Hot Springs Near Salida and Buena Vista

Any season is a great season for a hot springs visit, especially when surrounded by the beauty and grandeur of Colorado’s Rocky Mountains. From rustic to elegant, you’ll find plenty of opportunities for a natural, relaxing hot springs experience.

Mount Princeton Hot Springs Resort near Nathrop offers soaking in pools as well as in hot springs bubbling up alongside Chalk Creek. Spa treatments, sauna and a variety of accommodations from poolside rooms to log cabins are available. The resort also offers a restaurant, conference facilities, tennis courts, yoga and, for the kids, a 300-foot waterslide to add to the excitement.

Cottonwood Hot Springs Inn & Spa on Cottonwood Pass outside Buena Vista sits creekside with three geothermal, gravity-fed mineral stone pools. The historic lodge rests within the confines of the San Isabel National Forest. A cold plunge is available as well as a sauna. It is an adult-oriented resort and the focus is on the healing aspects of the springs and the surrounding atmosphere.

Salida Hot Springs Pool and Aquatic Center is a year-round facility conveniently located within walking distance of many of Salida’s motels on US 50. Built in 1937, the pools have undergone recent upgrades. Featured are a 25-meter, six-lane pool which ranges from 82-88 degrees all year. A smaller, 4-foot deep pool offers a warmer soaking experience at approximately 92-102 degrees. The aquatic center’s natural hot springs water is piped 5 miles from just south of Poncha Springs. The center is a favorite destination for locals and visitors alike.

Joyful Journey Hot Springs Spa is 28 miles south of Poncha Springs in the San Luis Valley. The spa offers three outdoor natural hot springs pools varying in temperature, with very high mineral content for a therapeutic spa experience. The view from the pools of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains to the east is breathtaking.