Comparing 5 of Colorado's Hot Spring Resorts

Colorado has about 30 hot springs and I plan to visit every single one! So far I have visited 5. Here I will compare the 5 and give you the pros and cons of each. I will do this through a countdown to my favorite one so far!

5. Indian Springs

My least favorite hot spring by far has been Indian Hot Springs located in Idaho Springs. I don’t think I can say enough bad things about this hot spring resort.

I honestly felt bad for taking my friend here when she visited from out of state but it is the closest one to my house.

The price is $18 – $20 depending on if you go during the week or weekend with children under 5 being free. It’s open from 9am-10pm.

The caves are $22-$24. I went downstairs to see if they were worth paying for. I’m so glad we went down before paying. They were dark and creepy and way too hot. We could barely breath when we entered the empty room of caves. I stuck my toe in and pulled it right out! My friend and I were trying to stick our feet in but we couldn’t. Not sure if many others can either because there wasn’t 1 single person in the cave pools.

The water wasn’t hot at all. There was a small spigot with hot water coming out. Everyone was crowding around it, taking turns being by the hot water! There were kids running around playing and jumping in the pool so it wasn’t exactly relaxing.

There is no food at this resort so definitely eat before or after!

The whole town is basically under construction so if there is stuff to do around there, I wasn’t willing to find it.

Indian Springs remind me of a big pool at the YMCA for kids. I don’t recommend this hot springs for older adults without kids looking to relax but I do recommend this hot spring for families and parents with kids that are looking for a fun place to take the fam.

4. Hot Sulphur Springs

Hot Sulphur Springs Resort & Spa was nice but definitely not my favorite. I liked that there were a lot of pools to choose from but most were pretty cold for January. They might be nicer in the Spring and Fall. The waterfall pool was superior by far. The pools motly fit 2-3 people in them so on a crowded day this would be tough but luckily when I went it was not crowded at all.

A huge con for me was that it was pretty dirty. There were chunks of hair all over the place and garbage on the floors. They definitely need to clean more often.

There was no food at all and not really restaurants nearby. There was one restaurant near the resort but it opened at 4pm. We ended up leaving because we were so hungry. Defintely eat before you go!

The springs are open from 7am-10pm. It was $20 each for the day pass and $12.50 for kids. They say kids are limited to just 4 pools but this is not enforced at all. I saw kids in every pool.

The bathrooms/changing rooms are pretty horrible. Small and dirty. The hair dryers barely worked at all and seemed extremely old and they were full of dirt.

I did however feel very relaxed after I left and the snowy scenery is beautiful. I loved sitting by the fire place.

3. Glenwood Springs

Glenwood Springs Pool is open from 9am-10pm. The rates change depending on the season but the daily price is typically between $20 – $30.

This resort has two big pools. One of the pools is much cooler which most of the children are in and I believe there was a diving board too. The other pool is very hot, which I got used to over time but I had to keep getting out. The pool is gorgeous and has a beautiful backdrop but I do like the option of picking my temperature.

There is food at this resort but there are not great food options. I am vegetarian and there were no vegetarian options. I asked for a burrito bowl which was literally rice, tomato and lettuce. That was the only thing I was able to order. Mark got some sort of sandwich or something which he said was not good. Definitely eat before and after or pack snacks.

The locker rooms and bathrooms were great. The blow dryers worked very well and there were many clean and large spaces to change which I appreciated.

This town is so adorable that Mark and I did this as a weekend trip! There are lots of places to see and eat.

2. Pagosa Springs

Because The Springs Resort and Spa- Pagosa Springs is so far from me we had to stay over night which ends up being pricey. 4 of us stayed so it wasn’t too bad. $728 for the 4 of us for 2 nights including the springs but not food.

The day pass isn’t bad if you live close enough. $30 for adults and $14 for kids.

The food at the resort was good and they was good variety but it was very expensive. Mark got us a sandwich, fries, and a salad and it was 30 something bucks.

The town is super cute but a lot of things were closed on Sunday. We walked around for a few hours and got lunch and went into some cute shops. Definitely try to eat outside the resort to save money.

The pool area and pools themselves were super clean and there are so many pools to choose from. This is also probably the most Instagrammable hot springs I have been to thus far! It was just gorgeous. There weren’t many children. It was quiet and definitely more of a spa feel. I liked that there were bonfires around to enjoy at night.

The resort was crowded mid day from day passers but it was pretty quiet and empty first thing in the morning and late at night.

And my top favorite is……

Iron Mountain

I LOVED Iron Mountain Hot Springs. First of all, it is gorgeous! It looks like heaven on earth. It’s a bit far from Denver but close enough to do it as a day trip.

There are tons of pools to choose from at a variety of temperatures. The pools are small and intimate but large enough to not feel too awkward being in a pool with other people. There is a designated large pool for children which they pretty much stuck to.

On the weekends a day pass is $25 for adults and $17 for children. Weekdays is $20 for adults and $14 for children.

There is food on the resort for reasonable prices. We got the flat breads for lunch and they were yummy! Lots of restaurants around this area so can also be a lovely weekend trip!