Take A Soak: Western Colorado Is Hot Springs Country

If you’ve ever dipped your toes in a natural hot spring, you know how deeply soothing and healing the water is. It’s no wonder why Native Americans have considered hot springs to be a sacred entity for thousands of years. Thankfully, the West Slope has an impressive amount of these mineral-filled pools — and they’re open to visitors year-round.

Simply put, a hot spring is produced by the emergence of geothermal heated groundwater onto the earth’s surface. As Glenwood Hot Springs Resort explains:

When rain falls on mountain peaks near the state’s geothermal regions, it seeps beneath the surface through porous rock, enabling it to percolate deep underground. On its downward journey through the rock, it picks up a variety of materials — everything from calcium to sulfur. As it moves deeper and is increasingly under pressure, the water becomes hotter as it travels ever closer to the earth’s mantle. Eventually, it encounters a large crack or thrust fault. The heated water travels along the fault line, eventually reaching the surface.

Hot springs range from hot to scalding and have a distinctive “egg-like” odor.

According to SCL Health, a nonprofit healthcare organization in Colorado and Montana, the steamy and sulfur-smelling water is a staple in spas, resorts and campgrounds around the world for good reason. The high amount of silica in the water naturally moisturizes and detoxes the skin, while sulfur helps persisting skin conditions like psoriasis, acne and eczema. Soaking also boosts hydrostatic pressure around the body, resulting in healthy circulation that keeps hearts ticking and vital organs working well. Ailments such as joint pain, arthritis and fibromyalgia can be mitigated in the water, as well.

Medical professionals have even coined the term “balneotherapy” as the treatment of disease by bathing in thermal mineral waters. A study published in the U.S. National Library of Medicine suggests that hot-water bathers have good subjective health and happiness in general.

The Colorado Historic Hot Springs Loop lists Steamboat Springs, Glenwood Springs, Pagosa Springs and Chaffee County as the best spots to embark on a geothermal pilgrimage.

The Mother Spring. *Photos courtesy of The Springs Resort.*

The Springs Resort in Pagosa Springs, which Ute Indians named as “healing waters,” is home to the Guinness Book of World Records deepest geothermal hot spring aquifer. In 2011, it measured a depth of 1,002 feet, but locals say it could run much deeper (the plumb line ran out before it hit the bottom).

“We feel so fortunate to have this extraordinary natural resource, the Mother Spring, that feeds all of our 25 geothermal soaking pools,” says Sharon Holtz, director of resort wellness operations at The Springs Resort. “Our guests receive the benefits of the water helping to reduce muscle tension and pain, reduce inflammation in the body, boost blood circulation and promote a balanced immune response. It also eases anxiety and helps boosts a more positive outlook.”

The Springs Resort has won numerous awards for its over two dozen soaking tubs kissing the San Juan River and boasting superior mineral benefits. But, Holtz believes it’s not just the water that makes guests feel so good; it’s the surrounding community.

“After this time of so much isolation during the pandemic, it's important to note that hot spring pools also have a way of fostering profound connections not just with the nature that surrounds them, but with the other people who are also enjoying the benefits of water,” she adds.