Hot Springs Adventure in Redstone, Colorado

My sister, Kristen, came to visit me at my new place in Colorado recently. She wanted to visit a hot spring during her visit, so we explored our options on both Google and Yelp. Many of the hot springs in Colorado are pretty commercialized, meaning the property owner lets groups of people come, and charges them for the visit, as well as towel and locker rentals - this wasn't what we were looking for. We were looking for something closer to a natural hot spring, with little to no people.

I checked out a Top Ten list of hot springs in the state, and stumbled upon Avalanche Ranch Hot Springs. While this one is still commercialized, it didn't look bad at all. Actually, it looked amazing, and I liked that they take reservations so that they don't get too crowded. I called them on Sunday afternoon, hoping to get a reservation for Monday afternoon. Day visitors can access the hot springs either between 9 AM and 1 PM or between 1 PM and 5 PM, while lodging guests have 24 hour access to the pools. Since we had to drive about 3-1/2 hours to get there, I was hoping for the afternoon slot. The lady I spoke to informed me that they were booked for the afternoon, but we could reserve for the morning. I told her the situation and she was able to move some people around and get us in for Monday afternoon, fortunately.

On Monday morning I fed the dogs, packed some lunch and snacks for me, Kristen, and Dustin (my boyfriend). We hit the road a little after 9 and arrived to the property a bit after 1 PM. The check in process was easy. We paid the $15/person day visitor fee, got our wristbands, and were on our way after a brief rundown of where everything was. I really liked the fact that after we got our wristbands, we didn't need to return to the office, and we weren't bothered by anyone for the rest of the day. The employees mind their own business, and you don't see them around the actual pools.

We soaked in the not-so-natural hot springs until about 4:30 when we were all pruned and hungry for pizza. I'll get back to that in a moment. The reason I say "not-so-natural" is because the property owners, according to their website, had known about some hot springs on the property across the highway, and ended up drilling to reach more hot, mineral-rich water. They have 3 pools that are fed by the well, and they are power washed each Wednesday. The mineral content of the water is as follows:

Iron 1.10
Magnesium 29.5
Manganese 0.935
Lithium 0.935
Sodium 323
Sulfate 930
Zinc 0.00535
Potassium 28.1
Selenium 0.00313
Fluoride 2.4
Chloride 230
Calcium 287
Barium 0.0296
Arsenic 0.00405

Kristen avoiding the camera

Once we had finished soaking, we showered in the poolside "locker rooms." They were more like a cubby area with a separate shower. Feeling extremely refreshed, yet hungry, we stopped in Carbondale for pizza. The particular establishment was called White House Pizza, and oh. my. god. It was amazing! I should have taken photos, but instead, I devoured my pizza before I thought of it. The pizza is amazing because the toppings go all the way to the end of the crust, which gets folded over said toppings, making it more like a stuffed crust pizza. I split a dessert with Kristen called Hot Chocolate Chipper, which is basically cookie dough baked just enough to leave it gooey, topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Yum!

Dustin enjoying the view

After our bellies were full, we drove the 3 hours or so home, happily blissed out on our hot springs and pizza experience. It was the perfect stay-cation for us, and an excellent adder to my sister's vacation. Next time I go, I will be sure to stay in one of their many cabins. I'd like to experience the pools during the off-hours, which you can only do if you're a lodging guest. Next time, though!