Strawberry Park Forever

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In addition to being a beautiful ski resort, Steamboat Springs boasts an abundance of natural hot springs. The most frequently recommended was Strawberry Park Hot Springs.

We were forewarned by our hotel that the last 2 miles of the 7 mile trip were unpaved and rough. It wasn't an issue with our truck but we were a little unsure of the procedure when we arrived at the parking area. After observing other people, we eventually figured out that we should take our change of clothes, some water and walk down to the re-purposed painted camper truck. We then paid $12 cash apiece. There were other amenities available for an added cost such as bottled water, a towel, postcard, and even a massage session, but we opted to stay with the basic entry. Walking further, we found a large bathroom on the right and changed there. We then followed a walkway to a very cute complex of pools of various temps including an ice cold one for the most daring. Surrounding the pools were multiple Hobbit-like buildings and a teepee. From the map (see attached image), it appears that visitors can also stay in tents or cabins.

We left our towels and dry clothes in one of the buildings and slipped into the nearly scalding first pool. We met some very nice fellow travelers. We were advised by one experienced hot spring soaker to sit for no more than 15 minutes in the first pool we were in and to continually hydrate through drinking water. Staying hydrated has been a frequent admonition since coming to Colorado either to counter altitude sickness or to now avoid hyperthermia.

It was very easy to become accustomed to the hot water even though our skin turned pretty pink, but we only ventured briefly into the pool with the next step down in temp, and never into the icy outer pool. It was a really relaxing experience and great facility.

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