Visiting the Hot Springs in Glenwood Springs, Colorado

Glenwood Springs is a fun little mountain town to visit in Colorado. It’s not too big to explore but is a great spot tucked into the mountains. Even in that awkward time between winter and spring when everything is sort of dead or reviving, it was a very scenic town. And I imagine that in the summer when everything is green or winter when it’s covered in snow, that it is very beautiful. Beyond the scenery, there are several things to check out in the area. There are lots of restaurants, bars and shops along the main street, an adventure park on the mountain top, and it’s also the location where some famous westerners have history, like Doc Holliday. For a weekend getaway, there are plenty of things to do but one of the main draws are the hot springs in Glenwood Springs.

There are two main hot springs in the city and a third that is hot spring related. Besides being a relaxing thing to do, hot springs are also used for their natural healing properties as well. The minerals in the hot springs are calming and help to revitalize your skin. Others have used mineral-rich thermal water for health issues such as skin conditions, respiratory issues and others.

They are definitely one of the popular things to do in Glenwood Springs, so check them out if you have the time.

1. Glenwood Hot Springs Pool

The Glenwood Hot Springs Resort Pool is the world’s largest hot springs pool with 1,078,000 gallons of water in the main pool. The resort is within walking distance to downtown located just across the river. The hot springs resort dates back to 1888 when the hot springs were first turned into a pool for tourism. The lodge came shortly after and it became a designated hot spot for visitors.

Pool Temperatures

There are actually two pools at the resort. The main pool is the largest (and holds the world’s largest hot springs pool title), but there’s actually a second smaller pool that is hotter. Both springs pools are fed by the Yampah Spring, which produces 3.5 million gallons of water daily. Water at the source is much hotter (122º F) but it’s cooled before reaching the pools. The largest pool is fairly mild and is usually between 90-93º F while the smaller pool is around 104º F.

Because of the milder temperature of the main pool, it is very much a family spot and you’ll see lots of kids here. It definitely has a feel of a community pool and since we went in the Spring time, the main pool was actually a little too cool for my liking. And it makes me wonder if they keep it at the same temperature for winter. There’s a diving board on one end and some swimming lanes blocked off as well.

The other pool (shown below) is much smaller than the gigantic pool but still a decent size. It’s more of an ‘adult’ pool but only because the temperature is much hotter. It also has some jets along one of the sides.

Pool Activities

Over the years, the resort has been expanded upon and now includes a day spa, athletics club, splash zone, shop and grill. If you choose to stay at the lodge, you’ll get complimentary, unlimited access to the hot springs pool. However, you don’t have to stay at the resort to enjoy the pool. Day passes are available to the public.

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2. Iron Mountain Hot Springs

While the Resort pool is situated near the river, the Iron Mountain Hot Springs are right ON the river. The hot spring pools here have a great view overlooking the river with the mountains all around. There are 16 small pools with varying temperatures and one family pool.

Pool Temperatures

Each pool has its own temperature marked on a sign and has some information about the different minerals found in the pools. There are 14 different minerals found in the water here, such as calcium, iron, sulfate, chloride and sodium, sourced from several hot springs on the property. The temperatures in these smaller pools range from about 102º-109º.

The smaller pools are open to whoever and you can walk around at your leisure to try the different pools. One of the cool things about the Iron Mountain Hot Springs is that the pathways connecting the pools are heated. So in the winter, you won’t have to freeze your toes going from pool to pool! I’m not sure if there are capacity limits to the pools but at times we were joined by a few other people and sometimes we had the pool to ourselves.

You can order from the bar and take your drink back over to the pool. If you aren’t used to the altitude, just remember that alcohol can hit you a lot faster, especially if you are soaking in hot water too. (Make sure to stay hydrated with the altitude!)

The largest pool at Iron Mountain is the family pool (shown above) and the temperature is about 95º here. There’s also a smaller pool on a ledge at the far end that sits a little higher and is around 100º. It’s great for the adults who want a hotter temperature but need to keep an eye on their kids.

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3. Yampah Hot Springs Vapor Caves

The third place you can go is the Yampah Hot Springs Vapor Caves. Though it has ‘hot springs’ in the name, they aren’t really hot springs. Not in the soaking sense that you may be thinking. They are actually vapor caves where the steam is sourced from hot springs. So rather than a hot tub-like experience, it’s more of a steam room experience.

The caves are underground and the hot, mineral water flows through the cave floors and creates a steam bath. You can relax on stone slabs and there are cool water tubs or cool rooms if it gets too hot.

You can also get other spa treatments here if you wish, like facials, massages or salon services.

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Which one was my favorite?

The hot spring pool is neat to see because of its size and it sits right next to the mountains. However, it was definitely more of a family place with lots of kids because of how warm the main pool is. I prefer scalding hot rather than lukewarm water and while it does have a hotter pool at the end, the pool vibe wasn’t really my style. It felt a little more like going to a community pool rather than hot springs. Iron Mountain on the other hand is more of an adult place. You can sometimes find your own hot springs pool to relax in and having a bar there was nice as well. Being able to have a cold drink while you’re in the hot water was much more enjoyable and the ambiance in general was more relaxing.

Because Iron Mountain had reservations, it kept the numbers down as well. I think people could stay at the Resort Pool all day if they wanted to. But at Iron Mountain, people had to leave when their time was up and they kept track with colored bands. It sort of insured a more peaceful experience and the ambiance was nice and intimate.

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We only had about 2 days in Glenwood Springs but because the town is pretty small, it’s easy to do quite a bit within that amount of time. We weren’t sure how we’d feel about the town but it is pretty cute to walk around and a great spot for a weekend getaway. Plus, the hot springs in Glenwood Springs are great to relax in after a long day of exploring.

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