Glenwood Springs, Colorado

Named Americas Hottest Place to Cool Off in 2001 by the Travel Channel. Glenwood Springs, nestled among the Rocky Mountains between Aspen and Vail, is a quiet community full of history and charm. From the time this town was born, it has seen famous travelers such as Doc Holiday and Teddy Roosevelt, not to mention thousands of others who deemed this town their favorite vacation destination.

Glenwood Springs offers all the amenities of the beautiful Colorado outdoors no matter what the season! Summer brings with it golfing, hiking, mountain biking, whitewater rafting and Gold Medal fishing at the confluence of the Roaring Fork and Colorado Rivers. In the winter there's cross country skiing, snowmobiling, ice fishing and downhill skiing at our own Sunlight Mountain Ski Resort. Glenwood also is the home to the annual Strawberry Days Celebration which is Colorado's oldest civic festival which started in 1897. 

Year-round you can enjoy the natural hot springs, the steamy vapor caves or the Fairy Caves, all right here in Glenwood.  The World Famous Glenwood Hot Springs is the largest outdoor hot springs pool in the world. Guests can enjoy swimming in the 90 degree water in the two block long pool or soak in the 104 degree therapy pool. The Hot Springs Pool has within its facility an Athletic Club, a poolside deli, a sports shop and massage therapy. During the summer season the pool offers a kiddie pool, water slide and miniature golf as well as lots of room for just soaking up the sun!

The ancient Yampah Hot Springs Vapor Caves are Glenwood's oldest attraction. The Ute Indians were the first known people to use the natural caves for healing and spiritual purposes. The word Yampah , roughly translated, means Big Medicine . Today you can enjoy serenity the steam baths provide and then treat yourself to full and partial body massages, herbal and deep pore facials, mud baths, rose petal masques and/or European body wraps.

The Glenwood Springs Caverns and Historic Fairy Caves have often been referred to as The 8th Wonder of the World. The caves are elaborately decorated with crystalline formations, calcite crystals, stalactites and mites, cave coral and bacon formations, most in pristine condition. This tour is an underground galaxy of visual delights !

Many travelers, after coming to visit (such as Doc Holiday), decide to stay. Glenwood Springs is a wonderful place to live. It is a charming community with a small-town, historic atmosphere yet it has modern-day, city amenities such as a valley-wide transit system, renowned hospital, the Colorado Mountain College, great educational facilities and an active arts and culture scene.

From an excerpt in the Glenwood Springs Chamber Magazine the author writes,
Glenwood's growth can be seen in ongoing development, both commercial and residential. While other economies in Colorado and around the nation may have slowed, Glenwood Springs continues to be a popular place for businesses and homeowners. As Glenwood Springs continues to mature, growing pains are a natural, if difficult part of the process. City elders and community activists are grappling with many difficult issues including traffic diversion options, affordable housing, historic preservation and environmental issues.

What keeps Glenwood's economy strong and healthy is that it is based on both tourism and commercial variety. Glenwood Springs attracts vacationers from around the state and country who come here to soak up the hot water, play in the mountains, schuss down the slopes, run the rivers, to relax and have fun.

The town also acts as a regional trade center for the surrounding area. According to John Klusmires book, Colorado, Its strategic location between Vail, 60 miles to the east, and Aspen, 40 miles to the southeast, also makes Glenwood a regional shopping and supply town, where Aspenites and Vailites can come to get their car fixed for a reasonable price or buy underwear that doesnt cost as much as a new pair of shoes. Future developments will likely increase Glenwood's foothold as a regional shopping and service center.

In 2004 the City of Glenwood Springs had an estimated population of 8,517. Glenwood's population makes up 17% of the total population in Garfield County. Garfield County's total population is an estimated 52,189 with an unemployment rate of 2.1% in 2000. At an elevation of 5,746, Glenwood residents enjoy an alpine climate with practically no humidity in the summer. June, July and August temperatures are in the 70s, 80s and 90s. In the fall (September-November) temperatures are in the mid 60s and 70s during the day, with evening temperatures dropping to the 30s and 40s. Winter (December-February) daytime temperatures range in the 30s and 40s, and spring (March-May) temperatures are in the 60s and 70s. The annual precipitation is 16.5 inches, and the average annual snowfall in town is 67 inches.

When it comes to Glenwood Springs, the possibilities are endless!

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