Merrifield Homestead Cabins

What to expect

Merrifield Homestead Cabins is not a hot springs resort in the usual sense. It is two old cabins on family land west of Buena Vista, each with a private soaking pool filled from the same geothermal water that feeds the family’s public pools and greenhouses. You rent a cabin, and the pool outside it is yours for the stay.

The two cabins are very different in size and age:

• Merrifield Cabin is the larger one, built in the 1920s. It sleeps four in two bedrooms, with one and a half baths, a wood stove and wood-paneled rooms. Photos on the operator site show a small footbridge over the creek and a gas grill on the deck.
• Holloway Cabin is a one-bedroom log cabin for two, and the older of the pair, dating to the 1800s. Its pool has rock edges and sits right beside the cabin.

The Colorado Historic Hot Springs Loop describes both pools as screened for privacy, filled with untreated geothermal water at about 104-106°F40-41°C, and used clothing-optional. Both cabins have outdoor decks, firepits and a pellet or wood-burning stove, according to the same listing.

The setting is the Cottonwood Creek valley, with the Collegiate Peaks rising to the west. This is a quiet stretch of county road, not a resort campus. There is no restaurant, front desk or spa at the cabins.

History

The cabins carry a lot of family history, and the operator tells it on its About page. William Merrifield came to the United States from England in 1875, worked as a miner in several states and eventually settled in Buena Vista. His youngest son, Roy, opened a restaurant in town and married Charlotte Vickerson in 1924. Roy and Charlotte went on to start and sell seven restaurants in Buena Vista.

The land where the cabins and the public pools now stand belonged to a neighbor, Wilbur Holloway. Roy and Charlotte looked after him in his old age, and he left them the property in his will. The Holloway Cabin is named after him. The public pools nearby are named Charlotte Hot Springs after her.

According to a 2024 Gazette feature, miners looking for gold and silver struck the hot water here, a plan in the late 1930s to pipe it to town was dropped when the war came, and the family started growing plants with the geothermal water in the 1970s. Their grandson Glen Merrifield and his wife Bonnie now run the greenhouse, the public springs and the cabins. Glen told the Gazette the spring flows at about 300 gallons per minute.

Getting there

Buena Vista sits on US 24 in the upper Arkansas Valley, about 2.5 hours from Denver via US 285 and about 25 miles north of Salida.

From the stoplight on US 24 in Buena Vista, head west on Main Street. It becomes County Road 306, the road to Cottonwood Pass. The cabins are at 19320 County Road 306, roughly 5 miles west of town. The road is paved and usually plowed in winter on this lower section, but check conditions after a storm.

The coordinates on this page come from an address lookup for the cabin site rather than a surveyed pool location, so follow the booking instructions for the exact driveway and parking. Note that Charlotte Hot Springs, the public side of the business, has a different address on County Road 343. Do not go there to check in for a cabin.

When to go

The cabins are booked through the year. The operator notes that dates for the coming season fill quickly, and with only two units it is easy to be shut out of popular weekends.

Fall is a strong choice. Aspens turn in the Cottonwood Creek drainage and around Cottonwood Pass in late September, and the nights are cold enough for a long soak.

Winter brings snow around the pools and quiet roads. The Gazette reported that the first winter of the family’s new public pools was busy, and winter weekends at the cabins are in demand for the same reason. The road over Cottonwood Pass closes for winter higher up, but the cabins are far below the closure gate.

Summer is warmer than many people expect at this elevation, and a 104°F40°C pool in July is best in the early morning or after dark.

Prices and booking

The operator site does not list rates. Each cabin has its own Airbnb listing, linked from charlottehotspringscabins.com, and pricing there changes by date. As a rough guide only, a 2024 Gazette article reported the one-bedroom Holloway Cabin from $450 a night and the two-bedroom Merrifield Cabin at $600 a night. Check current pricing on Airbnb before you plan around those numbers.

Some practical points:

• No day use. The private pools are for cabin guests only.
• Capacity is strict. The Merrifield Cabin sleeps 4 and the Holloway Cabin sleeps 2. Extra guests need approval from the booking manager and an extra fee.
• Pets: The state hot springs loop lists the cabins as pet-friendly. The operator site does not mention a pet policy, so confirm on the Airbnb listing.
• Contact: Merrifield Cabins, (719) 581-0282, or charlottehsr@msn.com.

Where to stay nearby

If both cabins are taken, the area has plenty of other soaking options:

• Charlotte Hot Springs & Botanical Gardens is the family’s public facility, a short drive away. It has three shallow pools about 17 feet across, an indoor tropical garden that is free to visit, and walk-in day passes.
• Cottonwood Hot Springs Inn & Spa is on the same county road and offers rooms, cabins and day soaking.
• Mount Princeton Hot Springs Resort and Antero Hot Springs Cabins are in the Chalk Creek valley south of Buena Vista.
• Collegiate Peaks Campground, a Forest Service campground farther west on County Road 306, is an option for campers who want a day soak at Charlotte.

Buena Vista itself has motels, restaurants and grocery stores within about 10 minutes of the cabins.

Safety notes

• Water temperature: At 104-106°F40-41°C, these pools are at the upper end of what most people can sit in for long. Keep soaks short, drink water and get out if you feel lightheaded. Alcohol makes heat effects worse.
• Elevation: Buena Vista is close to 8,000 feet. Visitors from sea level feel the altitude and the heat together, especially on the first night.
• Winter driving: County Road 306 can be icy in the early morning. Allow time and carry a scraper and warm layers.
• Wildlife: Deer and other animals use the creek corridor. Store food and trash inside, and keep pets under control.
• Creek: Cottonwood Creek runs fast and cold during spring runoff. Watch children and dogs near the bank.