Located 150 miles west of Denver along Interstate 70, Glenwood Springs is home to the largest mineral hot springs pool in the world. Established in 1888, the main pool spans the length of a football field and contains over a million gallons of natural mineral water.

Although the Ute Indians were the first ones to discover the healing powers of these magical waters, over the years many famous people have visited Glenwood Springs for therapeutic purposes. Doc Holiday came to ease his tuberculosis, Theodore Roosevelt spent an entire summer at the historic Hotel Colorado, and during WWII the pool was used by physiotherapists to rehabilitate injured soldiers. Today the historic bathhouse still stands, and a modern lodge was constructed in 1986 — and that’s a winning combination for wheelers and slow walkers.

The Lodge

Located across the street from the historic bathhouse, the Lodge at Glenwood Springs (www.hotspringspool.com) offers guests good access in comfortable and spacious rooms.

Accessible parking is located near the lodge, with barrier-free access to the main building and elevator access to all floors. Accessible room 325 is located on the third floor. The room features wide doorways and excellent pathway access. Furnishings include a 26-inch high king-sized bed with wheelchair access on both sides, an easy chair, a desk, an armoire, a small refrigerator and a microwave. There is also level access out to the patio through a large sliding glass door. Although it’s not technically a private patio, it’s pretty secluded and surrounded by shrubs.

The spacious bathroom features a full five-foot turning radius, and is equipped with a roll-in shower with grab bars, a hand-held showerhead and a portable shower bench. The toilet grab bars are located on the left and back walls (as seated), and the bathroom also has a roll-under sink.

There is also good access to the public areas of the lodge. Best of all, overnight guests receive complimentary access to the hot springs.

The Waters

Although it’s just a short walk from the lodge to the bathhouse, there are several flights of stairs along the route, so walking is not a good choice for wheelers and slow walkers. That said, there are several accessible parking places in front of the bathhouse, with good pathway access up to the front door. Inside, there’s plenty of room to roll around, with level access to the gift shop and changing areas.

Both the men’s and women’s changing rooms have an accessible toilet stall and a roll-in shower; however there is also a family changing room on the ground floor which has a roll-in shower with a fold-down shower bench.

Outside, there are two pools; the larger main pool and the smaller therapy pool. Lift access is available to both, so it depends on what water temperature you prefer. The main pool is usually around 93 degrees, while the therapy pool heats up to 104 degrees. Most of the kids gravitate to the big pool, so the therapy pool is usually a lot calmer.

And if you’d like a bite to eat, then be sure and stop by the Grill, located behind the main pool. There’s level access from outside, with plenty of room to navigate inside the restaurant. They serve up cooked-to-order omelets and eggs during the breakfast hour, and have a variety of sandwiches, soups, pizzas and treats to choose from the rest of the day. You can even dine outside if that’s your preference.

All in all, the folks at Glenwood Hot Springs did a great job of keeping the historic feel of the bathhouse, while adding modern access features. It’s a great place to relax, work out the kinks and just take in the beautiful surroundings.