Twin Peaks Lodge & Hot Springs

What to expect

Twin Peaks Lodge & Hot Springs is a 93-room hotel on 3rd Avenue at the south end of Ouray, the old mining town boxed in by the San Juan Mountains on US 550. The hotel sits on its own hot spring, and the soaking area is the main draw. It is a developed set of tubs and pools with decking, not a natural rock pool.

The water comes out of the ground at about 156°F69°C, according to the lodge, and is cooled before it reaches the tubs. The lodge says each tub averages 100 to 106°F38 to 41°C, and it adds no chemicals. Water flows through constantly and is fully replaced every few hours, and the pools are drained and scrubbed weekly. It is low in sulfur, so there is little of the egg smell some springs have.

The springs have a long history. The lodge traces them to 1913, when Bessie and Richard Cougar opened the Cougar Sanitarium on this property.

The setting is the best part. Ouray sits in a tight bowl of peaks, and from the outdoor tubs you look up at cliffs and, in winter, frozen waterfalls. Box Canyon Falls is about a quarter mile away on foot.

The pools

The lodge describes its soaking area as nine hot spring tubs, two pools and vapor caves. Outside guides count differently (one lists 12 mineral baths, jacuzzi tubs and two swimming pools after a renovation), so treat the exact number loosely. What you can expect:

• Outdoor soaking tubs: several geothermally fed tubs at roughly 100 to 106°F38 to 41°C, some under cover for shade or snow.
• Outdoor soaking tub with a waterfall feature.
• Heated swimming pool: cooler than the tubs, for actual swimming. One pool has a zero-entry ramp, according to Uncover Colorado.
• Indoor tub room: in the lobby building, lined with river stones and set aside for adults only. It was renovated in 2013.
• Vapor or thermal cave: a newer sauna-style cave in the outdoor area. It is not included in the standard day pass and costs extra.

Prices and booking

Day-pass prices from the lodge’s day-pass page. The page carries no date, and its images date from 2023, so confirm prices at the desk:

• Adults: $39
• Seniors 65 and over: $34
• Children 3 to 12: $19.50
• Children 2 and under: free
• Locals (ID with a City of Ouray address): adults $30, children $15, seniors free from 8 am to noon and $25 from noon to 7 pm.
• 10-pass book: $300, no age discount, bought at least 24 hours before first use.
• Annual passes: from $400 for the first adult.

Day passes are sold only at the front desk on arrival, and each soaker signs a waiver. Pass access runs from 8 am to 7 pm, but the last soaker is let in at 4 pm, so arrive early. The thermal cave is extra.

Hotel guests get soaking included and use their room key to enter the springs and vapor caves. Room rates are not posted as a fixed list. You book online or through the front desk. Notes from the lodge’s site:

• Check-in age: 21.
• Pets: only in designated pet-friendly rooms, $50 per day. Dogs cannot be left alone in the room without a crate or pen.
• Security deposit: $100 authorized on your card, released at checkout.
• Late checkout to noon: $25 if available. Call the desk at 8 am on departure day.
• Cribs: pack-and-play $10 per day. No roll-away beds.

Rules and etiquette

• Evenings are for hotel guests. From 7 pm to 10 pm the springs are closed to day-pass holders.
• Under 18 must be with an adult at the springs.
• Adults-only areas are marked, including the indoor tub room.
• Swimsuits on. This is a family hotel pool area.
• Sign the waiver at check-in if you are on a day pass.

Getting there

Ouray is on US 550, the Million Dollar Highway, between Montrose and Silverton. The lodge is at 125 3rd Avenue.

• From Montrose and the north: Drive south on US 550 through Ridgway into Ouray. Main Street is US 550 through town. At the south end of town, turn west onto 3rd Avenue toward Box Canyon Falls.
• From Silverton and Durango: Come north over Red Mountain Pass on US 550. The road drops into the south end of Ouray, close to 3rd Avenue.

Parking is free. Spaces are not assigned by room, much of it is parallel street parking, and trailers are not allowed in the lots. US 550 south of Ouray is a steep road with tight curves and few guardrails, and it can close in winter for snow or avalanche control. Check Colorado Department of Transportation conditions before you cross the passes.

When to go

The springs are open year-round, from 8 am to 10 pm daily.

Winter is when a hot soak in Ouray makes the most sense. The Ouray Ice Park draws climbers into town, and the lodge suggests ending a cold day in the tubs. Day-pass holders need to be in by 4 pm and out by 7 pm, so an evening soak means booking a room.

Summer and early fall bring jeep traffic, hikers on the Perimeter Trail and the busiest hotel season. Mornings are the quietest time for day passes. Late September and early October bring fall color to the San Juans and fill rooms on weekends.

Where to stay nearby

The lodge itself is the obvious place to stay if you want unlimited soaking. Ouray has several other hot spring stays within a few blocks: Box Canyon Lodge is a short walk along 3rd Avenue with hillside tubs for its guests, and Wiesbaden Hot Springs Spa & Lodgings has a vapor cave under the building. The city-run Ouray Hot Springs Pool on Main Street is the big public pool for day visits. North of town near Ridgway, Orvis Hot Springs is a clothing-optional spring with lodging and camping, and Ridgway State Park has large campgrounds on the reservoir.

Safety notes

• Heat and altitude: Ouray sits high in the mountains. Hot water and thin air together can make you dizzy faster than you expect, so drink water and take breaks.
• Thermal cave: sauna-style heat stacks on top of a hot soak. Keep sessions short and cool down between them.
• Icy decks: in winter, walkways between tubs freeze. Walk carefully and wear sandals.
• Mountain roads: if you are leaving after a late soak, remember that US 550 over Red Mountain Pass is slow and exposed at night.

Nearby stops worth adding

Box Canyon Falls, about a quarter mile from the lodge, is a short walk to a waterfall thundering through a narrow slot. The Perimeter Trail loops about 5.6 miles around town and takes most people four to five hours. In winter, the Ouray Ice Park is in walking distance, and you can watch climbers from the bridges even if you do not climb.