Do you like hiking? Do you like hot springs? Do you like hiking to hot springs? If so, a trip to Rainbow Hot Springs should be in your future. This remote, natural, undeveloped hot springs is a joy at the end of a beautiful trail.

The Rainbow Hot Springs Trail starts at the West Fork Trailhead outside of Pagosa Springs. If you're visiting The Springs Resort in Pagosa, then a hike to Rainbow Hot Springs is a great addition. While The Springs Resort is absolutely lovely and is one of the best hot springs resorts in Colorado, it's a luxury resort for a high-end, classy experience. It's a wonderful place to relax and be pampered and to relax in a vast number of maintained hot springs pools at a variety of different temperatures. It's truly fantastic.

Rainbow Hot Springs is at the opposite end of the spectrum of hot springs, but it is equally lovely and fantastic in an entirely different way. The two hot springs pools that make up Rainbow Hot Springs are located on the bank of the San Juan River. Hot water enters the river from its sides into the cooler, flowing river; visitors have created hot springs pools by stacking rocks, and you can adjust the pool's temperature by moving rocks to allow or prevent cool water from entering the pool. This type of hot spring pool is as natural as it gets, and its beauty is the fact it is so primitive.

You'll love relaxing in these hot springs pools after the long hike to reach them. To get to the trailhead, you'll go northeast from Pagosa Springs on US 160 for 16 miles; turn left on West Fork Campground Road (CR 648) and continue seven miles to the West Fork Trailhead.

From there, you'll follow the trail for about four or five miles past the Borns Lake cabins until you come to the campground. The hot springs can be reached by following trails down to the water near sites six, seven, and eight. Look for stacked rocks in the water to located Rainbow Hot Springs - and get in!

There's an upper and lower pool here; be sure to try both. The lower pool averages about 95 degrees, but the smaller, upper pool runs about 105. Both pools will be quite pleasant after your hike.

Of course, remember to pack out whatever you brought in to help keep Rainbow Hot Springs beautiful for other visitors.

You will have experienced about 1000 feet of elevation gain on your hike to Rainbow Hot Springs, but don't worry - it's almost entirely downhill on the way back to your car. This hike is beautiful - you'd be sure to enjoy it even if it didn't have a pair of hot springs at its end - so be sure to take your time along the way and take lots of pictures. Rainbow Hot Springs is an adventure worth undertaking! You'll love this hike and soak combination - plan a visit today.