Sunlight Mountain Resort
History of Glenwood Springs
Known as a popular year round destination, Glenwood Springs offers plenty of affordable skiing, soaking and fun winter activities for the entire family. Situated at the confluence of the majestic Colorado and Roaring Fork Rivers, Glenwood’s natural hot springs and central location have always attracted travelers, from the Ute Indians to wealthy East Coast adventurers and outlaws. The towns unique western heritage is sprinkled with colorful characters and delights modern travelers from all over the world.
The Ute Indians were the first people to call the Glenwood Springs area home, attracted by the prime hunting and fishing grounds and the abundant supply of hot mineral springs. Long ago, the Utes believed the hot water bubbling from a spring in Glenwood Canyon had healing powers and referred to them as Yampah, roughly translated as Big Medicine. For them the springs were not only a source of physical regeneration, but provided mental and spiritual nourishment as well. Battle-weary braves and their horses soaked in the hot water pools and underground vapor caves to strengthen their spirits and resolve.
In the mid-1800s, Captain Richard Sopris was one of the first outsiders to lay eyes upon what was to become Glenwood Springs. Mt. Sopris, the towering 12,953 foot peak visible throughout the valley, was named after this pioneer. It wasn’t long before the area, punctuated with more than 50 hot springs, became a favorite spot for many weary miners. Word soon spread of the miraculous waters and commercial development began.
By 1883, the town of Defiance was established. It was a rough-hewn town of bars and brothels, populated with gamblers, gunslingers, miners and madams. The town retained its rebellious moniker until 1885, when it was changed to Glenwood Springs by Mrs. Sarah Cooper, wife of one of the founding fathers, Isaac Cooper. Homesick and accustomed to a gentler lifestyle, Mrs. Cooper renamed Defiance after her hometown of Glenwood, Iowa and inadvertently took the first step in taming the wild child that was Glenwood Springs. By this time the hot mineral springs had also attracted explorers and entrepreneurs dreaming of world-class resorts and big profits. By 1887, the Utes were banished to a reservation.
One of Glenwood’s most infamous residents was outlaw Doc Holliday. After the famous shootout at the OK Corral, Holliday headed west to Glenwood Springs where he hoped soaking in the hot springs would cure his advanced tuberculosis. But the rich mineral waters could not heal the ravages of the disease. Doc Holliday died at the Glenwood Hotel in November of 1887. His gravesite in Linwood Cemetery remains a popular attraction today.
In 1890, the bathhouse at the Hot Springs Pool was completed, costing the Austrian-influenced structure $100,000. The Hotel Colorado was finished in 1893, costing $850,000 and fulfilled a dream by one of the towns premier founding fathers, Walter Deveraux. The grand bathhouse, constructed of peachblow sandstone mined from the nearby Frying Pan River area, was equipped with all the accoutrements of the time including private porcelain bathtubs and an exclusive casino that attracted a high-brow clientele. Even the hotel staff, from cooks to maids, were imported from the east coast and Europe to add to the aura of wealth and privilege.
Dubbed Spa In The Rockies, Glenwood Springs soon attracted the rich and famous. Included on the prestigious guest list is President Theodore Roosevelt who took up summer residence at the Hotel Colorado, referring to it as the Summer White House. Others who signed the Hotels guest register included Baby Doe Tabor, President William Taft, the Unsinkable Molly Brown, the Mayo Brothers and gangster Al Capone.
Skiing arrived in Glenwood Springs during the winter of 1940. Through a collaborative community effort, the first chairlift in Western Colorado was developed and opened on the north side of Red Mountain. Unfortunately, due to its low elevation, snowfall was undependable and the area closed after two years. Interest in skiing was still strong, and another ski area, Holiday Hill, was opened in 1947, 10 miles up Four Mile Road. The new site was at an elevation that guaranteed better snow conditions. Holiday Hill was closed by the City in 1951. In 1966, Sunlight Mountain Resort opened on the old site of Holiday Hill, 10 miles from Glenwood Springs and is still in operation today.
Throughout its colorful history, Glenwood Springs has always offered visitors the beauty of the Rocky Mountains, a truly exhilarating western adventure and the warmth and healing powers of the magical hot springs. For more information, explore www.glenwoodchamber.com.
