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Sybaris in the Rockies: Strawberry Park Hot Springs
147-degree water cools off on its way down the
mountainside
Massage with a view: the cottage at Strawberry
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STEAMBOAT SPRINGS,
COLORADO—
I have driven on 4 wheel-drive
off-highway trails that have made my neck hair stand on
end but that carried nary a warning sign at the trailhead.
That's why the official signs on County Road 36 just outside
Steamboat Springs, Colorado, riveted my attention. I regret
that I didn't stop to take a photo. There were a couple of
them just after the road left the pavement and began the uphill
grade to our destination -- the famous Strawberry Park Hot
Springs. The first set of signs declared that "Studded
Snow Tires or 4-WD and Chains are Required." A mile or
so later the signs raised the ante: "Vehicles Without
the Required Equipment Prohibited Beyond This Sign."
Ye gads, I thought, since the vehicle I was driving was certainly
missing at least two of the required traction elements, and
the road was wet and muddy since it had been raining for a
couple of days. It turns out, however, that all the official
hyperbole applies to winter driving conditions found between
November 1 and May 1. The road does have some steep and curiously
banked sections that have probably led to extensive winching
operations to remove vehicles that slid off the road when
their drivers should have walked or hitched a ride with the
shuttle service provided from town.
Strawberry Park Hot Springs is about seven
miles from downtown Steamboat Springs on County Road 36.
Most of the road is paved, but the last three miles are gravel.
If your driving skills don't quite match the weather and road
conditions when you visit, there are a number of shuttle services,
or you can hike in from the parking area about two miles from
the resort. But whatever it takes to get there, this is a
place you have to visit. It has been called the nicest developed
hot springs in Colorado, and I seriously doubt there could
another one as appealing.
The owners have built stone walls to enclose
warm and hot pools with sandy bottoms alongside a rushing,
frigid mountain stream. Hot water (147 degrees Fahrenheit)
cascades down the hillside and joins a series of streams that
are strategically mixed with the cooler stream water to yield
ideal soaking temperatures ranging from 101 to 106 degrees.
The hot water moves from the upper pools to lower pools before
returning to the snow-melt of the natural stream. The hot
water running under the floor in the stone-walled changing
room warms the rocks and makes a pleasant to place to disrobe
even on coolish days and at night. In addition, there is teepee
if one wants a little more privacy.
The resort also offers a variety of massage
services, the opportunity to stay overnight in private
huts, two covered wagons, and even a train caboose. The massage
cottage is situated on the edge of the rushing stream, is
heated by a wood-burning stove, and is built in a way to create
privacy while still being only a few footsteps away from the
main pools. Rebecca Lommel, a long-time roadtripper and massage
connoisseur said that her massage was the best she has ever
experienced anywhere in the world. There is also a private
soaking pool and rock cabin located across the stream.
How
to Get There -- More on Page 2>
