Treehouse Hot Springs

What to expect

Treehouse Hot Springs is a house, not a pool complex. It is a private vacation rental in Chalk Creek Canyon, west of Nathrop, and you rent the whole building for your group. The name comes from its shape: two connected octagons raised on stilts above the creek, with big windows on every side looking into the cottonwoods and pines and out toward Mount Princeton and Mount Antero.

The hot spring is the reason most people book. Under the main floor, on the lower level, there is a 14 by 27 foot soaking pool filled with natural mineral water from a hot spring on the property. The house shelters it, so you are partly indoors and partly open to the creek side, which helps on cold nights. The operator keeps the water between 96 and 104°F36 and 40°C and can adjust it for your stay, cooler if you have small children, warmer if your group wants a proper hot soak.

The spring water goes further than the pool. The operator says the baths and showers in the house run on hot spring water, and one bedroom has its own private soaking tub fed by the spring. A lounge area sits next to the pool, and one of the bathrooms is right beside it, so you do not have to walk through the house dripping.

Outside, the property runs along roughly a quarter mile of Chalk Creek. There is a creekside fire circle and an outdoor fire pit stocked with firewood, a game court for horseshoes, bocce and cornhole, a sunny south deck, and two grills (one propane, one charcoal). A regional directory puts the elevation at about 8,200 feet.

The house

The operator’s amenities page lists:

• Sleeping: up to 8 guests, with one king, two queens, two single beds, and two pull-out full beds, one in each living room.
• Bathrooms: four on the main level plus one next to the pool.
• Living space: two separate living rooms joined by the kitchen and dining area, with floor-to-ceiling windows over the creek.
• Kitchen: stocked, with a microwave, toaster, coffee maker, Keurig, waffle maker and Instant Pot, plus indoor and outdoor dining.
• Other: Wi-Fi, a landline for local calls, two TVs, a washer and dryer, and some older video game systems.

The operator’s own pages are not consistent on the bedroom count. The amenities page describes four bedrooms, while the home page says five, and outside listings give both numbers. The guest limit of 8 is the same on both the amenities and policies pages, so plan around that and ask about room layout when you book.

Prices and booking

Treehouse Hot Springs does not post nightly rates. You check dates and prices through the booking page on its website, or call 720-351-0289. What the policies page does spell out:

• Minimum stay: 2 nights, rising to 3 nights in high season (summer and holidays). Seven-night discounts may be available.
• Cleaning fee: $325 per stay.
• Deposit: 20% at booking, with the balance due 30 days before arrival.
• Damage: no deposit is taken up front, but the operator can charge your card up to $500 for damage beyond normal wear.
• Cancellation refunds: 90% with at least 30 days’ notice, 60% with at least 21 days, 30% with at least 14 days.
• Check-in after 4 pm and check-out before 10 am. Early or late times need approval in advance.
• Minimum renter age: 25.

There are no day passes. If you want a soak in the canyon without renting a house, Mount Princeton Hot Springs Resort just down the road sells day admission.

Rules and etiquette

• Guests only. The pool is part of the rental and only your group uses it.
• Group size: 8 guests maximum. Events or parties need the owner’s approval first.
• Pets: discouraged, but allowed with prior approval. Give the age, weight and breed when you ask, and expect a $100 cleaning fee per pet.
• Smoking: not allowed indoors. Use the outdoor areas.
• Clothing: because the pool is private to your group, what you wear is up to you. Nothing on the operator’s pages sets a rule.

Getting there

The house is at 16390 County Road 162, Nathrop, on the south side of the road west of Mount Princeton Hot Springs.

• From Buena Vista: Drive south on US 285 toward Nathrop and turn west onto County Road 162 into Chalk Creek Canyon. Continue past Mount Princeton Hot Springs Resort. The house is a little further west on the left.
• From Salida: Head north on US 285 to the County Road 162 turnoff near Nathrop, then follow the same route west up the canyon.
• From Denver: US 285 runs southwest through Fairplay and over Trout Creek Pass to Buena Vista.

Parking is at the house. Our map pin is placed from the street address, so use the house number and the owner’s arrival directions on the day.

When to go

The house and pool are open all year, and the canyon is very different by season.

Summer is the busy rental season, and the minimum stay rises to three nights. Days are warm, afternoons often bring thunderstorms, and the creek runs high in early summer after snowmelt.

Autumn is a strong choice. The aspens on the slopes of Mount Princeton and Mount Antero turn gold, nights get cold enough for a hot soak to feel earned, and the two-night minimum usually applies again outside the holidays.

Winter is cold at around 8,000 feet, which is when a sheltered spring-fed pool is most welcome. Monarch Mountain ski area is within driving distance up US 50 from Poncha Springs. Bring winter tires and check the forecast before you drive in.

Where to stay nearby

If Treehouse is booked, the Chalk Creek valley has several other spring-fed stays. Antero Hot Springs Cabins rents three cabins with their own pools close to Mount Princeton, and Aqua Hot Spring is another private rental with a spring-fed pool on the creek. Mount Princeton Hot Springs Resort has a lodge and cabins. Forest Service campgrounds, including Chalk Lake and Cascade, sit further up County Road 162 in the San Isabel National Forest. Buena Vista and Salida have motels, inns, groceries and restaurants.

Safety notes

• Water temperature: the operator can raise or lower the pool temperature. If you have children, ask for the cooler end before you arrive and keep soaks short for small kids.
• Creek: Chalk Creek runs fast and cold, especially in late spring and early summer. Watch children near the bank.
• Altitude: at about 8,200 feet, a long hot soak plus alcohol hits harder than at sea level. Drink water.
• Fire: use the provided fire pit and fire circle only, and follow any county fire restrictions in dry summers.

Nearby stops worth adding

The Chalk Cliffs rise right above this stretch of the canyon. Further up County Road 162, the road follows an old railroad grade to St. Elmo, a well-kept mining ghost town. The Colorado Trail crosses Chalk Creek nearby, and Buena Vista has whitewater rafting on the Arkansas River in summer.