Glenwood Springs / Aspen Trip
July 15-17, 2022
Written By: J.Couch
We set off from Denver towards Glenwood Springs on I70, headed out for a weekend camping trip. We have two nights reserved at Glenwood Canyon Resort along the Colorado river. Our tentative plans are to visit the hot springs in town and maybe run up to Aspen for the day to look around. Keep in mind that during the summer in Colorado we get a lot of thunderstorms rolling across the Rocky Mountains and these can cause you issues. One of the main highways through the middle of Colorado is I70. During the summer of 2020 there was a big fire in the Glenwood Canyon which now causes flash flood warnings when a storm rolls through and this can cause the highway to be shut down for safety concerns. Very understandable but puts a damper on summer plans for sure.
When we left Denver this afternoon this section of the canyon was closed. However, we talked to someone at the campground and they informed us that it would probably be open by the time we made it here. For safety reasons they close it down, once the rain has passed and the flash flood concern is no longer, they open it back up. The alternate routes are to drive north up to Steamboat or south to Aspen adding 2 to 3 more hours to your trip. Check the https://www.cotrip.org website for current road conditions and closures.
Along the way they did in fact open the canyon back up and we ended up making it to the canyon while it was open. There was a big black thunderstorm that was looming over the mountains to the south so we needed to get through the canyon before they closed it down again. We made it to camp, found our spot and set up just in time for the skies to open up with a torrential downpour, thunder and a lightning show just above our heads. It poured! I am not sure if they ever shut down the canyon again that evening but at that point it was no longer our concern. We settled in for the night, had dinner and watched some Netflix shows that we downloaded to the iPad.
We picked this campground with a spot that backs up to the Colorado river because of how beautiful the setting was. It is very peaceful with the flowing water and river sounds right off the back of our campsite. However, there is an east/west train line right across the river from the campground that we quickly realized at about 2:30 in the morning when a train came through rumbling like a thunderstorm and making sounds like a skill saw from the tracks all at the same time. At that time of the night, it’s not a pleasant sound by any means. Once we were back to sleep, another came by as our early morning walkup call around 6am. Even if you were a heavy sleeper, it would be a miracle to sleep through that experience.
The next morning, we sat by the river with our coffee and made plans for the day. This trip we wanted to go to the hot springs and maybe a day trip up to Aspen to see an art festival that they have going on this weekend. We called Iron Mountain Hot Springs and was able to get a time slot for 5-8 that evening. Keep in mind that there are (as of this writing) timed reservations that were put in place due to COVID but kept to help keep the crowds more manageable for a good soaking experience. If we would have planned a little farther ahead and in hind sight we would have tried to get a later time slot like 7-10 when it was a little cooler and the sun was going down. So, depending on what time of year that you may visit, that is something to keep in mind.
Off to Aspen for the day. Aspen is about an hour drive south of Glenwood Springs through a beautiful mountain valley. This time of the year the mountains are clear of snow but the green trees, red rocks with the background of blue sky and white clouds are very pretty. Parking in Aspen can be a little tricky but with some time and persistence you will eventually find something. We did find a place near the art show and walked through to check out some of the local art, there was a lot from out of town as well. For lunch we made a stop at a local Mexican restaurant called Su Casa Aspen (Permanently closed) right there in Aspen. The food was pretty good, we were able to get a Mexi-bowl with veggie crumbles to share and a delicious horchata. It was about the most vegan (plant based) thing that we could get at this place. They did have some other veggie tacos that may have been pretty good as well. I did forget to ask about the horchata since I have heard sometimes, they do make it with animal-based sweeteners. If you are vegan make sure that you check before you order. After lunch we walked more into town and found that they were having a Saturday market as well, it’s hard to pass up a good Saturday market. Over all Aspen is very pretty town in the summer as well as the winter. There are a lot of shops and restaurants to explore and plenty of activities going on. But bring your checkbook because this is where the rich come to play and spend money.
We headed back to camp for a bit to relax before heading to the Iron Mountain hot springs. Currently it’s 85 degrees, we have a 5 o’clock reservation time so I hope it cools off a little before then. Not sure how well this will go with how warm it is outside still.
Glenwood Springs, is only about a 10-minute drive from the campground, so a very quick trip from the campground to the hot springs. We did not bring our bikes this time but you can ride your bikes into town fairly easy from the campground as well. It was a little warm for the hot springs and we spent much of our time in the cooler pools instead of the 105 and 108, those were a little much this trip. Back in the late fall we came here and at that time we spent a lot of time in the hotter pools. If you are planning a trip to the Iron Mountain keep in mind that you are not allowed to bring in outside drinks but you can bring a water bottle and fill it up inside. They provide towels for you as well so no need to bring your own if you don’t want to. There are multiple pools along winding paths with the Colorado river as a backdrop. Each pool is a different temperature what is marked on a sign near the entrance to the pool. They fluctuate during the day so they come by and test the water and update them when needed. There are food and drinks there if you are hungry and the cooler pool at the north side of the property seems to be where a lot of the families hang out. I have heard rumors that they are working on an adult only section but from the looks of it may be a year or so off. We will have to make another trip when that opens up. We did have a great time and spent a good hour talking to a very nice couple that was new to Denver as well. Now time to head back to camp for a campfire then to bed.
We finished off the evening with some snacks and drinks by the campfire, listening to the crackle of the fire and the endless flow of water rushing by. An occasional rafter floated by trying to make it to the end before the sun had finally set for the day. It has been a long but enjoyable day and the weather held out for us this afternoon. Those pesky thunderstorms can sneak up on you some days, if not most summer days.
Up again to a beautiful sunny morning, the birds are chirping the river is flowing. Everyone is packing up and heading out for their adventures for the day or moving on to the next camping spot or back home. We made some breakfast and packed up for our trip back home. Overall, it has been a great and relaxing weekend in the western slope of Colorado but time to get back home. We really enjoy this area of Colorado and hope to be back over this way again soon.
There are many things to do in the Glenwood Springs area, white water rafting down the Colorado River with Defiance Rafting Company. Ride the highest looping roller coaster in the US at the amusement park on top of a mountain at Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park. Hiking and biking along the Glenwood Canyon Hiking Biking Trail. If you are anything like me, look for your golf ball at Glenwood Springs Golf Club. Get awesome views of the mountains from the skies high above at Adventure Paragliding. Soak in the hot springs at Glenwood Hot Springs Pool or our favorite Iron Mountain Hot Springs. Visit the cute little historic downtown area of Glenwood Springs for shops, restaurants and brew pubs. Don’t forget to visit the old Linwood Cemetery where Doc Holliday was buried, see if you can find his grave. Fair warning, it is not the easiest to find, but follow the signs and it is a hike to the top to get there. But worth the view down the valley, it is very pretty and the hike is not too bad.
We do not get paid by you clicking on any of the links provided above, they have been added for you to easily get to the information to these places, but please get out there and wander and help out local businesses.
Thanks for wandering with us,
The Wandering Couchs
Jon & Heather Couch
