Glenwood Springs sits at the confluence of the Roaring Fork and Colorado Rivers, at the base of Glenwood Canyon — one of the most dramatic stretches of highway in America. The town has been drawing people to its hot springs since the 1880s, when the Ute called the valley "Yampah" — big medicine. It still earns that name. You come to exhale.
What to do there
- 01
Iron Mountain Hot Springs on the banks of the Colorado River — 16 natural mineral pools at varying temperatures, each fed directly from the Yampah hot springs, carved into a terraced riverbank. Soak at dusk when the canyon walls turn amber and the river runs dark below you. Open late; the evening sessions are the ones worth booking.
- 02
Glenwood Canyon bike path — a 12-mile paved trail through the narrowest section of the Colorado River canyon, carved from canyon walls above the river. Rent bikes in town and ride it east to the Hanging Lake trailhead or west to the No Name rest area. The canyon walls close in to 1,000 feet on each side and the silence is remarkable.
- 03
Hanging Lake — a 3-mile round trip hike gaining 1,000 feet up Dead Horse Creek canyon to a suspended lake perched on a cliff face, fed by waterfalls that run year-round. The turquoise-green water sits in a travertine bowl over the canyon. Permit required (recreation.gov); go early morning when the light hits the falls.
- 04
Doc Holliday's grave in Linwood Cemetery — the consumptive gunfighter who survived Tombstone came to Glenwood Springs for the dry mountain air and died here in 1887. The cemetery sits on a hill above town with views of the canyon and the Flat Tops wilderness. A quiet, honest piece of Western history.
- 05
Two Rivers Winery on Broken Compass Drive — a small-production Colorado winery planted in the volcanic soil of the Roaring Fork Valley. Tastings are unhurried; the Syrah and Riesling are serious. Sit on the terrace with the river canyon below and pour a second glass.
Best time to go
June through September for hiking and warm canyon swimming. January through March for quieter hot springs and snow on the canyon rim — the drive through Glenwood Canyon in winter is extraordinary. Avoid holiday weekends when the canyon road backs up.
Insider tip
The Yampah Vapor Caves underneath the Hotel Colorado are the only natural vapor caves in North America — ancient underground hot springs that fill a cave system with mineral steam. $20 for a session. They've been operating since 1893 and feel like stepping into another century.
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