One of my favorite types of vacations is a weekend trip with my family. Don’t get me wrong, I would be more than happy to fly to Mexico anytime {with mojitos coming all day long, you won’t get any complaints out of me}, but there is something about a weekend getaway that is so refreshing and fun!
A few weekends ago, my family and I took a weekend trip to Glenwood Springs. Did you know that it’s the home of the world’s largest hot springs pool and the gorgeous Hanging Lake?!
Where we stayed: Hotel Colorado
What we did: Hot Springs, Hanging Lake Trail
Hotel Colorado
- They offer “family rooms” {two rooms with a Jack-and-Jill bathroom}, which was a huge plus for me. We have traveled before with our son and every time, one of my biggest complaints was how hard it is for a family with young kid(s) to all be in the same room. Can you say nap-time nightmare? Everyone had peaceful dreams in the “family room.”
- The whole hotel is pet friendly {$25/night} and loads of people {including us} brought their pets.
- The hotel is right next to the hot springs pool and one bridge walk away from Glenwood’s downtown area {they have a pedestrian only bridge}.
- Inside the hotel {which is a pretty large building}, they have a gorgeous courtyard with a restaurant and bar, which was totally kid friendly.
- There is no air conditioning. I must of missed this part when booking the room. Something about it being an
oldhistoric hotel gets you just a ceiling fan…
Hot Springs Pool
- The Glenwood Hot Springs Pool ‘Spa of the Rockies’ is the world’s largest hot spring pool and it really is big! There are several different pools, including a kids pool {it wasn’t as warm as the hot pools and has a little fountain} and two water slides {they require an additional ticket to ride}. You might not find a lounge chair, but there’s plenty of grass to spread out.
- You can bring food into the pool area {I saw a few groups hauling in several coolers}, although the grill wasn’t outrageous when it came to prices, and I thought it was pretty delicious.
- Kids under 2 are free, but must have a swim diaper. Adults for peak weekends are $21/adult. You can rent a
dishtowel for $2 and it might be just big enough to cover your bum. Might. - It was definitely worth it to spend a day at the hot springs pool!
Hanging Lake Trail
- The trail up to Hanging Lake is about 2 miles and it’s a pretty tough trail. It’s definitely not impossible {I did it}, but don’t be fooled, it is tough. Take water, snacks, and a light jacket {it’s pretty cool at the lake}.
- If you’re not pulling into the parking lot by 7am, you won’t get a spot on the weekends. I’ve seen the line twenty cars deep, just waiting for a spot. On average, people spend between 2-3 hours hiking Hanging Lake, so that’s how long it can take for a spot to open up.
- Not only is Hanging Lake pretty spectacular, but the hike up might be one of my favorites {my absolute favorite hike was through the towns of Cinque Terre}. Yeah, the Hanging Lake hike was pretty awesome, even if there wasn’t a bottle of local white wine waiting for me at the end.
I’d mention food, but honestly there wasn’t any place that we ate that was really very good or worth noting. It was all “eehh.” With the exception of stopping at Beau Joe’s on the way home… that’s always delicious. Maybe it’s because we have to wait in traffic for it…
Overall, if you haven’t been to Glenwood Springs, it’s worth the weekend. If you have been to Glenwood, but haven’t hiked Hanging Lake, it’s worth going back. It was a great summer trip, but considering you’re visiting a natural hot spring, visiting in the fall would be spectacular, as well!
I’m headed to Glenwood Springs this summer. Thanks for the post.