Glenwood Hot Springs Resort
Glenwood Springs
Though the healing waters the Ute called yampah (big medicine) have been bubbling up in Glenwood for eons, they didn’t officially become the world’s largest hot-springs pool until 1888. Today, the mineral-rich springs and resort welcome visitors year-round with a full-service spa and other amenities.
Play: Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park
Unlike your typical amusement park, where the thrills are manufactured from the ground up, Glenwood Caverns has built upon the park’s existing attributes — hillside caves, abandoned mine shafts, steep slopes and deep-drop canyons — to create a signature series of adrenaline-rush experiences
Mount Princeton Hot Springs Resort
Nathrop
With this quintessential Colorado retreat as your personal headwaters, you’ll have a wealth of natural hot-springs pools to explore. Charming log-cabin-style accommodations sit creekside, hillside or cliffside — plus there are multiple options for on-site eats and a variety of heavenly spa treatments to try.
Play: Arkansas River Whitewater
Meandering 150 miles from its source in the mining town of Climax, the Arkansas River is one of Colorado’s most versatile liquid playgrounds. Rent an inflatable kayak from Dvorak Expeditions in Nathrop, or a hard-shell kayak from CKS River Supply in Buena Vista — then strap on your PFD and get after it!
The Springs Resort, Pagosa Springs
This cozy upscale resort leverages the heat of its mother spring to relax its guests and warm its accommodations. The Springs Resort is one of Colorado’s first LEED Gold-Certified luxury hotels — and the only escape offering 25 geothermal mineral pools of varying temperatures.
Play: High-Country Fly-Fishing
Fed by snowmelt trickling from the 10,000-foot peaks towering all around, the unspoiled waterways of the San Juan National Forest offer some of the most intimate fly-fishing in the country. Explore these remote areas with High Country Fishing Charters and expect to land fish averaging 8–15 inches on the regular.
Avalanche Ranch Cabins & Hot Springs
Redstone
With 11 quirky lodging options ranging from the Gamekeeper’s Cabin to Westward, Ho!, Avalanche Ranch is like a tiny all-inclusive nature retreat — with three natural mineral pools (92–104 degrees), canoeing and paddleboarding on picturesque Avalanche Pond and more than 10 trailheads within a short drive.
Play: Redstone Rock Climbing
While we’re admittedly proud of resident night-sweater Nathaniel Rateliff, Colorado’s incredible climbing culture also attracts “rock stars” of a different ilk. About 20 minutes along Hwy. 133 from Carbondale, Redstone Boulders offers 32 different free-climbing routes of varying difficulties — from beginner to “Whoa Nelly.”