Glenwood Springs: Thermal Water, Caves, and Trails

Glenwood Springs combines extraordinary hot springs with caves, river landscapes, and long trails for cyclists, hikers, and walkers. It also offers special experiences such as a theme park on a mountaintop and an annual Ghost Walk in October. Those planning a trip can therefore focus on relaxation, family time, active days, or cultural discoveries.

Hot Springs with Different Focal Points

A distinctive experience is the Grand Pool at Glenwood Hot Springs Resort: It is considered the largest hot spring pool in the world. At the same resort, the Therapy Pool has a water temperature of 104 degrees. The Sopris Splash Zone complements the offerings as a family-friendly water park, appealing to a different kind of travel day than quiet bathing in a hot spring pool.

Iron Mountain Hot Springs also has its own distinctive features. The facility has 16 original geothermal hot springs. The Family Zone includes a large Family Mineral Pool and a Jetted Mineral Spa. Those traveling with children can include this area as a specific part of their daily itinerary, while other travelers may place greater emphasis on hot springs and relaxation.

An unusual addition is the Vapor Caves at Yampah Spa & Vapor Caves. They consist of three interconnected underground rock chambers. Glenwood Springs therefore offers everything from an open-air hot spring pool to an experience beneath the ground.

Caves, Mountaintops, and Trails Along the Water

Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park is America’s only mountaintop theme park. Glenwood Caverns also features a great diversity of cave formations and is therefore among the most richly decorated caves in Colorado. These two attractions combine a nature experience with an excursion idea, without the day being focused exclusively on hot springs.

For tours on the water, the lower section of the Roaring Fork River offers another option: It can be navigated as far as Two Rivers Park. A boat ramp is located there at the confluence of the Roaring Fork River and the Colorado River. Those who prefer to travel on land will find opportunities on the Glenwood Canyon Recreation Path for various forms of cycling, walking, hiking, and inline skating. The trail is 16.3 miles each way from Glenwood Springs and has an access point from Glenwood Springs.

The Rio Grande Trail is a paved Rails-to-Trails route that runs along the Roaring Fork River from Glenwood Springs to Aspen. It can be used for hiking, road cycling, mountain biking, walking, jogging, and inline skating. For your planning, you can therefore choose between a trail with many of the listed uses and a float trip on the Roaring Fork River.

Trip Planning and Vacation Rentals

When looking for a vacation rental or vacation home in Glenwood Springs, it is worth deciding first on your preferred pace. Hot springs and water activities are suitable as the focus of relaxing days, while caves, the mountaintop theme park, and the trails offer a variety of active excursions. For a trip in October, the Ghost Walk may also be of interest: The Glenwood Springs Historical Society and the Frontier Museum then host an annual tour through Linwood Cemetery.

You can choose Glenwood Springs as a destination for hot springs, plan activities along the rivers, or combine nature, family activities, and history.

Discover More Destinations

If you would like to consider destinations besides Glenwood Springs, here are the next pages for your trip planning: Rifle, New Castle, Parachute and Silt.

For the higher-level travel overview: Garfield.