The Very Best Things to Do in Glenwood Springs, Colorado

Nestled in the narrow valleys of the Colorado and Roaring Fork rivers, Glenwood Springs, Colorado is a town filled with natural beauty and charm. It is a place that offers countless attractions for visitors, excellent dining and shopping, as well as a chance to go for a swim in the world’s largest hot springs pool. With so much going on, and little time to spare, we had to figure out what are some of the best things to do in Glenwood Springs and the area.

---

HOTELS: Our personal top-choice hotels in Glenwood Springs are Hotel Denver and Glenwood Hot Springs Resort. A couple of other nice and less pricey choices are Residence Inn Glenwood Springs and Hotel Glenwood Springs. For even more options, click HERE to see the highest-rated accommodations in Glenwood Springs on Booking.com. We have filtered out the lower-rated ones for you!

---

Our Favorite Things to Do in Glenwood Springs

After some in-depth research, I came up with a plan that included a variety of exciting activities. Since we had only two days there, I had to make sure we really used our time wisely. So, this is what we ended up doing: On day one, we hiked to some beautiful places in the area, then soaked in the hot springs pools; on day two, we visited Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park and had a blast checking out their fun rides and cave tours. These, to us, were some of best things to do in Glenwood Springs, and we thoroughly enjoyed them all! Below, you will find all the details from our first day in this incredibly picturesque area.

Hike to Hanging Lake

Undoubtedly, one of the most popular attractions in the Glenwood Springs area is Hanging Lake. Tucked away high up among the cliffs of Glenwood Canyon, this small lake attracts large crowds of people from near and far. We were no exception and made sure we included it on our Colorado summer itinerary. Hubby and I had hiked up there a few years back, during the winter, but we knew summer would be a whole new experience. Our kids, on the other hand, had never visited and were excited to go. Angie, our older daughter, even put on a t-shirt I had previously given her, which read: “I HIKED HANGING LAKE.”

Start Early

On the day of our hike, we woke up around 6:00 am, and got dressed and ready to go. After a quick breakfast at our hotel, we headed towards the trailhead, which is located 7 miles outside Glenwood Springs, at exit 125 off I-70 East. It took us about 15 minutes to get there, and precisely at 6:55 am, we parked in one of the 10 precious spots that were still up for grabs. Yes, I actually counted the parking spaces that were still available, and this was exactly how many were left.

---

UPDATE: Parking near the Hanging Lake trailhead off I-70 is no longer allowed between May 1st and October 31st. During the summer months, you need to purchase a permit and ride the designated shuttle. Park and take the Hanging Lake Shuttle near The Hanging Lake Welcome Center at 110 Wulfsohn Road, Glenwood Springs CO 81601. Be sure to reserve your permit and shuttle tickets in advance right HERE!

---

Enjoy the Hike

---

Hanging Lake Trail: MODERATE, fairly steep and rocky path, 1.2 miles one way; begins at 6387 feet and ends at 7323 feet, for a total elevation gain of 936 feet.

TIP: Bring sturdy hiking boots or shoes, snacks, and plenty of water. Hiking poles can also come in handy. Use the restrooms and water fountains near the parking lot. There are no other facilities or drinking water along the trail.

---

We stepped out of the car, got our trusty hydration backpacks, and after a short visit to the restrooms, we were on our way. It all started very innocently with a smooth, well-paved path, which was actually a bike trail. Rising high above us were the impressive cliffs of Glenwood Canyon, and flowing calmly off to our right – the Colorado River. We followed this lovely path for about half a mile, before we reached the actual Hanging Lake trailhead. This is where the real work began.

Almost immediately, we found ourselves hiking and climbing over large rocks. Before long, we came to a short bridge which took us across the gently trickling Dead Horse Creek. Then, we continued hiking pretty much the same way. Fortunately, the morning was cool, the path was shady, and the views of the forest and canyon walls were stunning!

Count the Bridges

While the trail to Hanging Lake remained more or less the same, rocky and somewhat steep, there were some nice features that we really enjoyed. One such feature was the trail mileage markers to inform you how far you have gone. While it was not a trail that we wanted to end too quickly, it was nice to have an idea how far along we were. In a way, these small markers built the anticipation even more. Another fun feature were the short bridges over Dead Horse Creek we crossed from time to time. They are all numbered, and if you know that there are exactly 7 of them, you can keep track of how close to Hanging Lake you are getting.

Shortly before we reached the last bridge on the trail, we came to small, cascading waterfalls and a tiny wooden house with a bench inside. In fact, there were several benches at different points along the way, providing much more comfortable seating options than the rocks all around.

Final Approach

Right before we reached Hanging Lake, we came to a short stretch where the trail featured a handrail. The path lead to a number of large, rocky steps which took us to a breathtaking view of Glenwood Canyon.

All of us stood there admiring this stunning beauty, not realizing that a short line of people waiting to take a peek had formed. I frantically tried to snap a few photos of the kids and the canyon, while amusing everyone with my instructions: “Look this way, kids! Give me a smile! No! Make it natural! Don’t grin like that! Can you stand up straight? 1…2…3…Oh, come ooon! You closed your eyes!”

Hanging Lake Magic

After this crazed photo shoot, we climbed a few more large rocks, and there we were, standing on a boardwalk near Hanging Lake. We followed the boardwalk halfway around and stopped to admire its pristine, turquoise-green water. On the opposite side from where we stood, gentle waterfalls dripped in the lake completing the idyllic picture. It made me truly happy to hear that our kids reacted to this view with a prolonged: “Wooooow!” It was clear that they, too, were touched by the magic of this special place.

We made our way all the way around to the end of the boardwalk. There, on the nearby rocks, we spotted an adorable little bird with a bright blue body and a black mohawk on its head. Dani, our younger one, informed us this was a Steller’s Jay. Frankly, I felt proud and a little impressed that she had actually remembered this from either school or more likely, one of the National Park Junior Ranger booklets she had filled out at some point.

Spouting Rock

After we spent awhile longer admiring the sheer beauty all around, and after I took at least a hundred photos from every angle imaginable, it was time to go. But before we headed back down, there was one more attraction to see. We followed a very short, rocky trail up from Hanging Lake to Spouting Rock. Just like the name describes, this was a waterfall that seemed to be coming out from a large rock. It was a neat sight, and one the kids really enjoyed because it apparently reminded them of one of their favorite games, Minecraft. They informed me that this was the only place they had seen spouting rocks before. One of the fun things about this waterfall was that we could actually walk behind it, under the rock from which it poured.

Farewell

When we were finally done playing around and getting our clothes damp, it was time to head back down. It didn’t take us too long to return to the car and get a quick snack before heading out to the next adventure. On the way out of the Hanging Lake parking lot, we saw a long line of cars, and impatient visitors waiting for a parking spot. I couldn’t even imagine how long that would take, especially for the people at the end of the line!

Visit Rifle Falls State Park

Our next stop was Rifle Falls State Park. Frankly, we didn’t know too much about this place but were excited to check it out since it was recommended to us by a local. Rifle Falls State Park is located about 30 miles west of Glenwood Springs, so from Hanging Lake, it took us about an hour to get there.

See the Falls

We arrived at the park and found a parking spot not too far from the entrance. Then we got our hydration packs and started walking. It didn’t take us more than 5 or 6 minutes before we made our way to the park’s main attraction, Rifle Falls.

This was a fantastic, 80-foot, triple waterfall and we stood under it for quite some time filling our senses with the sights and sounds of the crashing water. Then we followed a short trail which took us up and behind one of the three falls. Who would have thought that in one day we would get to walk behind a waterfall twice!

After spending a few more minutes near the rushing water, we decided to explore a little, so we followed a narrow path leading away from the waterfall. To our surprise, it took us to small caves and dens in the nearby limestone rock. Our kids surely enjoyed squeezing through all the small cracks and spaces, and kept yelling, “Mama, take a picture of me…over here!”

Hike Coyote Trail

---

Coyote Trail: EASY path with some rocks along the way, 0.8 mile-loop

---

I opened the park map I was carrying, and noticed that there were more caves to see. These limestone caves were the other interesting feature of the park besides the triple Rifle Falls. There was a short loop, called Coyote Trail, that led not only to more caves but also to the top of the waterfalls. Naturally, we had to go check it out!

Limestone Caves

We made our way back to the bottom of the waterfall, then started following Coyote Trail from there.  Our kids were getting tired and hungry, but the thought of playing in more caves kept them from whining too much. Luckily, we didn’t have to walk for long before we came to a whole bunch of limestone caves of different shapes and sizes. The kids ran in and out, and had a good time exploring the dark corners with my iPhone’s built-in flashlight.

Top of Rifle Falls

When we were done playing in the caves, we continued following Coyote Trail. Before long, we came to a small overlook at the top of Rifle Falls. From there, we could easily see the crashing water down below. It was quite a fantastic view, indeed!

Unfortunately, by this point, the kids were starting to lose their cool. They were demanding lunch, and a break from walking. Not to mention, they were impatient to get to the next attraction on our itinerary, the Glenwood Hot Springs Pools. The girls had been looking forward to that for weeks! We hurried back to the car, and headed towards Glenwood Springs, making a quick stop at Rifle Falls Visitors Center to pick up a couple of Junior Ranger booklets for the kids.

When we got back to town, we ate a very quick lunch at Chomp’s Delicatessen, then we made a short stop at our hotel to put on our swimsuits. At last, we were ready for the long-awaited soak in the famous Glenwood Hot Springs Pools!

Soak in Glenwood Hot Springs Pools

If you ever plan a trip to Glenwood Springs, be sure you take a dip in the Hot Springs Pools, even if you don’t have time for anything else. Imagine swimming in the world’s largest hot springs pool, in cozy 90° F water! If that’s too chilly, you can relax in the soothing embrace of the hot pool, at 104° F! Feel like some diving and a few rides down the water slides? You can do it all while enjoying the beautiful views of the nearby mountains, and except for the water slides, which are closed during the winter, you can do it all year-round! To make it as convenient as possible, consider booking a room right at the Glenwood Hot Springs Resort. You will probably never want to leave!

The Pools

At Glenwood Hot Springs, there are two pools – a smaller, 104° F, therapy pool, and an amazingly large, 90° F main pool. Just to give you an idea, the “small,” therapy pool is 100 feet long, which is already as big as many swimming pools. Then, there is the main pool, which at 405 feet by 100 feet is absolutely enormous!

The water in the pools comes from the nearby Yampah Spring, which in the language of the Ute Indians means “big medicine.” Once you have experienced swimming and soaking in Glenwood Hot Springs Pools, you will totally understand why this is such a perfect name! The temperature of the water as it comes from the Yampah Spring is actually 122° F, but it is cooled off before it reaches the pools. Therefore, step right in, and don’t worry! You are not going to turn into an unfortunate, boiled lobster!

Other Fun Activities

If you have a lot of energy and need more than soaking and relaxing swimming, there are other things to do.  At one end of the main pool, you will find a diving area right next to several lap-swimming lanes. Then, there are also a couple of really fun water slides to enjoy, as well as some tasty soft-serve ice cream that we just couldn’t pass up. With all that, you can see how one could easily forget about any other plans for the day. Parents, you’re going to have a hard time getting the kids to leave. I am very much speaking from personal experience!

Get a Locker and Shower

We arrived at the pool around 3:30 in the afternoon, and after getting our tickets, towels, and a water slide pass, we were in. At this point, the kids were bouncing off the walls from excitement. Before jumping in the pools, however, we got changed, and  left our things in a locker. Fortunately, the locker rooms offered plenty of empty lockers, and they only cost a couple of quarters each. There was even a change machine, which came in handy since we didn’t have any coins on us.

After we put everything away, we noticed signs around the dressing room that asked us to shower before getting in the pools, so, we did. Then, we wrapped up in our towels and finally, made our way to the pool area…and this is when the real fun began!

Enjoy the Pools

The kids didn’t waste any time at all. They just ran towards the large pool, and started yelping and splashing around. They were finally in their element, and loved it. We joined them for a swim, which would have been incredibly relaxing if the kids didn’t want us to throw them in the water, and watch them do all kinds of tricks. The water felt like the perfect temperature, especially for someone like me, who easily gets shivering cold.

After we played around the main pool for awhile, I decided to move to the therapy pool and soak in 104 degrees of goodness. The kids followed me but felt a bit unsure about taking a dip in such hot water because. After all, 104 degrees Fahrenheit sounded like a pretty big number. They tested the temperature timidly with their feet, then slowly came down the steps into the pool. It was amazing to see their faces once they realized how amazing it felt. Angie even said: “Mama, this is great! I feel like the hot water is forcing me to relax! I can’t swim or splash!”

Ride the Water Slides

After the incredibly soothing dip in the therapy pool, the kids were ready for the water slides. We had an 8-ride pass, and the slides closed at 6:00, so it was time to head to that end of the pool area. When we got there, we found two fun-looking slides, a blue one and a larger, green one, which required the use of tubes. The kids, excited and shivering a little after the hot pool, lined up, then grabbed a double tube and ran up the stairs. Meanwhile, I waited at the bottom with my camera, ready to capture their faces. It wasn’t too long before I heard them screaming and laughing, and they came flying out of the green slide. After about three seconds, they were ready for another run!

Hubby and I also got to ride with them, and I have to say, it was a blast. After all of us tried the green slide, there were a couple of rides left on our pass, so the kids ran back up, and this time came down on the blue slide.

Try Diving

When we used up our passes, it was nearly 6 o’clock, and the water slides were about to close for the day. This, however, didn’t get our daughters too cranky. Actually, they were excited to move on to another favorite water activity – diving. They ran to the diving board, located near the water slides, and lined up behind all the other eager divers. At first, their jumps looked a bit uncoordinated, but with time and practice, they definitely improved. By the end of the evening, they even performed a few flips off the diving board for us.

The only break they took from the diving board was when we mentioned ice cream. All of us stopped at the snack bar and enjoyed a cone!

Find a Way to Leave

After the ice cream, we all relaxed and swam in the two pools for a short time. Then the kids decided they had to do some more diving. The fun at the diving board continued until dusk, and before we knew it, it was almost 9:00 o’clock. Hubby and I realized there wouldn’t be too many restaurants open for much longer. That meant, we had to find a way to get the kids to leave the pool as quickly as possible. Normally, this would be an arduous task, but after so many hours of water fun, their tummies were rumbling. So, without too much complaining, they followed us towards the locker rooms.

Enjoy a Meal

After everyone was dry, fairly well put together and ready to go, we made our way to The Italian Underground Restaurant. This was a place we had tried before on one of our previous visits to Glenwood Springs, and we enjoyed it. The kids were thrilled since they love Italian food, and especially Alfredo Sauce. So, they ordered they favorite specialty, and hubby and I enjoyed some wine with our meals. We found the ambiance at this particular restaurant very pleasant, but there are certainly many other great dining options in Glenwood Springs, especially if you don’t go too late.

Many Options for Many Tastes

Here are a few other suggestions for good places to eat: Grab some yummy tacos at Slope & Hatch or enjoy a salad, a pasta dish, a grass fed burger or something else delicious at The Pullman. If you are in the mood for some Indian, go for Masala & Curry or try Nepal Restaurant for some Himalayan/Nepalese cuisine. Other good places are The Lost Cajun, Rocky Mountain Pizza and Glenwood Canyon Brewing Co. Take your pick and wind down with a delicious meal at the end of a perfect day. Then take away the memories, spread the word, and return back to Glenwood Springs for more adventures and fun!

Special Thanks

We would like to thank Glenwood Hot Springs for providing us with tickets to the hot pools as well as a water slide pass. We had an absolutely amazing time, and want to be sure to mention that while our visit to Glenwood Hot Springs was a sponsored activity, all opinions expressed in this article are our own. Many thanks also to Mr. Jeremy Gilley for recommending Rifle Falls State Park to us. It was a beautiful place to visit and explore, and totally worth the time and effort!

Resources to Help Plan Your Trip to Glenwood Springs

---

• Glenwood Hot Springs Resort: Pool, Lodge and Spa – Find all the information you need about Glenwood Hot Springs resort on this website, pool amenities information and pricing
• Guide for Hiking Hanging Lake – A good blog post with lots of tips and information about Hanging Lake Trail
• Hiking to Hanging Lake, Colorado – Stop by this web page to find out more about the hike up to Hanging Lake
• The Official Lodging, Dining & Activity Guide to Glenwood Springs – Here is the official website for Glenwood Springs. Stop by to discover everything there is to do in this beautiful Colorado town. If you are considering hiking to Hanging Lake, check out their Hanging Lake Hiking Trail Information
• Rifle Falls State Park, Colorado – This is the Rifle Falls information page by Colorado Parks & Wildlife. Stop by if you are planning a visit there, and be sure to look at this brochure and map of the park

Disclaimer

This post may contain affiliate links, which means that we will receive a small commission if you purchase something through these links. There is absolutely NO additional cost to you! We are affiliates of Booking.com and sincerely believe this is one of the best websites for booking accommodations. Thank you so much for choosing to use our affiliate links! These small commissions help us continue to update and run this website. 🙂

These activities took place on August 6, 2018.

---

PIN THIS POST! 🙂