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Along the Colorado River,
this natural hot springs mineral water has served
residents and visitors for well over a century.
Cleansing Vapors For Centuries
The Ute Indians took advantage of the caves
curative powers for hundreds of summers before white men
discovered the area in the mid-1800s. The original Ute
cave was on the south side of the river and was used until
1887, when it was sealed over by the railroad. Vapor Cave
#3 was developed along with the Hot Springs complex in the
1880s, when the cave received an enclosed entrance,
electric lights and marble benches. Men and women bathers
had separate bathing times and, for modestys sake, wore
heavy linen bags with a draw string at the neck.
From A
Walking Tour of Downtown Glenwood Springs,
Frontier Historical Museum
Today,
Yampah Spa, Vapor Caves & Mineral Baths take the hot
mineral waters naturally high in sulphur and other
therapeutic minerals and create a modern day spa with all
of the comforts you'd expect in a World-Class Colorado Day
Spa.
Those
Good Old Days In Glenwood Springs
The hot springs and mineral caves in Glenwood
Springs are not only a prime attraction to tourists today,
but were a main reason for the settlement of this city.
Long before the white man came to this area,
the hot springs were well known to Indian tribes for their
healing aspects. The tribe in possession of the Yampah
Hot Springs possessed the big medicine of that time (Yampah
meaning big medicine in Indian language).
Glenwoods Early Days
There were 50 hot springs on both sides of
the Grand River when white men first came here, with an
aggregated flow of 6,000 gallons of mineral waters a
minute and a temperature of 127 degrees F. The sulpo-saline-alkaline
medicinal waters are world-renowned for their therapeutic
value for both bathing and drinking. Natural vapor caves
were found in Glenwood when palefaces first stopped by.
Those on the town side were the most generally used and
average temperature of the caves was 112 degrees F.
Nellie Duffy
The Glenwood Post
The
Vapor Caves Today
Visitors to the 100 year old Yampah Spa and
Vapor Caves continue to experience a long tradition of
healing and rejuvenation. The caves and a wide range of
excellent spa treatments combine to purify body and spirit
as they soothe away aches and pains.
In addition to the revitalizing vapors of the
underground cave chambers, the spa features a full range
of contemporary health and beauty treatments: massage,
facials, herbal body mud treatments and private natural
mineral baths.
Today the Vapor Caves consist of three
adjoining underground rock chambers. Visitors descend a
stairway inside the main building and pass through a stone
corridor into the caves. An atmosphere of well-being
pervades throughout the soothing stillness of the caves.
Relax on slab marble benches in the rocky alcoves, and
inhale the natural steam vapor in the warm, dimly-lit cave
chambers. Stress and tension melt away effortlessly.
Cave temperatures average 110 -112 degrees F.,
allowing repeated visits of 10 -12 minutes separated by
brief rests in a nearby cooling room, or upstairs in the
spacious solarium. Cold water and small tubs are also
available for cooling off in the caves.
The hot springs source is in the hillside
behind the spa. The natural, untreated therapeutic water
contains 34 minerals and trace elements, and is especially
high in sulfate, nitrate, zinc and potassium. The hot
springs water flows through the caves at a simmering 125
degrees F. by way of narrow, shallow channels.
The present spa owners undertook an extensive
renovation in 1990. They completely rebuilt the former
structure, replaced plumbing and wiring, and remodeled the
entire interior. Present facilities include separate
dressing rooms and showers for men and women, many
individual massage rooms and a bright solarium with a
skylight and fountain. An adjacent wing of the spa
contains natural mineral bath soaking tubs and the spas
exceptional body cleansing, toning and beauty treatment
area. A full service salon added in 1994 offers complete
personal care for hair, facial, skin, nails and waxing. |
