The journal

Local guides to Glenwood Springs

Hand-picked soaks, hikes, cave tours, and hidden gems within minutes of the house — the kind of local know-how that makes a Colorado River family vacation easy to plan.

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Soak

Glenwood Hot Springs: the world's largest mineral pool

The Glenwood Hot Springs pool is the one that put this town on the map — the world's largest mineral hot springs pool, fed by the Yampah spring and warm enough to soak in all year. It's the easy first stop of any Glenwood Springs family vacation, just a few minutes from the house: a giant therapeutic pool kept around 90°F, a hotter soaking pool near 104°F, and room for the whole group to spread out.

Go early or stay late to beat the day-trip crowds, and bring water — a long mineral soak is more relaxing (and more dehydrating) than it looks. With the Colorado River alongside and canyon walls rising on every side, it's the kind of slow afternoon that makes a mountain getaway feel like a real vacation.

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Spa soak

Iron Mountain Hot Springs: riverside pools at sunset

If Glenwood Hot Springs is the classic, Iron Mountain is the spa-day upgrade. More than a dozen mineral soaking pools terrace right down to the edge of the Colorado River, each set at a slightly different temperature so you can work from warm to hot to a bracing cold plunge. There's a quiet adults-only section, saunas, and drinks you can order straight to the water.

It's a five-minute drive from the house and a favorite for couples and grown-up groups who want the soak without the waterslides. Sunset is the move — the pools glow, the river runs past, and the mountains turn gold. Reserve ahead in summer and on ski weekends, when this riverside retreat fills up fast.

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Thrills

Glenwood Caverns: caves and coasters on the mountaintop

Ride a gondola 1,300 feet up Iron Mountain and you reach Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park — the only place in Colorado where you can tour a living cave and ride a mountaintop roller coaster on the same ticket. The Cliffhanger coaster, the Giant Canyon Swing out over the gorge, and a cluster of family rides share the summit with two genuinely beautiful cave tours.

It's the rainy-day-proof, all-ages highlight of a Glenwood Springs family vacation — little kids, teenagers, and nervous grandparents all find their speed. Buy tickets in advance and spring for preferred parking near the gondola; the views over town and the Colorado River from the top are worth the trip on their own.

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Bucket-list hike

Hanging Lake: Colorado's turquoise cliffside lake

Hanging Lake is the photo you've seen of Colorado: an impossibly turquoise pool perched on a cliff shelf, fed by waterfalls spilling over travertine. The trail is short at roughly 1.2 miles each way, but it climbs hard — about 1,000 feet of stone steps and footbridges — so it earns the view. A timed permit is required, so book your spot before you come.

Go early, carry plenty of water, and take your time on the climb; it's a bucket-list hike just up the canyon from the house. The reward at the top — clear green water, hanging gardens, and the roar of the falls — is the kind of thing guests remember for years.

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Easy hike

Grizzly Creek Trail: an easy canyon walk by the water

For all of the canyon scenery and none of the permit hassle, Grizzly Creek is the local pick. The path follows a clear creek up into Glenwood Canyon beneath towering walls — mostly gentle, with a few narrow rocky stretches — easy enough for a casual morning walk and pretty enough that you'll keep going farther than you planned. Leashed dogs and kids do great here.

It's a quick drive east of the house, with a paved riverside path nearby if you'd rather bike along the Colorado. Bring water and start early in summer; the creekside shade and wildflower meadows make it one of the most underrated outdoor stops of a Glenwood Springs getaway.

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Hidden gem

Horseshoe Bend: a hidden riverside picnic on the Colorado

Horseshoe Bend is a local secret right on the Glenwood Canyon bike-and-walk path — a sweeping curve of the Colorado River with a picnic pavilion tucked between the water and the canyon wall. Reachable only on foot or by bike, it's a peaceful spot for a riverside lunch, and it's not unusual to spot bighorn sheep on the cliffs or a bald eagle working the river.

From the house it's a short hop to the trail, then an easy mile or so of flat, paved riverside walking to the bend. Pack a picnic, bring a camera, and plan to carry your trash back out — this quiet stretch of the Colorado is the kind of scenic detour that turns into everyone's favorite afternoon.

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Wild West

Doc Holliday's Grave: a Wild-West hike above town

A short, steep gravel path climbs out of downtown to Linwood Cemetery and the memorial to Doc Holliday — the gambler, dentist, and gunfighter of Tombstone fame who spent his final days in Glenwood Springs. It's only about half a mile up, but the grade is real, so wear decent shoes and bring water. The payoff is a quiet historic cemetery and a sweeping overlook of town and the surrounding peaks.

It's a fun, quick bit of Wild-West history a few minutes from the house — perfect for an early-morning leg-stretch before the day heats up. History buffs love the old headstones and the story behind the famous (and famously uncertain) grave; everyone loves the view back down over the Colorado River valley.

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Cave tour

Fairy Caves: a cliffside cave tour at Glenwood Caverns

The Fairy Caves are the historic heart of Glenwood Caverns — a guided walk through underground chambers that open, partway in, onto a balcony carved right into the cliff face hundreds of feet above the canyon. You'll stand inside the mountain one minute and watch eagles circle over the Colorado River the next, with formations and lantern-lit history along the way.

The tour is an easy quarter-mile and works for all ages, including little ones, which makes it a great rainy-day or hot-afternoon option on a family vacation. It's reached by the same gondola as the adventure park up the hill, so you can pair a cave tour with coasters and big views and call it a full day.

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