Editor’s note: Historical information is referenced from the book “Glenwood Hot Springs Celebrating 125 Years” published by the resort in 2013.
The Glenwood Hot Springs has gone through many a transformation, from Jonas Lindgren charging 10 cents for a dip in a wooden bathtub to being advertised as “Colorado’s Sea Beach in the Mountain” when Frank Kistler literally had sand hauled and laid at the edge of the pool in the late ‘30s. All of this time later, the Hot Springs opened the Yampah Mineral Baths on Memorial Day this year.
Yampah is a Ute word for “big medicine,” which, of course, was adopted by settlers and speaks to the health benefits those original inhabitants knew the waters possessed.
Walter Devereux opened the large pool, then known as “The Natatorium,” on the Fourth of July, 1888. The resort eventually went into foreclosure and was purchased by Kistler who, in the ‘50s, sold it to 22 local businessmen who wanted to keep it accessible and prevent it from falling into the hands of outside investors. The families of many of those businessmen still own the resort today.
Upon entering the Yampah Mineral Baths area, the sound of falling water masks the buzzing of I-70 as visitors leave behind the worries of daily life.
3.5 million gallons of the natural mineral water is available to pump into the Hot Springs daily from the Yampah Source Spring, according to Operations Manager Jarrid Hadland. “Which is more than we can use,” added Resort Sales Manager Kimberly Marcum. Pedestrians and Hot Springs visitors can walk right up to the Source Spring where permanent signage will soon be installed that’ll include historical information.
The Yampah Mineral Baths are phase three in the resort’s master plan, with “more to come,” said Hadland. Although, any future plans are still preliminary and not set in stone. Being more than three football fields in length, from end to end, the Hot Springs provides increasingly more space for guests to spread out.
There are five new baths for visitors to dip into in the new section. Cascade Waters (100-104F) is at the east end of the Yampah Mineral Baths where an opaque wall of water numbs the nerves and eases the mind. Sacred Waters (97-102F) looks out over the rest of the Hot Springs and Red Mountain with an infinity edge that gives a sense of the water leading straight into the view. “It takes you right to the mountain,” said Hadland. Falling Waters (95-100F) pummels your shoulders (in a good way) while standing beneath its waterfall with faux rock that mimics grottos of the area. Then, of course, there are the Inhale (52-60F) and Exhale (75-80F) pools, the first being the coldest plunge and the latter making for a nice transition after a dip in the Inhale.
There is an entirely new pump house that treats the water to the Yampah Mineral Baths. The pump house that treats water leading into the Therapy and Grand pools was updated during Phase Two a few years ago.
The Historic Drinking Spring, where the mineral water used to be bottled and sold from, appears as it did in the early days with the original stone work still intact. A short stairway leads directly to it.
The idea behind the new baths is to provide a serene, relaxing setting for people to reset. Therefore, at five o’clock in the evening, the new pools are closed off to youngsters. There’s a fireplace area in the corner where people can rest and chat. And while alcohol is still not permitted outside of the onsite restaurant patio, visitors can “try Casey Brewing’s Yampah Mineral Baths lager, exclusively at The Grill,” said Hadland
There’s a balance to strike, Marcum concluded, between modernizing the pools to accommodate guests and respecting the history behind the waters. “We want to be good stewards,” she stated. “This is a historic place.”
To find out more about the Yampah Mineral Baths, visit www.hotspringspool.com