Glenwood Hot Springs Pool

What to expect

Glenwood Hot Springs Pool is what put Glenwood Springs on the map, and it is still the reason most people stop. The Grand Pool opened in 1888 and runs 405 feet long and up to 100 feet wide, which the resort bills as the largest hot springs pool in the world. It holds about 1,071,000 gallons and is kept at roughly 90°F32°C, so it feels like a heated swimming pool rather than a hot tub. That is the point: it has a diving board, lap lanes, a lifeguard staff on duty all year, and room for hundreds of people without feeling packed.

Right next to it is the smaller Therapy Pool, held at about 104°F40°C and kept as a splash-free zone. This is where to go if you came to actually soak. Around both, under the canyon walls and with I-70 and the Colorado River just beyond, steam rises off the water on cold mornings, and on winter nights the whole place is lit up.

The water comes from the Yampah source spring at the east end of the property. The Ute name “Yampah” is usually translated as “big medicine.” The resort says the water carries 15 minerals. It is also treated: the pools use an ozone system and keep chlorine at the level state health rules require. Iron in the spring water sometimes reacts with the chlorine and turns the newer pools a little green, and leaves rust-colored marks around the inlets. That is normal.

This is a big, busy, family resort. Do not expect quiet in the Grand Pool on a summer afternoon.

The pools

• Grand Pool: about 90°F32°C, 405 feet long. Diving area at the west end, lap lanes, floats and pool toys allowed.
• Therapy Pool: about 104°F40°C. No splashing.
• Yampah Mineral Baths: a newer area of five pools east of the Therapy Pool, with a shaded pergola and gas fire hearth. Cascade Waters (100-104°F38-40°C), Sacred Waters, an infinity-edge pool (97-102°F36-39°C), Falling Waters, a grotto with a waterfall (95-100°F35-38°C), and two cold plunges, Inhale (52-60°F11-16°C) and Exhale (75-80°F24-27°C). No floats or toys. The historic drinking spring is in this area. Adults only (18+) after 5pm.
• Sopris Splash Zone and Shoshone Chutes: a children’s area with three small slides, waterfalls modeled on Hanging Lake, a splash pad, and the Shoshone Chutes, a whitewater-style tube ride. These use city water heated by the spring. Riders must be 42 inches tall to ride alone; children 36 to 41 inches can ride with an adult in a double tube. The chutes are not wheelchair accessible, but the splash zone has a ramp.

Getting there

The resort is at 415 East 6th Street in Glenwood Springs, on the north bank of the Colorado River directly beside I-70.

• From Denver: Drive west on I-70 through Glenwood Canyon and take the Glenwood Springs exit (Exit 116). The pool is on 6th Street just off the interchange.
• From Grand Junction: Head east on I-70 to the same exit.
• From Aspen: Take Colorado 82 north down the Roaring Fork Valley into Glenwood Springs, cross the river on Grand Avenue, and turn east on 6th Street.
• By train: Amtrak’s California Zephyr stops at the Glenwood Springs depot downtown, and a pedestrian bridge crosses the river to the pool.

All parking is free. Day guests can use the drop-off area at the pool entrance and then park in the resort lots. RVs, campers and trailers must use Lot A at 152 West 6th Street, just west of the pool. Accessible spaces are in Lot C, and four Level 2 EV chargers are in Lot W under the Grand Avenue Bridge. Day guests may not park overnight.

When to go

The pools open every day from 9am to 9pm in fall 2026; hours shift with the seasons, so check before you go. The resort also closes on scheduled maintenance days several times a year. The next one listed is Tuesday, November 17, 2026.

Winter is the classic time, with snow on the canyon walls and steam on the water, and the 90°F32°C Grand Pool stays comfortable even when it is well below freezing outside. Summer is the busiest season, especially weekends, but it is when the Sopris Splash Zone and Shoshone Chutes are fully open. In spring and fall they run on weekends only, staff and weather permitting. Weekday mornings outside the summer holidays are the quietest.

Prices and booking

• Day Pool Pass: adults and teens $42-$60, children $30-$38, ages 2 and under free. The price depends on peak or off-peak dates. The pass covers all open pools, all day, with free re-entry (get your hand stamped).
• Athletic Club Day Pass: $69-$77 for adults and teens, or $20 for lodge guests. It adds the gym, steam rooms and a semi-private pool entrance, with towels and lockers included. Buy it at the front desk.
• Annual passes: $589 single or $1,309 family.
• Extras: lockers are free. Towels can be rented or bought in the pool lobby, and swimsuits rent for $5. Private cabanas cost extra and do not include admission.
• Booking: no reservations needed. Online passes are non-refundable and non-transferable, and there are no weather refunds. Groups of 20 or more can ask about group rates.

Rules and etiquette

• Swimsuits are required, and the resort sells and rents them if you forget.
• No outside food or alcohol, and no glass anywhere in the pool area. Water bottles are fine and there are refill stations. Food is sold at the poolside Grill and the snack bar.
• Floats and toys are fine in the Grand Pool and banned in the Yampah Mineral Baths and Therapy Pool.
• Keep the soaking areas calm. The resort asks guests to save splashing and loud play for the Grand Pool and splash zone.
• Jewelry: the minerals tarnish silver. Leave it in your locker.

Where to stay nearby

The resort runs two hotels. The Lodge at Glenwood Hot Springs, just across the street from the pool, has standard and premium rooms, and every stay includes unlimited pool access during opening hours plus breakfast at the poolside Grill. Hotel 1888 is the resort’s second property. Lodge guests with RVs get an overnight permit for Lot A.

The rest of downtown Glenwood Springs, including the historic Hotel Colorado, is a short walk away. Chain motels line the I-70 exits and Colorado 82 toward Aspen.

Safety notes

• Heat: the Therapy Pool and Cascade Waters are 100°F38°C and up. Keep soaks short, drink water, and get out if you feel dizzy.
• Medical advice: the resort recommends anyone pregnant or with high blood pressure or another medical condition check with a doctor before soaking or using the cold plunges.
• Cold plunges: the operator suggests short dips of 30 seconds to 5 minutes in the 52-60°F11-16°C Inhale bath.
• Children: lifeguards are on duty, but the Grand Pool has a deep diving area. Keep weak swimmers close.

Other soaking options in town

Glenwood Springs has two other hot spring businesses within a few minutes’ drive, each with separate admission:

• Iron Mountain Hot Springs, opened in 2015 on a hillside above the Colorado River, has 16 small geothermal soaking pools plus a family pool, and since 2023 a separate 21+ area. Children under 5 can use the Family Zone only.
• Yampah Spa and Vapor Caves is a different experience altogether: three underground rock chambers where spring water flowing through the floor fills the caves with natural steam. It is not part of the Yampah Mineral Baths at the pool, despite the shared name.