“soak it all in!”
There's nothing cooler than a hotel with an infinity pool...except maybe an all-natural, hot-spring-fed infinity pool. Colorado's Valley View Hot Springs Top Ponds are among the world's most awesome-- and that's not even the half of what Valley View offers!
The Top Ponds are about a 20 minute hike away from the rest of the facilities, which include several cabins, lodges, pools and more, and are made up of 3 ponds that flow down the hillside into one another. The top of the Top Ponds is the largest, and is about 2 feet deep-- perfect for soaking. These ponds are slightly less steamy than some of the others at Valley View, since they mix with more snowy runoff than the ones further down the hills-- but they still usually average around 98 degrees. Plus, since there's not a ton of artificial lighting, a nighttime dip in the springs means stellar stargazing while you soak!
There are other springs for enjoying across the property as well, like the larger Soaking Pond, the always-fun Waterfall Pond (free water massage!) and the relaxing Meadow Pond. Valley View also has a spring water swimming pool (and a kids pool) as well as a hydroelectric sauna. If you want you can get a day pass, but there are also campsites, cabins and even a dorm with a full kitchen for those who want to spend a few days soaking in the springs. And be forewarned-- the whole place is clothing-optional. You know, so you can go au naturale in the natural springs.
**Actual location is a couple more miles toward the mountains on road "GG", which is a dirt road**
I was aware of the fact that this was a clothing optional facility, however, thinking it was a bit out of the way I expected there to be less people and didn't think it would be a big problem. It is a very beautiful area with a surprisingly good view of the valley below (it really didn't feel as though we were that high up). They have a good number of options for soaking pools, so if you want a bit more privacy you can always hike a bit further down the trail and check out the next hot spring. I didn't attempt the Hot Spring at the top of the trail, as it was quite a steep climb, and being from much lower altitudes just a slight incline had taken quite a toll on us, which we hadn't expected because we are in quite good shape! So be prepared to take a couple breaks if you plan on checking out some of the hot springs a bit further down the trail. My favorites were the waterfall pond and the meadow pond. Only downside to the meadow pond was that the water was just about a foot deep, so you would have to completely lay down on the stone bottom to submerse your whole body. It is worth the extra couple minute walk to see the beautiful surroundings (there were two deer grazing right next to us in the meadow, and the scenery was gorgeous!). The waterfall pond was nice, a bit deeper and bigger than the meadow pond, but was pretty crowded when we were there. There are two restrooms that are accessible to men and women, so it was a bit uncomfortable to have a man walk in when I was changing to use the urinal in front of me... If you are comfortable with that sort of thing you'll have a blast! If you're a bit more modest, you might want to change somewhere else off of the property before and after, or go to a different spring that is not clothing optional. All in all, I would recommend Valley View Springs if you are looking for a very unique,relaxing hot springs experience in the middle of nature. It's not your typical hot springs being filtered into an olympic size pool that looks like a YMCA facility.
$11/2 hrs or $15 for day - $15/night for vehicle overnight parking w electric
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