A Colorado Geologic Treasure Earns Landmark Status
By Helen OlssonBy Helen Olsson|June 26, 2024|Home & Real Estate, Lifestyle, Hotel,
IN DECEMBER 2023, after more than a decade of red tape, Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland officially designated Iron Mountain Hot Springs (ironmountainhotsprings.com) and Glenwood Caverns (glenwoodcaverns.com) as a National Natural Landmark.
The National Natural Landmark designation will help conserve Iron Mountain Hot Springs and the caves at Glenwood Caverns as significant geological sites. PHOTO COURTESY OF IRON MOUNTAIN HOT SPRINGS
From stalagmites to flowstone, the fantastical limestone cave formations represent millions of years of geologic history, including what the NPS calls “a unique combination of carbonic and sulfuric acid speleogenesis.” The water chemistry of the cave system and geothermal hot springs are still at work today—to the benefit of those looking for a good hot soak. Iron Mountain recently completed an expansion with a 21+ area of hot springs and a cold plunge set along the Colorado River. You’ll find pebble-bottomed pools mimicking the mineral formulations of healing waters from the Dead Sea to Iceland’s Blue Lagoon to Vichy, France.