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ADVENTURE TRAIL MIX
Some Like It Hot Colorado’s thermal springs are a can’t-miss Rocky Mountain experience. BY TED ALAN STEDMAN
ROADSIDE THERAPY Penny Hot Springs Best for: Road-trippers and townies
They are primitive, they are free. And if you abide by the official clothing-required decree, Penny’s naturally fed hot springs welcome anybody, anytime. Located along the Crystal River, the springs are named after Dan Penny, who built a small bathhouse that was eventually bulldozed in the 1960’s by locals angry with people taking dips au natural. 30 years later, Pitkin County acquired the property, restored the springs and opened them to the public. The 20-foot-wide, boulder-lined pool is sectioned off from the river and hovers in the 90-degree-plus range, though runoff and snowmelt can temper the temperature. As rustic as it might seem, soaking beneath rugged snow-capped peaks in a steep, rocky canyon rates as a priceless Colorado experience.
WILD WATERS Conundrum Hot Springs Best for: Hikers and backpackers
Conundrum is as rarified as its lofty 11,200-foot perch, what Time Magazine proclaimed in 2008 as one of “50 Authentic American Experiences.” To soak in its 100-degree waters takes commitment. Located in a steep valley within the
Where: 13.3 miles south of Carbondale
Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness, on the east side of Hwy. 133 hopefuls mount an 8.5-mile, Contact: Carbondale is the 4- to 7-hour hike entailing closest town, carbondale. 3,000 feet of climbing. The com/activities-recreation main pool is spacious by alpine standards, roughly ENCHANTED 20 feet wide and up to FOREST SETTING three feet deep. But don’t Strawberry Park plan on swimming laps Hot Springs here. Conundrum sees its Best for: Skiers, hikers share of crowds, including and bikers backpackers who visit during In a region known for thermal summertime full moons. For daysprings (about 150 dot the SteamAbove Top: Conuntrippers exhausted after a relaxing boat Springs area), the shady, drum Hot Springs’ soak, remember it’s another 8.5 mountain pools of Strawberry Park idyllic summertime setting near Aspen miles back to the car. have seen many a sore, tired skier Above Bottom: and cyclist over the decades. The Where: Conundrum Creek Penny Hot Springs Eden-like complex feels enchantTrailhead is six miles south of offers steamy solace. ing, boasting a series of naturalAspen on Castle Creek/ looking, rock-walled pools ranging Conundrum roads. in temperature from 101 to 112 degrees, Contact: White River National Forest, all laced together by artful stone walkways fs.usda.gov/whiteriver
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CONUNDRUM HOT SPRINGS, WILL MCGOUGH
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f there’s a recipe for satisfaction, it’s hard to top the surreal sensation of natural hot springs. Being geologically active, Colorado has dozens of mineral pools that once lured Easterners in search of natural therapeutic remedies. Some have become chic spas and resorts; others have developed into community-friendly public pools; and a few exist naturally and off the beaten track. Like people in search of different experiences, there’s a Colorado hot spring for every type. Take a look and see where you fit in.
ADVENTURE TRAIL MIX GEAR GUIDE
Gear to get you from the streets to the springs
Merrell Women’s Lima Peruvian Hat, $34. At Merrell (8401 Park Meadows Center Dr., Lone Tree) and merrell.com
Above: Multiple pools, a massage hut and nearby cabins offer a quintessential Colorado experience at Strawberry Park Hot Springs. Right: Valley View Hot Springs and its picturesque property hosts winter soakers seeking refuge from the cold.
through the pine forest. Facilities include restrooms, heated changing enclosures and a private massage hut with a private pool. While some arrive by the 2.5-mile hike or snowshoe trek from the Mad Creek Trailhead, most simply drive the narrow mountain road or take a winter shuttle from town. Where: Fifteen minutes north of Steamboat Springs at 44200 County Rd. 36 Contact: Strawberry Park Natural Hot Springs, strawberryhotsprings.com
Prana Vero Top, $49, and Ramba Bottom, $49. At Prana (105 Fillmore St., Denver) and prana.com
ECO-CONSCIOUS RETREAT Valley View Hot Springs Best for: Nature lovers
Sanuk Men’s Slip-On Shoes, $65. At Boulder Running Company (2500 E. 1st Ave., Denver) and sanuk.com
On the shoulders of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains just north of Great Sand Dunes National Park, the setting of Valley View is dramatic, so it’s not surprising that the designated National Sanctuary operated by the Orient Land Trust appeals to soaking guests with an affinity for nature. Four of the six pools are located along a hiking trail where bubbling waters cascade to lower pools, each with their own character. Whether you
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dip in the toasty 98- to 107-degree Natural Rock Ponds, the massaging 97-degree Waterfall Pond or the scenic 94-degree Meadow Pond overlooking the San Luis Valley, the experience favors seclusion and serenity. Guests can overnight in cabins or tent camp, and Valley View welcomes families and well-behaved pets. Where: 64781 County Rd. GG, Villa Grove Contact: Orient Land Trust manages the springs, olt.org RETRO COOL POOL Sand Dunes Swimming Pool Best for: Families and hipsters
Amid the arid, mountain-hemmed San
VALLEY VIEW HOT SPRINGS, JOHN LORENZ
Ninox Men’s Stratton Jacket, $449. At ninox.cc
Luis Valley, this hot springs outpost seems like a mirage. In the distance, Great Sand Dunes National Park sprawls like a misplaced 35-square-mile sandbox in need of an oceanfront. Yet the bizarre landscape is precisely why the large, spring-fed, 98-degree Sand Dunes Swimming Pool is a Colorado original. The avowed “familyfriendly” facility is squeaky clean, its pool crystal clear, and it provides enough space for communal splashing, swimming and soaking. Amenities? Try a concrete patio, green lawn, lounge chairs and private pool-side cabanas, plus an RV park, tent camping and cabin rentals. And like beach cafés you knew as a kid, the Mile Deep Grill dishes out burgers, dogs, Mexican dishes, mac ‘n cheese and other grill grub that seems so right in this remote hot springs oasis. Where: 1991 County Rd. 63, Hooper Contact: Sand Dunes Swimming Pool, sanddunespool.com RUSTIC RIVERSIDE SOAKING Radium Hot Springs Best for: Campers and river runners
If you want an authentic experience inseparable from the paddlesports crowd, take a dip in Radium Hot Springs, a single 90- to 98-degree, naturally-fed thermal pool on the banks of the Colorado River. This obscure, primitive hot spring lies within the Colorado River Headwaters National Scenic Byway and is as rustic as they come. Some years ago, a band of river runners piled boulders to form a virtual riverside hot tub. The word spread, and most users are still paddlers taking quick dips while floating to downriver destinations. If you’re here for a springs-specific experience, the best bet is overnight camping at the unimproved Mugrage Campground, a 20-minute hike away. Or elevate your creature comforts at the Radium Recreation Site campground onehalf mile further, which offers tent pads, picnic tables, fire rings and toilets. Where: Near Mugrage Campground, about 18 miles southwest of Kremmling on County Rd. 1 (Trough Rd.) Contact: Bureau of Land Management, blm.gov/co DLM
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