The Springs Resort and Spa in Pagosa Springs, Colorado Is About to Double in Size and Soon Will Be Twice as Nice

Hot springs are amazing for countless reasons, and I am a huge fan. I've visited hot springs all over Colorado, the west, Canada, Central America, and even Iceland. I've loved every single one, and these days, I seek them out wherever I go. Every visit to one is a life changing experience for me - and I'm really not exaggerating when I say that! I love them.

I'd visited The Springs Resort and Spa in Pagosa Springs, Colorado once long ago as a day guest, back in the early days of my love affair with hot springs. At the time, I thought it was lovely, but I'd never again had the chance to return. Now that I was much more experienced with hot springs in both Colorado and elsewhere, I knew that I was long overdue to go back to The Springs Resort and Spa, one of the most extensive and best rated options in The Centennial State.

October was a perfect time to go. I'd had a busy summer and knew I had a lot going on in November and December, too, so it was a great time a break. The foliage in Colorado in October is lovely, so I knew I wouldn't mind the five-hour drive to Pagosa Springs from Denver much. And, I knew that the weather would be cool enough to enjoy the pleasure of hot springs without having to bear intense cold when getting out of one.

This time, I stayed on site and took advantage of everything The Springs has to offer - and those offerings are vast! Over the course of three days and nights, there was never a dull moment, and I found plenty of different things to fill my time beyond simply soaking and resting. Not only does this resort offer luxurious accommodations, several dining options, and twenty-five hot springs pools, but it also has a full schedule of activities. I made an effort to try almost every single one.

Hot springs are good for the mind, body, and soul, and that's why I love them so much. Everyone needs - no, deserves! - a retreat every once in a while, and there's no better place to "get away from it all" for complete rejuvenation and invigoration than a hot springs. Everything about The Springs Resort and Spa is the embodiment of these facts, and you can feel that in every aspect of the place from the moment you arrive until you sadly must depart.

The staff lives and breathes this, too, and you can feel their enthusiasm for the place they work and the experience they provide there in every interaction. The Springs Resort and Spa is somewhat unique in that they have somewhat recently welcomed Dr. Marcus Coplin to the staff. Dr. Coplin is a medical doctor who focuses on alternative medicine, with a specific focus on balneology - the science of the therapeutic use of baths.

He's spent years studying this science and is extremely knowledgable about the history and benefits of water-based therapies. If you give him the chance, he'll tell you as much as you care to know. He'll tell you that in Europe, balneology is much more appreciated and revered, and that Europeans have a much stronger grasp of the wellness gains that people can enjoy thanks to hot springs. Dr. Coplin will tell you about the inflammatory effects and cardiovascular benefits one can experience through spending time in hot water. He'll expound on the positive outcomes the body will enjoy from the physical effects of water such as improvements in capillary return and lowering of blood pressure. And, he can easily explain the ways in which the minerals in the water in hot springs can enhance and boost so many different functions of various body systems.

In short, he'll happily and eagerly sell you on hot springs - if you're not sold on them already.

Most hot springs resorts in the United States tend to focus on the hospitality aspect of providing people with a place to soak. They're resorts, after all, so that's their angle - and it works. The Springs has mastered this angle, and has been providing people with a memorable resort experience for dozens of years. Recently, though, they've added a new focus to the repertoire and have cultivated a deeper dedication to health and wellness. The formation of a partnership with Dr. Coplin several years ago was a step in this direction for certain. Today, The Springs Resort and Spa is both a very special resort experience, combined seamlessly with an added focus of overall wellness and well-being.

This combination makes this place extra special and elevates it in many ways above many of its competitors both statewide and nationwide. I felt this during my entire stay, and it really made me appreciate The Springs Resort and Spa above other similar hot springs that I've had the pleasure of visiting.

During this visit to The Springs Resort and Spa, I dove into the various opportunities offered there to enjoy the full and complete, overall experience. I attended a sound bathing ritual with singing bowls while sitting in a hot spring. I participated in aqua yoga - you guessed it - in a hot spring. I went on a guided, forest bathing hike in an adjacent wooded park. I took part in a gratitude ceremony at The Mother Spring, the world's deepest geothermal hot spring. I covered my entire body with "Mother's Mud" - mineral-rich bentonite clay from the Mojave desert - let it dry in the sun, and then washed it off in a spring next to the river. I blindly trusted a massage therapist to guide my floating body around a hot spring during an aqua massage - and it was lovely. All of it was.

My favorite experience at The Springs though, was the Warrior Plunge. As mentioned many times above, I already loved hot springs. Many hot springs offer a cold plunge option, but I've always shied away from it. I'm there to relax in warm water, right? So why would I want to jump into cold water and do that to myself? Why make myself uncomfortable unnecessarily?

Dr. Coplin's recommendations and enthusiatic endorsements of the practice of contrast bathing convinced me of its many benefits, and I finally decided to give it a try. I started out by spending time in a 102 degree hot spring until my body couldn't stand it anymore. Then, with others also taking on this challenge, I exited the hot spring, hustled down some stairs, and - without giving myself time to think - jumped into the 50 degree San Juan River.

At first, the shock was intense. 50 degrees may not sound that cold to some, but trust me - it is. Every cell in my body wanted to get out as fast as possible - but I didn't want to look like a wuss. I stayed, I breathed, and within a few short moments, an incredible thought crossed my mind: "Wow, somehow, this is actually kind of... great!"

A contrast bathing enthusiast was born. I really did feel like a true warrior every time I took the plunge. I did a few more cycles of hot to cold right then and there, and later that day - and throughout the rest of my time at The Springs Resort and Spa, I independently did quite a few more.

It may sound crazy to you, dear reader, but now I enthusiastically and highly recommend you try it, too. You'll love it. I promise.

With all of the above in mind, you can and should travel to The Springs Resort and Spa yourself - soon. You could and should go right now, actually, if possible, but if you wait a few months, you can also see the completion of this resort and wellness center's gigantic expansion. I got the chance to check this out, too, during my visit, and let me tell you - it's exciting.

Currently, The Springs Resort and Spa has 78 guest rooms - but this expansion will add 79 more. My room in the old building was so comfortable and lovely, I look forward to seeing what they do with the new building! The new construction will include regular rooms plus numerous multi-room suites, including one with three bedrooms; all rooms will include broad windows, neutral colors, locally sourced art, plush furniture, microwaves, mini-fridges, and USB ports to charge the phone you might even forget exists during your stay.

Further, this expansion will also more than double the number of hot springs pools and water features onsite - soon, there will be over 50 total! Most are outside, but four will be indoors. There will be a reflexology walk, a waterfall, a grotto, a quiet area, and heated walkways and railings. All of the above was designed with great care to keep things comfortable but natural. The sandstone in the designs was harvested locally; the granite came from Lyons, Colorado near Boulder.

Continuing The Springs Resort and Spa's focus on wellness, the new building will also house a much-expanded wellness area. When complete, it will include 12 treatment rooms, a huge, panoramic sauna, a couples suite with a private geothermal pool, a spa treatment pool with an underwater speaker, a large "activity pool" for events like aqua yoga, and a post-treatment room where guests can relax after a spa treatment to further integrate their experience into their being - and more!

It's going to be amazing. The completion date for this massive project is April 2025, and so far, construction is right on target. It helps that The Springs Resort and Spa chose local companies to design and build this expansion, since the local workers surely want to put their full energy and effort into something that will soon be theirs to enjoy, too.

I am a huge fan of The Springs Resort and Spa and I had an incredible time there during my October visit. I can't wait to go back in the spring and see the completion of the expansion project. I'm sure it will not only meet, but likely exceed my very high expectations for it, and I'm also sure that hot springs enthusiasts will be talking about it nationwide.

With that in mind, you might want to book your future stay there now - you'll surely want to be one of the first people to experience it in all its glory. After you visit once, you'll want to return on a regular basis, time and time again. The Springs Resort and Spa is a very special place in every single way, and everyone should make a concerted effort to try it out. Without a doubt - you'll be glad that you did. I'll see you there!