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No need to go all the way to Iceland when Colorado has hot springs like these
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Iceland is known for its Blue Lagoon. Its iconic turquoise water draws visitors from around the globe, but travelers don’t have to go that far for world-class hot springs.
Glenwood Springs, Colorado, has been soothing weary travelers for generations.
Nestled along the Colorado River, the Rocky Mountain town offers three distinct hot springs experiences and even a taste of the Blue Lagoon, without the threat of volcanoes.
“We’ve perfected a modeling of other hot springs waters throughout the world,” said Steve Beckley, owner of Iron Mountain Hot Springs in Glenwood Springs.
Here’s what visitors should know.
Historic hot springs
Glenwood Hot Springs Resort is home to the oldest and largest hot springs pool in Glenwood Springs.
“For an actual structured, filtered, and regularly circulated pool, we do have the world’s largest of the hot springs pools, and that’s at 1,078,000 gallons,” said the resort’s pool manager, Taylor Mays.
The main pool dates back to 1888 and has remained popular through the years.
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“Families bring their kids. Their kids bring their grandkids and everyone kind of plans these big summer get togethers coming back,” Mays said.
In more recent years, the resort has opened playful water chutes, a splash zone, and new this year, adults-only pools.
“It’s very kid-friendly, so with that we still didn’t want to lose the adults and either that date night or that relaxing environment that people think of so fondly for hot springs,” Mays said.
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A world of opportunity
Iron Mountain Hot Springs offers guests a taste of both local hot springs and far-flung destinations with 11 WorldSprings pools formulated to mimic waters around the world.
“Some are magnesium forward, some are lithium forward, some are bicarbonate springs, so they all look and feel different,” Beckley said. “Like the Dead Sea has lots and lots of minerals in it that actually create this very floaty experience, much, much more concentrated than even seawater.”
He said there are 30 different formulas in their rotation, but Dead Sea and Blue Lagoon-inspired pools are always available because they’re so popular.
“All of our pools are all along the Colorado River, with some just beautiful scenery of the mountains and the river, and bald eagles fly by all the time, so it’s a pretty amazing place,” Beckley said. The WorldSprings have been so popular, they’re expanding to other cities, most recently Dallas.
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A different kind of experience
Yampah Spa and Vapor Caves offer a different kind of hot springs experience with natural, spring-fed steam baths and the only private mineral baths in Glenwood Springs.
The caves themselves have a deep history. Delmonico explained that Ute Indians used the area’s caves for traditional ceremonies long before settlers arrived. Then, she said, “During World War II, the government took over the pools and Yampah to heal the soldiers because of the mineral content, the quality of healing that it provides.”
Nowadays guests can use the caves for relaxation and more.
“You are in the womb of Mother Earth. It’s really a spectacular place, and it has a lot of sacredness from all the ceremonies of the ancient people, the people of the land,” Delmonico said. She added that Indigenous ceremonies are still held in the caves, and enrolled members of Native American tribes may use them for free.
How to get there
Glenwood Springs is located less than an hour from both Vail and Aspen by car. The closest commercial airports are Eagle County Regional Airport, roughly 30 miles away, and Aspen/Pitken County Airport, approximately 40 miles away. Denver International Airport is about 180 miles away from Glenwood Springs.
Travelers can also take Amtrak’s California Zephyr train, which stops in Glenwood Springs en route from Chicago to San Francisco.
“Anyone riding that train can really just walk right over to the resort, dunk in the pool right after they’ve spent the day on a train,” Mays said.
Where to stay
From campgrounds to vacation rentals, chain hotels to bed and breakfasts, there are plenty of places to stay in Glenwood Springs.
Glenwood Hot Springs Resort’s Lodge and coming Hotel 1888 are the only ones with hot springs on site. Other hotels are within walking distance of springs facilities.
What else to do
“As a whole, Glenwood is a beautiful area,” Delmonico said.
Josh Ryks, a Colorado adventure travel content creator who goes by Ryks Video on social media, says Glenwood Springs is a great base camp for outdoor exploration.
“Just driving the I-70 corridor through the Glenwood Canyon is extremely beautiful on its own,” he said.
Thrill seekers can raft or zip line along the Colorado River or ride roller coasters at Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park, which also features dazzling caves.
Several area trails are temporarily closed for repair work, including Grizzly Creek and Hanging Lake, a natural national landmark. However, further out, there’s remote Flat Tops Wilderness Scenic Byway.
“Super popular for hikers up there. There’s a lot of alpine lakes, if you go far enough. There’s some hidden caves,” Ryks said, adding that Flat Tops can be hard to get to with high clearance areas and gravel roads. “It’s kind of kind of like a hidden gem of Colorado.”
Other side trips he recommends include Rifle Falls State Park, the Maroon Bells Scenic Area near Aspen, and the “cool tiny town” of Marble.
“That has a ton of 4×4 trails, a cute lake and the Crystal Mill,” he said. “On the drive there you can check out Hayes Creek Falls next to the highway.”
After all that adventuring, travelers can head back to Glenwood Springs to unwind in the welcoming, though not always blue, waters.
Eve Chen is a consumer travel reporter based in the Atlanta area. You can reach her at echen@usatoday.com.
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