Things to Do in Glenwood Springs, Colorado

This is the reason the town exists. The resort has been open since 1888 and is home to the world’s largest hot springs pool, fed by a spring the Utes called Yampah, or Big Medicine. The Grand Pool, the hotter Therapy Pool and five newer Yampah Mineral Baths sit a short walk across the pedestrian bridge from downtown.

★ Good to know The resort is open year-round, rain or shine, but it closes for a few days of scheduled maintenance most years, so check the hours page before you drive in.

Billed as America’s only mountaintop theme park, it sits about 7,100 feet up Iron Mountain, and the Glenwood Gondola carries you up from town. Up top are two cave tours through a National Natural Landmark, an alpine coaster, a swing that launches you out over Glenwood Canyon, and Defiance, a looping coaster. In December 2023 the caverns and Iron Mountain Hot Springs were designated a national landmark.

★ Good to know Rides and attractions change by season, and the park runs holiday lights in winter and an Oktoberfest in fall, so check what’s operating before you buy tickets.

A turquoise lake held in place by travertine, fed by Bridal Veil Falls, with Spouting Rock gushing straight out of the cliff above it. The trail climbs about 1,200 feet in roughly 1.2 miles, crossing seven bridges up Dead Horse Creek canyon. It reopened after a Forest Service trail rebuild that followed the 2020 Grizzly Creek Fire and later debris flows.

★ Good to know A timed permit is required year-round and sells out, so book on Visit Glenwood before you plan the day; dogs, swimming and drones are not allowed.

Glenwood Canyon runs 12.5 miles east of town, with walls up to 1,300 feet above the Colorado River. A paved recreation path follows the river for about 16 miles and links to the Grizzly Creek, No Name and Hanging Lake trailheads. Outfitters in town rent bikes and e-bikes and run half-day raft trips through the Shoshone Rapids.

★ Good to know The canyon bike path closes in winter, and heavy rain can close I-70 through the canyon, so check conditions first.

Where the big resort is one giant pool, Iron Mountain is dozens of small ones, right on the Colorado River. It now has 35 pools running from 89 to 108 degrees, plus the Sauna Summit, with five saunas and cold plunges. There’s a cafe and poolside service.

★ Good to know It opens daily from morning into the evening, so it’s a good choice for a late soak after a day in the canyon.

The Utes used these underground steam caves for centuries, and the current spa building opened in 1893. You sit on marble benches in three rock chambers where 125-degree spring water keeps the air around 110 to 112 degrees. It’s the only place in town with private mineral baths, too.

★ Good to know Guests must be 18 or older for massage, wrap and scrub services, so check the age rules before you bring kids.

Doc Holliday of O.K. Corral fame died here in 1887 and was buried in Linwood Cemetery, though no one knows exactly where. A short, steep trail climbs from the corner of 12th Street and Bennett Avenue to a memorial marker. Outlaw Kid Curry is buried in the same cemetery.

★ Good to know Parking is on residential streets near the trailhead, and dogs are welcome on a leash.

The Glenwood Springs Historical Society’s Frontier History Museum on Colorado Avenue tells the town’s story through artifacts and exhibits. A second display, Doc’s Collection, is inside Bullock’s Western Wear on Grand Avenue. Hotel Colorado, built in 1893, has hosted Teddy Roosevelt, William Taft and Molly Brown, and its Baron’s Restaurant is open to non-guests.

★ Good to know The museum is open Tuesday through Saturday, and visitors 16 and younger get in free.