Water slides, soaking and more: 4 family-friendly hot springs to visit in Colorado this summer
The parents want to relax at Colorado’s hot springs while the kids would rather frolic. How to achieve the ideal balance during a family vacation? Look to these destinations:
Bathers relax in the Glenwood Hot Springs next to the Hotel Colorado in Glenwood Springs. (The Gazette, Christian Murdock)
Christian Murdock, The DENVER Gazette
Bathers relax in the Glenwood Hot Springs next to the Hotel Colorado in Glenwood Springs. (The Gazette, Christian Murdock)
Glenwood Hot Springs Resort: We all know the big pool in the center — said to be the world’s biggest fed by geothermal waters. That kind of size means the kids can play all they want while the adults might be able to find a quiet place. Coming this summer: five smaller pools designed with adults in mind. The additions follow the 2019 opening of Sopris Splash Zone. That’s the play area to go with Shoshone Chutes, a thrilling tube ride.
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Mount Princeton Hot Springs Resort: Families take their pick between the so-called soaking pool, a quieter spot right outside the historic bathhouse, and the exercise pool, where kids are known to play Marco Polo and float on a noodle. If it’s not reserved, adults opt for the infinity pool, which is adjacent to a 400-foot waterslide. Equally beloved is the more natural side of the complex: the dips built by rocks along the river.
Old Town Hot Springs: In Steamboat Springs, Strawberry Park Hot Springs gets all the buzz for the unforgettable experience it affords in a rustic setting. Old Town, however, is the more accessible, family-friendly spot right off the highway. Nothing says “family-friendly” like the pair of waterslides spanning 230 feet. They plunge into the heated pools outside the facility that serves as Steamboat’s community fitness center.
Ouray Hot Springs Pool: The overlook pool is named for the view it provides of the scenery defining “the Switzerland of America.” The pool is for guests 18 and older, meant to be the serene spot amid all the fun here. The activity pool includes a climbing wall, where kids fall back in the water. There’s also a shallow pool, a large lap pool and a more intimate hot pool. And there are two waterslides, standing nearly three stories.
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