Glenwood Springs sits at 5,761 feet, where the Roaring Fork River meets the Colorado. Founder Isaac Cooper renamed the settlement, first called Defiance, after Glenwood, Iowa, the hometown his wife Sarah missed. The Ute people already knew the main spring as Yampah, or “Big Medicine,” when Walter Devereux and his brothers bought it in 1886.
Steam rooms, mineral pools, limestone caverns, and cliff-top trails all sit within a short drive of downtown Glenwood Springs. Several of them overlap, though, and the differences matter more than the names suggest.
Glenwood’s two riverside resorts draw on different sources and feel very different in the water.
On July 4, 1888, Glenwood Hot Springs Pool welcomed its first bathers. The Yampah spring still pours out roughly 3.5 million gallons a day at 122°F. The Grand Pool measures 405 by 100 feet and sits at 90 to 93 degrees, while the Therapy Pool reaches 104. Next door, the historic Stone Bath House once held 42 sunken Roman vapor baths. Today it houses the 16-room Hotel 1888. The five Yampah Mineral Baths add waterfall features and two cool-water pools at no extra cost, though they turn adults-only at 5 p.m. Day passes run $42 to $60 for adults and teens and allow re-entry all day.
Downstream on the Colorado, Iron Mountain Hot Springs lines the riverbank with 16 original geothermal pools at roughly 98 to 108 degrees. General Access costs $43 to $75 and includes a Family Zone with its own mineral pool and jetted spa. Adults 21 and older can choose an All-Access pass, from $75 to $150. It adds 12 WorldSprings pools and a Sauna Summit with four saunas and a steam room. The first bathhouse on this stretch of river went up in 1897, and the current resort reopened the site in 2015.
The town’s two cave experiences could hardly feel more different.
Beneath Yampah Spa & Vapor Caves on 6th Street, three adjoining rock chambers sit over a 125-degree spring that flows through the floor. The steam keeps the air between 110 and 113 degrees, so guests take short 10- to 12-minute sessions. Ute people used the caves for centuries, and the present spa building opened to the public in 1893.
High on Iron Mountain, the limestone rooms of Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park stay near 52 degrees all year. Charles W. Darrow opened the Fairy Caves to the public in 1895 and wired them for electric light two years later. The caves closed in 1917, then remained dark until Steve and Jeanne Beckley reopened them in 1999.
Published summer online rates start at $52.99 for the gondola and one standard cave tour. In 2023, the federal government named the caverns and Iron Mountain Hot Springs a National Natural Landmark.
The summit attractions suit thrill seekers and anyone short on time, while the trails reward hikers who want history or scenery underfoot.
From the base on Two Rivers Plaza Road, the Glenwood Gondola lifts visitors to Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park in about five minutes. Up top, the Giant Canyon Swing launches four people at a time from a cliff about 1,300 feet above the Colorado River, reaching 50 mph. Crystal Tower takes riders through a passage into the Crystal Grotto and then drops them in a freefall. Riders need to be at least 48 inches tall. The swing operates from spring through October, while the Alpine Coaster and cave tours continue all winter. A $79.99 Funday ticket covers both standard cave tours and the thrill attractions.
From 12th Street and Bennett Avenue, the Doc Holliday Trail climbs steeply to Linwood Cemetery in under a mile round trip. On the west edge of town, the Jeanne Golay Trail starts on West 9th Street near Yampah High School. It follows the road of a former ski area. Glenwood skied these slopes from 1941 to 1952, and the routes now run 2 to 7 miles. Private land caps the summit.
East of town, Hanging Lake sits on a cliff shelf in Glenwood Canyon, a 12-mile gorge on the Interstate 70 drive from Denver. At 7,323 feet, waterfalls pour over travertine ledges to feed the lake. Just beyond the lake, Spouting Rock lets hikers walk behind a waterfall bursting from the limestone.
The town has enough variety to fill several days, but not every attraction needs a full afternoon. The Doc Holliday Trail makes a shorter outing, while Hanging Lake calls for more preparation and a reserved hiking window. Glenwood Caverns pairs guided underground exploration with seasonal thrills, and the riverside hot springs give visitors a place to unwind afterward.
Check the current admission rules, leave room for weather changes, and choose activities that match your group’s interests and comfort with the altitude.
