Another Thing We Love About Colorado… Mt Princeton Hot Springs

When you’re finished skiing, or just want a day away…

Let’s start with true confessions… there’s one thing we don’t love about Colorado… winter. Ok, ok, it’s not like we live in Wisconsin, and we have lots of great winter sports here, and though it can snow as early as September or as late as June, it melts in between! Yeah, yeah, so we are a little spoiled. But there’s one thing that makes winter so. much. better. A trip to the hot springs!

Seriously, can you believe that extremely hot water pours out of the earth, heated by geothermal springs deep inside the rocks? That burning hot spring mixed with regular water then fills multiple pools to create soaking or swimming spaces with temperatures between 70 and 120. Wow!

Mt Princeton Hot Springs is the biggest and by far the most popular hot spring location in the state, though there are many many others scattered throughout Colorado. The reasons we love this one? It’s pretty consistent in quality and crowds, and SO easy to get to. Conveniently located just under 2 hours from CS or Denver with lodging right there on-property or plenty of other options in the adjacent towns.

Register for spa treatments, buy smoothies and other food, or just buy a day pass and hang out. All while breathing perfect fresh mountain air and enjoying spectacular scenery all around. Our favorite spot by far are these rock pools right on the river. Hot water eddies inside these natural enclosures while ice-cold mountain runoff rushes by. Take a look! You have to try it!

A windy 40-degree day becomes dreamy when laying in hot water! But that Colorado sun… don’t forget your sunscreen, or you’ll cook like lobsters… (this exact scenario may, or may not, have happened to Elsie and her mom!)