Glenwood Springs

The last (tiny) ski town for travelers heading west on Interstate 70 from Denver, Glenwood Springs is perfectly situated between Aspen, Vail, and Grand Junction. The town is most famous for its namesake springs — two natural hot pools, one of which is 405 by 100 feet, both in a giant tourist-trap area near the regal but worn Colorado Hotel. Due to its proximity to Aspen, you'd think Glenwood Springs would be a ritzy kind of mountain town, the way it was from the late 1800s to the mid-20th century, when Teddy Roosevelt and Al Capone used to stay at downtown hotels such as the Colorado and the Denver. It's actually modest and tourist-focused, ...

The last (tiny) ski town for travelers heading west on Interstate 70 from Denver, Glenwood Springs is perfectly situated between Aspen, Vail, and Grand Junction. The town is most famous for its namesake springs — two natural hot pools, one of which is 405 by 100 feet, both in a giant tourist-trap area near the regal but worn Colorado Hotel. Due to its proximity to Aspen, you'd think Glenwood Springs would be a ritzy kind of mountain town, the way it was from the late 1800s to the mid-20th century, when Teddy Roosevelt and Al Capone used to stay at downtown hotels such as the Colorado and the Denver. It's actually modest and tourist-focused, with the large hot-springs pool on one side of town and a strip of low-key shops and cafes on the other. The Colorado River, which runs along Interstate 70, created a 17-mile stretch known as Glenwood Canyon, and it's very difficult to concentrate on the road while staring up at the towering red-and-brown canyon walls.

About the Expert

Steve Knopper is the Denver-based author of Moon Handbooks Colorado as well as a contributor to numerous Fodor's city guides.