Colorado’s deepest hot spring sits in a tiny town with 300 days of sun

It’s built on ancient healing waters

Pagosa Springs sits at 7,100 feet in southwest Colorado, right in the middle of the San Juan Mountains.

The San Juan River cuts through the center of downtown, and 2.5 million acres of national forest wrap around the town in every direction.

The name “Pagosa” comes from the Ute word for “healing waters,” and once you understand what’s underground here, that name makes sense.

Four distinct seasons and about 300 days of sunshine a year keep people coming back, but the real draw runs much deeper than the weather.

The world’s deepest hot spring has no known bottom

The Southern Ute Indian Tribe discovered the Mother Spring long before anyone thought to measure it. They considered it sacred ground.

So did the Navajo, Apache, and Ancestral Puebloans, all of whom soaked in these waters for centuries before settlers showed up. In 2011, Guinness World Records sent a team to measure the depth.

Their device ran out of line at 1,002 feet and never hit bottom. The water comes up to about 144 degrees Fahrenheit.

Nobody knows how far down it actually goes.

Three hot springs and free riverside soaking pools

The Mother Spring feeds mineral water to three developed soaking spots right in town. The Springs Resort lines the San Juan River with more than 50 pools, each set to a different temperature.

Overlook Hot Springs puts you on a rooftop with mountain views while you soak.

Healing Waters Resort and Spa has been filling its pools with undiluted natural mineral water since the 1950s.

If you’d rather skip the entrance fee, free primitive pools along the San Juan River stay open around the clock.

Wolf Creek gets 430 inches of snow a year

Wolf Creek Ski Area sits on Wolf Creek Pass between Pagosa Springs and South Fork, and it averages about 430 inches of natural snowfall a year. That’s more than any other ski resort in Colorado.

You get 1,600 skiable acres, 133 trails, and 10 lifts spread across beginner to expert terrain. The family that owns it has kept lift lines short and prices low compared to the big-name Colorado resorts.

If you’ve ever wanted to ski deep snow without fighting crowds, this is where you go.

A 105-foot waterfall named after buried French gold

Treasure Falls drops 105 feet off the mountainside about 15 miles east of town along Highway 160, near Wolf Creek Pass. The hike to the base runs about a third of a mile with a moderate uphill push.

Two lookout points give you different angles: the Blowout overlook and the Misty Deck, where the spray hits your face.

The name comes from a legend about French gold miners who buried treasure in the mountain back in the late 1700s. Come winter, the whole waterfall freezes into a solid column of ice.

Chimney Rock lines up with the moon every 18 years

About 20 miles west of town, Chimney Rock National Monument covers 4,726 acres where Ancestral Puebloans built more than 200 homes and ceremonial buildings roughly 1,000 years ago.

Two rock spires, Chimney Rock and Companion Rock, frame a rare lunar alignment that only happens every 18. 6 years.

President Obama designated the site a National Monument in 2012.

You can take guided or self-guided tours from mid-May through mid-October and walk the same ground those ancient builders worked.

Tube right through downtown on the San Juan River

When summer hits, you can float a two-mile stretch of the San Juan River straight through the middle of Pagosa Springs. The river runs through a whitewater park section with small rapids right in the center of town.

May and June bring snowmelt that raises the water enough for guided whitewater rafting trips through nearby canyons. By July and August, the flow calms down and tubing takes over.

North of town, the Piedra River also runs rafting trips for different skill levels.

Four waterfalls sit within a short drive of town

Treasure Falls gets the most foot traffic because it’s right off Highway 160, but three other waterfalls wait nearby. Piedra Falls drops over volcanic cliffs about a half-mile hike from the trailhead.

Fourmile Falls takes a moderate three-mile hike north of town, and from the trail, you can see Pagosa Peak and Eagle Mountain. Silver Falls hides up East Fork Road east of downtown.

You can hit all four in a single day if you start early and pack a lunch.

Hot air balloons float over elk and alpine lakes

Hot air balloon rides have been lifting off from Pagosa Springs for decades.

Flights go up in the calm early morning air and carry you over mountain peaks, alpine lakes, and canyons you can’t reach by road. From the basket, you might spot elk, deer, wild turkeys, ospreys, and bald eagles below.

Every September since 1986, the ColorFest Balloon Rally has filled the sky with more than 30 balloons during mass ascensions. The event also brings a balloon glow at night, a food festival, and live music.

Geothermal heat grows vegetables and brews beer

Pagosa Springs puts its hot spring energy to work beyond soaking.

The Geothermal Greenhouse Partnership runs three geodesic grow domes along the San Juan Riverwalk downtown.

Those domes grow fresh vegetables year-round using hot spring heat and solar power, and much of the produce goes to local food pantries.

The town’s geothermal system also heats downtown buildings and clears snow off the sidewalks in winter. A local brewery even runs geothermal water through its brewing process.

Colorado’s largest wilderness starts right outside town

The Weminuche Wilderness stretches across nearly 500,000 acres, making it Colorado’s largest, and you can reach it from Pagosa Springs.

The Continental Divide Trail passes through the wilderness, with access from Wolf Creek Pass about 20 miles east of town.

Pagosa Peak rises to about 12,640 feet and serves as the backdrop you see from just about everywhere in town. More than 650 miles of trails fan out from the area for hiking, mountain biking, and horseback riding.

Mesa Verde National Park and its cliff dwellings sit about two hours west.

Skijoring, disc golf, and a folk festival downtown

The San Juan Riverwalk winds through downtown past hot springs, parks, and the geothermal greenhouses. Reservoir Hill rises right above the center of town with hiking and mountain biking trails, plus a disc golf course.

Summer brings the Folk ‘N Bluegrass Festival and Four Corners Folk Festival.

WinterFest in January pulls out skijoring, a polar plunge, and hot air balloon flights over the snow.

About 1,600 people call this place home, and downtown keeps a quiet, small-town pace with local shops lining the streets.

Soak and explore in Pagosa Springs, Colorado

You can find Pagosa Springs in southwest Colorado, about 60 miles east of Durango.

The town sits at 7,100 feet in the San Juan Mountains, with 2.5 million acres of national forest and Colorado’s largest wilderness area surrounding it.

The world’s deepest geothermal hot spring is right in the center of town, certified by Guinness World Records.

Start at the Riverwalk downtown, pick a hot spring to soak in, and go from there. For hours, directions, and current rates, check the official website before you head out.

This article was created with AI assistance and human editing.

Read more from this brand:

• Colorado’s free gondola town sits in a box canyon at 8750 feet
• Chipmunks now run the place in Colorado’s sky-high ghost town
• Earth’s Longest Dinosaur Trackway is Hiding in This Sky-High Colorado Ski Town