Old Town Hot Springs (Steamboat Springs) - Hot Springs in Colorado
07/15/2020
Steamboat Springs, Colorado is the town that has produced the largest number of Winter Olympic athletes in the United States.
I took a closer look at the hidden side of this ski resort town as a hot spring resort.
Mineral springs tour
Steamboat Springs, a famous winter sports resort, offers a must-see for hot spring enthusiasts: the Mineral Springs Tour.
In the early 1900 s, after settlers started to live in the area where had been inhabited by the Ute Tribe, many tourists gathered from over the country with the aim of mineral springs.
Sweetwater and Lake Spring
Today it is much less represented compared to the huge resource of tourism as a ski resort.
Iron Spring was almost dried up.
The 73 degrees F water had oil film due to the lack of supply of water.
Iron Spring
At Soda Spring, the water’s natural flow was completely disrupted by the construction of the highway in the late 1970s.
It was said that visitors often enjoyed lemonade made of the spring water, because it contained rich in carbonation and less sulfurous taste.
Soda Spring
Sulphur Spring had bluish water intensively bubbling at 73 degrees F.
Sulphur Spring
Alpaca
It looks like a fountain of a park…
Is this okay for natural preservation?
Capybara
Lithia Spring at the edge of downtown had milky-white water at 72 degrees F.
Lithia Spring
Lithium is used for effective treatment for bipolar affective disorder.
When it was difficult to produce Lithium by the industry, drinking springs water containing a high content of lithium had been the approach to treatment.
Black Sulphur Spring
At Black Sulphur Spring, a white mineral spring spouted out of its own water, just past the track of a freight train.
The water temp was 70 degrees F.
Steamboat Spring
At Steamboat Spring, the warm, blue-black water was bubbling at 79 degrees Celsius.
In the late 1800s, the geyser spouted up to thirteen feet high and made a rumbling sound like a steamboat, which is said to be the origin of the town's name.
Terrace Spring
Later, the geyser's activity weakened due to the construction of the railroad in 1909.
What a mess!
Sulphur Cave
Sulphur Cave was located on a hill overlooking the town.
The cave was almost vertical due to the activity of the mineral spring that springs at 61 degrees F.
Heart Springs
None of the mineral springs I have toured so far are for soaking, and the water temps are too low.
Aside from Strawberry Park Hot Springs in the suburbs, the only other spring available for soaking is located in Old Town Hot Springs.
A hot spring enthusiast based in Japan. Toured over 300 North American hot springs while working in Texas from 2016 to 2022. For updates, visit X or Instagram!