Glenwood Springs is a fun mountain town that has it all! It is 2 hours 45 minutes from the hotel, but would be a great place to extend your Colorado vacation! Relax in one of the hot springs (Glenwood hot springs with a super-sized, kid friendly pool – or Iron Mountain which is more adult friendly with hot-tub sized pools). If hot water is not your thing, adults can try out the Yampah Vapor Caves (which are caves with natural, geothermal steam rooms). For the truly adventurous, take the gondola up the mountain to the Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park. This park has two sides: one is a tour of the caves (can do a 40-minute walking tour or a several hour spelunking tour), and the other has amusement park style rides. There are several trails around the area (one that goes to a hilltop cemetery where Doc Holiday rests!), as well as some nationally recognized fishing holes. The town of Glenwood has charming shops and restaurants.
Super Duper Tips: Stay in the Glenwood Springs Lodge and have free breakfast and unlimited access to the pools, or stay in the historic Hotel Colorado where Teddy Roosevelt used to stay (also free breakfast /passes to the pools, and is also famously haunted!). There is a paved bike path that will take you east through the stunning Glenwood Canyon. There was a terrible fire in 2020 in the canyon, so it is unknown if the bike path will be open in July. The Atkinson Canal Trail is a fairly new accessible paved trail that follows the Roaring Fork River. The activities (Adventure Park, Caves, Pool) can get spendy, so make sure you are prepared before you go!
