Of course all it takes is one soak in those world famous hot springs and it’s hard to get the quaint, mountain hamlet off your mind.

“The main reason people come to Glenwood Springs is to relax and enjoy the charm of a small town,” says Marianne Virgili, President and CEO of the Glenwood Springs Chamber Resort Association.

A year-round community of 8,500 residents, Glenwood Springs, which sits at an elevation of 5,700 feet, isn’t like other resort villages that empty out in the summer or winter.

“It’s a real mountain community,” gushes Virgili. “It has a small-town atmosphere – that’s what our visitors tell us. They say it’s different then Aspen or Vail in that it has that unique small-town character.”

Major attractions include the world’s largest hot springs swimming pool, Glenwood Springs Pool, and Glenwood Caverns, called one of The 10 Great Places to Go Underground by USA Today.

On top of that don’t forget world-class rafting, beautiful biking and hiking trails, nearby Sunlight Mountain Ski Resort and a newly opened whitewater kayak park.

“What’s really fun for me is soaking in the hot springs pool in the winter – you can literally be soaking in the pool with snowflakes falling all around you,” Virgili says about the popular summer and winter tourist destination.

With 1,500 hotel rooms, Glenwood Springs invites two million visitors each year to sample its pure mountain air.

Located along Interstate I-70, Aspen is only about a 40-minute drive away and Denver two and a half hours away. The closest airports are the Vail/Eagle County Regional Airport, a 20-minute drive from Glenwood Springs, and the Aspen/Pitkin County Airport, a 50-minute drive away.

Or travel by train to the community through scenic Glenwood Canyon on the Amtrak.

Walking tours abound in the mountain city, many of which wind through Glenwood Springs’ downtown area of small shops and eateries.

Virgili points out that like in larger cities, her mountain community marries technology with history and sightseeing – via Segway. Hop on a Segway at the Sacred Grounds Coffeehouse & Deli on Grand Avenue.

Settled in the late 19th century, Glenwood Springs is steeped in history and historical attractions.

The final resting place of Wyatt Earp’s companion dentist “Doc” Holliday is located a short walk up part of Jasper Mountain to Linwood Cemetery, where each year actors portray some of Glenwood Springs’ more famous citizens of the past.

The Frontier Historical Museum on Colorado Avenue brings visitors back in time for a look at how the community got its start and some prominent events to happen since then.

The Cardiff coke ovens mark an important part of mining history for the area. The ovens were used to superheat coal to remove impurities. Remnants of the coke ovens are listed on the National Register of Historic Places and can still be seen today.

Not all history is for the eyes and ears.

The Yampah Spa Vapor Caves, located near the Hot Springs Pool, are geothermal caves open to the public. Inside the natural sauna caves, which opened in 1896, are marble benches for relaxation, where visitors can soak in the 112 degree Fahrenheit temperatures.

At the world famous Hot Springs Pool, water from the Yampah spring comes out of the ground at 124 degrees Fahrenheit. Once it reaches the pool, it’s cooled to 96 degrees Fahrenheit. The Hot Springs Pool has a daily flow of 3,500,000 gallons of water.

In a smaller therapy pool off of the 405 foot long, 100 foot wide big pool, temperatures reach 104 degrees Fahrenheit.

“It’s a natural phenomenon – very hot water, loaded with minerals, bubbles up through vents that were created back when all the tectonic plates were moving,” describes Barbara Clarke, Director of Sales and Marketing for the Hot Springs Lodge & Pool. “The Ute Indians, who settled this area of the state, were the first ones to come to understand that there were healing properties in that mineral water.

“Originally the hot springs were all about healing; people would come from all over the country, all over the world, to sit in the mineral springs and it was at that time that many healings and recoveries were attributed to the minerals in the water. Now and in recent past, the hot springs pool as you see it today is primary a recreation facility.”

Year-round residents agree – Glenwood Springs is a nexus for outdoor adventure and relaxation and a perfect location to visit summer or winter.

“You can go on vacation here, where we specialize in such great soft adventure because we sit on the Colorado River,” says Clarke, a resident of Glenwood Springs herself. “Horseback riding, hiking, bicycling; there are so many trails, so many places to go and so many beautiful things to see.

“And after you’ve had a day on your bike or hiking or on the river, then you will also have the opportunity to come to a spa, where you can sit in the pool, relax in the therapy pool or swim your laps in the regular pool if you want to.”

Cathedral mountains and clear blue lakes may be the quintessential Rocky Mountain high, but some people are happy enough with a good, hot soak while watching the snow fall after a full day of outdoor fun.

If you go

Where to stay:

At the Hot Springs Lodge & Pool in the heart of Glenwood Springs, you’re only a short walk away from the world famous hot springs pool and spa, as well as an athletic club, waterslides, a kiddie pool, mini golf and the downtown area with its eateries, shops and historical attractions.

Standard rooms at the Lodge run for between $139 a night between October and mid-March to $219 during peak weekends from mid-June through mid-August. Rooms include free access to the pool and a continental breakfast.

This fall keep your eyes peeled for the Lodge’s new wellness spa to open inside the historic 1888 red sandstone bathhouse. The $5.7 million renovation to 17,000 square feet of the building will feature a specially designed spinning studio and a yoga and pilates studio, sound insulated so “when you’re doing your dead-man pose at the end of a hard workout you can have some quiet,” said Barbara Clarke, Director of Sales and Marketing for the Lodge.

“It’s not a spa about how much money can I spend on a facial – it’s a spa about what I need to be well. So our focus is on relaxation, it’s on restorative procedures,” Clarke said. “The kind of spa that we are building is like the spas that we see all over Europe – every destination now has its own wellness spa because relaxation and healing is all a part of your vacation experience.”

Visit www.hotspringspool.com for more information on the Hot Springs Lodge & Pool, or call 1-800-537-SWIM.

What to see:

At the Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park, you’ll find spelunking, great mountain views and thrill rides go hand-in-hand-in-hand.

Take a ride up the Iron Mountain Tramway to the Adventure Park, where at the top thrill seekers can strap themselves into the Canyon Flyer – the first alpine coaster in the U.S. – or take a swing over Glenwood Canyon on the Swing Shot, where you’ll swing 1,300 feet above the Colorado River attached by nothing more than a safety harness.

When you’ve had enough fun above ground, take a tour underground – by foot or on your hands and knees.

The Cavern’s Cave Tours include the Walking Tour, the Adventure Tour and the Wild Tour. On the Adventure and Wild Tours, prepare to get a little dirty as you don lighted helmets, kneepads and elbow pads and shimmy through tight cave crevices on your belly, as well as cracks as small as 18 inches. This is not for the claustrophobic!

Founded in the late 1800s, the Fairy Caves were opened to visitors in 1895 by Charles Darrow, a Glenwood Springs attorney.

Caver and tour guide Cindy Hays said that when they first opened, the Fairy Caves were toured primarily by socialites because of the high cost of a tour.

“[Guests] were dressing in their best clothes because (Darrow) was charging a really major amount of money back then,” said Hays on her tour. "So it was a very special, high-end occasion to come in here. People were wearing their designer outfits and their coats and ties, walking up this hill…and sliding down here in their best clothes.”

Deep within the historic Fairy Caves you’ll come across King’s Row, the most highly decorated cave room in Colorado. But be careful what you touch – stalagmites and stalactites take thousands of years to form and can easily be destroyed.

Find more information at www.glenwoodcaverns.com.

Planning Your Trip:

Visit www.glenwoodchamber.com to book a vacation, vacation package, hotel room or preview activities. Visitors can also print a vacation guide from the website. Call 1-888-4-Glenwood for more information.