re planning on having lunch at the restaurant, it would be a fun date idea. However, if you aren’t planning on eating or doing any of the activities, I’m not sure it would be that worth it. The gondola ride is fun and gives you a great view but other than that, there’s not much else you can do on that ticket. Nor are there many places to walk to that aren’t associated with the adventure park.
4. Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park
At first, my sister and I only bought tickets for the gondola, but once we got in line, we changed our minds and upgraded our tickets. I sort of assumed the adventure park would be more for kids and have mostly kid rides but I was definitely wrong. There are giant swings, a roller coaster (with a second one coming soon), and other fun rides. The ticket for the Adventure Park varies throughout the seasons because some of the rides aren’t open year-round.
Giant Canyon Swing
One of the craziest rides is a giant swing that is built right on the side of the mountain. It holds four people facing outwards and swings back and forth until you are nearly upside down looking over the canyon. I like a good thrill and this will get your heart going!
My sister and I ended up on the side that faces the river instead of the sky and it was wild. You dangle over a rocky edge and the crazy part is that there is no harness!! There’s a seatbelt and a thing that goes between your legs, but nothing holding your upper body in–which makes you feel even more like you could fall. We were shaking for a good minute afterwards.
The kids that ended up on the other side of the ride actually had their mom videoing it, so we ended up having a video of our ride (and our screams) haha.
Haunted Mine Drop
Another fun thrill ride is the Haunted Mine Drop. It’s one of those rides where the floor drops out and you free fall. It looks like it’s small but it’s pretty legit! I definitely screamed.
The Alpine Coaster
One of the highlights of the adventure park is the Alpine Coaster. There are individual cars with a brake system that you can zoom around the mountain. They are attached to the track, so there’s no chance of flying off. This ride has the best views of Glenwood Springs and is open year-round.
Those are just a few of the rides we went on, but we were glad we upgraded tickets. It was a fun way to spend the day!
5. Take a Cave Tour
If you buy a ticket to the Adventure Park, you automatically have access to the caves as well. But you also have the option of buying a ticket for only the gondola and the caves. You can do the Fairy Cave Tour and/or the King’s Row Tour. We opted for King’s Row since the lines were pretty long. We ended up waiting over an hour in the sun to go on the tour.
I’m not necessarily a cave person, but it was interesting to see. You get some fun stories and information along the tour and the rocks at the end are neat.
6. Soak in the Iron Mountain Hot Springs
One of the top things to do in Glenwood Springs is soak in the hot springs and the pools at Iron Mountain were my favorite. There are 16 different hot spring pools here, each with a different temperature. It’s fun to jump around from the pools too see which ones you like best. Iron Mountain sits right along the river, so you have a great view here as well.
There’s also more of an adult atmosphere at this one. There’s a bar on site and it’s just a lot more chill. There is a larger pool on the end that is more for families but in general, the smaller pools are hotter temperatures.
7. Shop on Grand Avenue
The main street in Glenwood Springs is Grand Avenue and that’s where you’ll find all the shops and restaurants. There are some cute craft stores, boutiques and t-shirt stores to stop in and browse. You’ll also find some cafes and the majority of the restaurants closer to the river.
There’s also several wall murals hidden along this street as well. You can find some maps of Glenwood Springs, mountain murals and some butterfly wings.
8. Visit Doc Holliday’s Grave
One of Glenwood Springs’ claim to fames is that it is the location of famous gun slinger Doc Holliday’s grave. He’s a well-known figure from the Wild West and most known for a legendary gun fight at O.K. Corral. His grave is located at the Linwood Cemetery and it’s a short hike up to where the tombs are.
The trail is more of a short hike, but not too strenuous. It takes you alongside the edge of the mountain and there are signs leading to Doc’s grave. You’ll also find the grave of Kid Curry, a famous outlaw who was a bank and train robber.
9. Go River Rafting in the Colorado River
The Colorado River runs right through Glenwood Springs and there’s many places where you can go river rafting. If you haven’t done it, it’s a great time but it will definitely be cold. Make sure you go in the summer on one of the hottest days.
10. Walk the Grand Avenue Bridge
Towards the end of Grand Avenue is where you’ll find Grand Avenue Bridge. While it isn’t much to look at or anything and really only takes you from A to B, it’s fun to walk for the views. You can get a great view of the Colorado River (seen above).
It also happens to give you the best view of the hot springs pool. The pool is large when you go to it, but seeing it from the bridge gives you a different perspective of the size.
11. Visit Hotel Colorado
Hotel Colorado is a historic hotel that’s been around since 1893. It sits right near the Hot Springs Pool and is just a short walk away. It was built by Walter Devereux who was one of the first settlers in Glenwood Springs. The hotel has evidently been used as a temporary White House and served as a hospital during World War II.
If you’re interested in the history of Glenwood Springs, there’s lots of things you can learn here. Even if you don’t stay here, you can pop in to walk around to learn about the history.
12. Hit the Bars
Along Grand Avenue and more so down by the Grand Avenue Bridge, is where you’ll find a lot of the Glenwood Springs bars. Head to Doc Holliday’s Saloon (he never drank there just FYI but you can get a cocktail dedicated to him), Brewpub, the Casey Brewing Taproom or any of the other bars near the water.
Where to Stay in Glenwood Springs:
Glenwood Springs is fairly small, so no matter where you stay, you won’t be too far away. Grand Avenue is the main road that goes straight through town. Eventually it turns into S Glen Avenue. The traffic can be a little backed up because of only having one main road, so it IS easier to stay closer to I-70 at the junction, but not a big deal otherwise.
- Glenwood Hot Springs Resort: $$, Access to the hot springs pool
- Hotel Colorado: $$, Historical property
- Hotel Denver: $$, Highest guest rating
- Best Western Antlers: $, Value and views
- Hotel Glenwood Springs: $$, Great pool for kids
- Quality Inn & Suites on the River: $, Value and quiet spot near the mountains
Where to Eat:
There are lots of restaurants along Grand Avenue but we still ran into a lot of wait times. Call for reservations or make sure you head out early to get a table!
Since me and my sister were only there for a weekend getaway, I can’t say I have many recommendations since we didn’t eat too many places. But here’s a local’s guide to the restaurants you should check out!
When to Go:
There are definitely things to do in Glenwood Springs no matter which season you end up visiting during.
Fall/Winter: Colorado is beautiful during this time of year. The mountains are snowcapped and make any town enjoyable to be in and Glenwood Springs sits right at the bottom of them. Since hot springs are a big part of this town, the cooler weather makes them a bit more fun. There’s nothing like sitting in a hot spring surrounded by snowy mountains!
Spring/Summer: The great thing about Glenwood Springs is that it has other options for when there isn’t snow. The gondola up the mountain will have clearer views and you’ll be able to enjoy more of the Adventure Park activities. Plus, the hike to Hanging Lake is a must!
I was pleasantly surprised by our weekend in Glenwood Springs. It’s more than just a hot springs town and has a lot of other fun activities to do. A long weekend was the perfect amount of time to explore this cute, Colorado town.
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