Glenwood Springs Bucket List [Podcast Ep. 6]

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Listen to this Podcast Episode about Glenwood Springs

Welcome back, adventurers!

In today’s episode of Tick It Before You Kick It, we’re diving deep into the wonders of Glenwood Springs, Colorado.

As a Colorado local, I am ready to spill the beans on all the must-see spots and hidden gems in this stunning mountain town.

I, personally, have been to Glenwood Springs several times during all seasons and cannot wait to share some bucket list ideas for this stunning Colorado mountain town!

From exhilarating adventure parks to serene hot springs, and everything in between, you won’t want to miss our ultimate Glenwood Springs bucket list.

So get ready to jot down some notes and plan your next epic getaway!

In THIs Episode…

• What is Glenwood Springs?
• Who would I recommend Glenwood Springs to?
• Is Glenwood Springs worth it?
• What season to go to Glenwood Springs
• Hot springs travel stories
• Glenwood Springs bucket list!

Important Parts in This Show

• 0:35 – Intro to Glenwood Springs
• 1:23 – Who Would I Recommend Glenwood Springs to?
• 2:01 – Is Glenwood Springs Worth it?
• 2:42 – When to Go to Glenwood Springs
• 3:46 – Hot Springs Travel Story
• 5:29 – Glenwood Springs Bucket List
• 14:30 – Final Thoughts on Glenwood Springs

Show Resources

Where to Stay in Glenwood springs

I have stayed in various places all throughout Glenwood Springs. My favorite hotel is the Hotel Colorado. I also have RVed here at the Glenwood Springs KOA.

Or, you can find something below.

Glenwood Springs Vlog

Travel Resources

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Full Podcast Transcript (Episode 6: Glenwood Springs)

Hey, everyone! Welcome back to Tick It Before You Kick It: Your go-to guide to your adventure bucket list!

Today we’re diving into a place that is very near and dear my heart…and that is Glenwood Springs, Colorado.

As a Colorado native whose been to Glenwood more times than I can count, I am here to give you the inside scoop to this incredible destination.

Specifically, all of the bucket list things that you can do there.

So, grab your favorite drink, get comfy, and let’s explore Glenwood Springs together and see if it’s worth your adventure bucket list!

What Is Glenwood Springs?

Let’s start with the basics. What exactly is Glenwood Springs?

Glenwood Springs is a tiny mountain town in Colorado. It’s about 175 miles west of Denver and it’s a roughly 3-hour drive. But trust me…it’s worth every minute.

P.S. if you don’t have a car, there are a few buses leaving out of Union Station in Denver, but this might increase your total travel time.

Nestled in the Rocky Mountains, this place is known for hot springs, outdoor activities, and breathtaking scenery. It’s like a playground for nature lovers!

Speaking of the drive, I’m not gonna sugarcoat it, driving through Glenwood Canyon is one of my favorite drives in Colorado…at least so far. It’s stunning. It’s a view that you need to see to believe.

For all you people who love driving through nature, this is the spot to be!

Who Would I recommend Glenwood Springs to?

That being said, who would I recommend Glenwood Springs to? Judging [from that fact] that I’ve gone there so many times…I would recommend Glenwood Springs to people who just love nature, love outdoors, and love mountains.

There is so much to do around Glenwood Springs. So whether you’re into hiking, skiing, or just soaking into the hot springs, I promise you that Glenwood has something for you.

It’s perfect for families and couples looking for a romantic getaway. Or even solo travelers just seeking some peace and quiet.

So, if you love adventure and relaxation in equal measure, this is definitely going to be your spot.

We even went here for one of my best friends to get proposed to! It’s stunning!

Is Glenwood Springs Worth it? What Season?

You probably already know my answer to this, but is Glenwood Springs worth it?

Absolutely! If you can get there!

It is a little bit out-of-the-way if you don’t have a car. However, I’ve been there in every season and it just never disappoints.

Winter in Glenwood Springs

In winter, you can hit the slopes and nearby ski resorts and enjoy the hot springs surrounded by snow capped mountains and rivers!

Spring and Summer

Spring and summer also offer amazing hiking trails, river rafting, and maybe even paragliding or other extreme adventure sports if you’re feeling adventurous.

Fall

The fall? You go for the fall foliage!

It’s just every time I visit I find something new to love about this place!

It’s just like a little Colorado local hidden gem and it’s just beautiful!

So When Would I Go?

When would I go? Honestly, there’s really no bad time to go. It really is highly dependent on what you want to do.

If you want to hike…there’s some hikes, like Maroon Bell and Hanging Lake, that are going to be operational during the summer.

Or if you wanna do any outdoor activities whatsoever (like river rafting or horseback riding) that’s gonna have to be done in summer.

If you wanna do skiing or snowboarding…that is obviously going to have to be done in the winter.

As far as the hot springs, you can do it all year-round. I have done it in the summer as well as the winter. In the winter it’s nice because it’s really cold outside. You can go into those hot springs and it’s really warm! However, when you get out, it’s like 1000 knives on your body…like…it’s so cold when you get out! However, it feels really good once you’re in there.

In the summer it feels better when you get out but they’re a little warm…so I think you can (and you should) do them all year round. Just keep that in mind when you are going into the hot springs.

Funny Hot Springs Travel Story

Now just a quick note on the hot springs because I promised you funny travel stories in this podcast.

So, my best friend got engaged here and when she was off with her fiancé, the rest of us girls decided that we were going to try something a little bit off the beaten path in Glenwood since we were locals. We wanted to branch out and explore a little bit.

We decided to go to the South Canyon Hot Springs, which is not like the regulated Hot Springs in downtown Glenwood. This is quite literally a hot pool in the middle of the mountains as we would come to learn.

We parked and this man approached us. He said, “OK, ladies! There’s a bear wandering around!”

We still said OK because we were adventuring and we really wanted to go soak in some natural hot springs.

Maybe be a wee bit safer and smarter than us…

So, we ended up taking this little path down and we got there and we quickly realized that this hot springs was “clothing optional” (especially by the men🤪), but it was OK. We decided that we were safe, we decided that we were gonna stay.

After a while of sitting there and talking to people, we heard this rustling noise and I’m not talking about a rustling noise that was far away….I’m talking right above the hot springs about 6 feet away from everybody!

Everybody in this pool went silent and then all of a sudden I didn’t think to myself, “Oh my gosh, it’s the bear.”

I just thought to myself, “Oh my gosh, I’m gonna have to watch three naked men fight a bear. Oh, no….”

Spoiler alert: it was not the bear. It was a deer. It was still very very close to us, which was a little too close for my taste, but I’m just happy that my day did not end my day with watching three naked men fight a bear.

That just would’ve been the cherry on top. Anyway, back to it.

Glenwood Springs Bucket List

Now, what you have all been waiting for it! Let’s talk about some bucket list activities that you can actually do in Glenwood Springs.

Hot Springs

My favorite, as I’ve been talking about, is the hot springs! There is a main one, but there’s also some little ones (and even some natural ones🍑🐻). I’ve tried [most] of them!

Personally, I enjoyed the Iron Mountain Hot Springs the best because the normal basic Hot Springs that’s in the middle of the city? It kinda just feels like a giant pool.

And I don’t know…there [were] a lot of kids screaming and I’m not a huge fan of children. So, I enjoyed the Iron Mountain Hot Springs because they had several different pools that were all different temperatures.

Also, the view! Oh, my gosh! You’re right on the river! You can see all of these mountain peaks and they had drinks.

Every time that I’ve gone, I’ve always gone to the Iron Mountain Hot Springs. There, they have 16 natural geothermal springs and they actually just opened up a new section which is a 10 World Experience.

It’s adults-only (as I said, I don’t like children) so this is perfect. The temperature range from 98 to 108°F and some of them were really cool! Like they had structures going over them or they even had stones in the bottom of the pools. So, you can massage your feet at the same time!

Also, on the opposite side they also also have a cooler pool area.

I found that this is where all of the families is like the congregate and then all the couples and the solo travelers tended to go towards the mini hot tubs with a gorgeous mountain view. This is especially nice during the winter as an après-ski activity.

Hanging Lake

Next, activity next if you’re there during the summer – Oh, my gosh! Hike Hanging Lake! Do you remember that Glenwood Canyon that we were talking about driving earlier?

Hanging Lake is right in the middle of there. It’s one of the most popular hikes in Colorado.

So, I would expect some crowds. However, it did not disappoint. I was literally hiking next to a waterfall the entire time! Once you get up there, it’s just this emerald lake and it’s surrounded by all of these waterfalls!

Then, you can hike five minutes up to this place called Sprouting Rock. There’s these two massive waterfalls just cascading down onto this rock. It was just amazing!

So, if you are in Glenwood Springs…definitely don’t forget to check it out. It is only open during the summer and you do need a permit in order to go.

I think I’m gonna do an entire episode on Hanging Lake..did not disappoint…even for a Colorado local who loves hiking! Still did not disappoint!

Read the Full Guide – Hanging Lake

Yampa Vapor Caves Spa

Next, if you were looking for a unique bucket list thing to do in Glenwood, I would definitely check out the Yampa Vapor Caves.

It’s actually a spa. It looks really dingy from the outside. I’m sorry, but once you get in, it’s justa nice [and] little spa.

I’ve actually gotten a few spa treatments there. The first time, I did this mineral bath thing. Then, I also did this wrap where they wrapped my entire body. I don’t know what it’s supposed to do – make you look skinnier? I just looked like a “spa mummy”. It was great!

Then, the second time I got a facial and honestly, this spa did not disappoint.

They have this atrium that I read in afterwards and each spa treatment that I did came with full access to the vapor caves.

So, if you are looking for a spa that is definitely the one that I would most recommend.

What makes this great is that it has these naturally occurring vapor caves, which is actually one of the only known vapor caves in all of North America.

I’m gonna be honest…it looks like you are going into a sketchy basement to get murdered when you’re in there. Like the first time I went I was like, “Am I gonna die here?”

However –

Oh, my gosh, I just squished an ant! That’s what I get for RVing in Colorado full-time.

What’s the deal with the vapor cave?

OK – anyway, back to it. Once you get down into the sketchy basement it’s this amazing cave that just has these mineral rich, hot waters!

It’s actually been a wellness destination for over a century. Before that, it was actually used by the Indians for detoxification, healing, and rituals.

It’s hot! So, you can’t stay down there very long. It kind of feels like you’re breathing in the water in the air cause it’s very very humid.

However, again, this is one of the only known natural vapor caves in North America. So if you are in Glenwood and maybe you’ve been hiking, maybe you’ve been skiing…this is a perfect opportunity to cross this off of your bucket list!

Do some relaxation after your adventures!

Spas

With that being said, since this is a hot springs destination, there are so many spas in this town!

It’s super tiny and it’s so funny how it’s just this tiny mountain town, but there [are] so much luxury spa opportunities here.

You might as well take advantage of them. As I said, there’s the Yampa Spas and Vapor Caves.

I [also] have a full list of all of these spas in my full article: the Glenwood Springs bucket list on thebucketlistmermaid.com.

If you do want to see more examples of spas that you can go to, definitely make sure to check that out.

Hotel Colorado

Next, there is this place called Hotel Colorado and this was built in 1893. It’s actually been an iconic landmark that has been a symbol of the cities vibrant past.

And so many people have stayed there! Like past presidents, famous gangsters, Hollywood stars. It’s just like this really cute mountain hotel!

Funny story: I actually stayed there once with my rabbit. Yep. I had a white rabbit. And I stayed in Hotel Colorado with my rabbit. We watched horror movies in Hotel Colorado. It’s kind of old, so it’s just a little unsettling!

Just hearing my rabbit hop around while I’m watching horror movies in this historic hotel in the middle of nowhere in Glenwood.

Boutique Hotels

If you do end up going into the city of Glenwood Springs, there are the cutest little mountain boutiques.

There’s handmade jewelry, and of course a western store (cause we’re Colorado and we have to do that) and bookstores.

Again, I have a full list of this on the blog post. I’m just a boho yogi, OK? I love handmade mountain hippie things! So, sue me.

Adventure Companies

Next, there are several adventure companies within Glenwood Springs that offer some rafting or some kayaking if you are there during the summer.

You can have a water adventure on the mighty Colorado river!

I would check out companies like Glenwood Adventure Company, or Blue Sky Adventures if you do wanna check this off of your bucket list.

The Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park – you actually have to take a little gondola type thing in order to get up there. [Once up there], there is an Alpine coaster, a giant canyon swing, and some fairy caves.

Actually, I stayed at a hotel that was right adjacent to this little gondola thing and Iron Mountain Hot Springs are close to this gondola up to the Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park as well.

That’s the good thing about Glenwood – it’s so tiny. You can get almost anywhere from any place.

There’s also a zip line for those of you who want to fill your adrenaline. This is a Glenwood Canyon zip line. Again…Glenwood Canyon. It’s great. It’s awesome.

You might as well just do zip line through it.

Best Restaurants in Glenwood Springs

Also, since I am a local and I have been there several times…I have eaten at several places within the Glenwood Springs area.

One of my favorites, which you cannot miss if you go there, is the Italian Underground.

They don’t take reservations and they’re always full.

However, just go early! The spicy lasagna has a place in my heart forever and ever!

Also, another one that’s right down the street from the Italian underground is the Smoke Modern Barbecue. They had so many different barbecue sauces that I tried. I’m just a sauce girly. I love the sauces.

I ordered a buffalo chicken mac & cheese. It was just great!

Also, there are several Mexican restaurants. I got this huge oversize giant margarita (that I enjoyed responsibly), but it was massive and there are just so many local restaurants here that you can support. I’m all for it.

Your culinary pallet will not be disappointed if you visit Glenwood Springs, I guarantee it.

Horseback riding in Glenwood springs

Moving on, there are several, several companies that do horseback riding in the mountains.

I did this for my birthday one year. It was gorgeous to go horseback riding into this Canyon. If you are into that kind of stuff. Again, who doesn’t wanna go horseback riding cause Colorado known for a Cowboys?

You might as well! Again, that Glenwood Adventure Company, High Canyon Adventures, Sunlight Mountain Resort…all of these have guided tours throughout the serene mountain landscapes that allow you to feel the thrill of a horseback ride while just soaking in these majestic views of Glenwood.

Glenwood Canyon

Lastly, I can’t mention this enough but just drive through Glenwood Canyon. It’s just rocks, forests, and rivers and these rocks go straight up from your car.

I’m just such a sucker for beautiful mountain drives! If you know of any other beautiful mountain drives, please feel free to contact me because I’ll do it. I will drive there. I live in an RV. I’ll go drive there. I will.

Final Thoughts on Glenwood Springs

So, out of all of this…what do you think? What would you most like to add to your adventure bucket list? Glenwood Springs is just a treasure trove of adventure, but also sprinkled a little relaxation. It’s the perfect mountain weekend getaway!

It has some thing for everybody so, as a local, I can assure you that Glenwood Springs is definitely a destination that you want to go to!

If you have any questions or need more tips feel free to reach out go to my website thebucketlistmermaid.com, read the notes, and read the full article.

If you’ve been to Glenwood Springs, I would love to hear about your experience. This is Colorado local favorite. I want to hear all about it.

Don’t forget to subscribe and share this with your fellow travelers and outdoor enthusiasts.

I wanna thank you so much for listening to me ramble on about one of my favorite childhood places as a Colorado local. Thank you so much for tuning into Tick It Before You Kick It.

Until next time, keep exploring and stay adventurous!

Articles Related to This Episode

• Glenwood Springs Bucket List
• Colorado Bucket List
• Hanging Lake Guide
• Summer Bucket List

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