Glenwood Springs: Hot Springs, Vapor Caves & Rifle Falls

The Yampah Vapor Caves are a series of natural geothermal caves below street level on 6th Street — the only naturally occurring vapor caves in North America open to the public. The cave temperature is 112°F with 100% humidity from the Yampah Spring (the same spring that feeds the outdoor pool above). Indigenous Ute people used the caves as healing chambers for centuries before commercial development in 1888. Three cave chambers are open for unlimited sessions; the experience is more medicinal than recreational — 20 minutes is the standard session time before emerging for cold water immersion.

The world's largest natural outdoor mineral hot springs pool — 405 feet long, 100 feet wide, fed by 3.5 million gallons per day from the 122°F Yampah Spring. The main pool runs at 90°F; the therapy pool at 104°F. The 1888 pool sits on the Colorado River bank with the White River National Forest canyon walls rising behind it. The current bathhouse (rebuilt 2002 after the 1976 flood) includes locker rooms, a restaurant, and day spa services. The pool complex is busy on weekends — arrive before 10am or after 3pm for the best experience.

The best patio view of any brewpub in Colorado — the outdoor seating overlooks the Colorado River at the canyon mouth, with the I-70 viaduct and canyon walls as backdrop. The Canyon Crusher India Pale and the Vapor Cave Ale are brewed on-site; the kitchen does elevated pub food including green chile burgers and Colorado lamb flatbreads.

A 16-mile paved trail following the Colorado River through Glenwood Canyon — the canyon walls rise 1,800 feet in places, and the trail passes the Hanging Lake trailhead (a 1.5-mile spur with limited daily permits), four tunnel portals, and the Shoshone hydroelectric plant (1909). The trail is flat and entirely accessible; the 4-mile section from Glenwood Springs to No Name tunnel captures the most dramatic canyon scenery. Rental bikes available from Glenwood Canyon Resort or Roaring Fork Outdoor Rentals.

Three tiered waterfalls dropping 70 feet over travertine cliffs in a canyon 25 miles north of Rifle, with limestone caves carved by the falls' spray and a 0.25-mile trail to the triple falls viewpoint. The travertine formations at Rifle Falls are geologically similar to those at Hanging Lake — calcium carbonate deposited by mineral-rich spring water — but the triple-falls configuration and the accessible cave system make this a different experience. The falls run year-round; the cave interiors maintain a constant cool temperature from the spray.