Wellness destinations appeal to Colorado visitors

In Colorado, wellness is not just a trend. Colorado’s outdoors, active lifestyle, fresh air and sunshine appeal to visitors in search of wellness offerings. 

Historians estimate that as many as one-third of Colorado’s early settlers moved to the state for reasons associated with health. Several historic Colorado destinations and landmarks such as The Broadmoor in Colorado Springs and the Colorado Chautauqua in Boulder were originally founded, and are still sought after, as places for wellness retreats and individual healing. 

These one-stop wellness spots give visitors the opportunity to refresh, recharge and reconnect.

Boulder: In the late 1800s, John Harvey Kellogg founded the Boulder-Colorado Sanitarium and Hospital promoting ‘hydro-therapy, exercise and a vegetarian diet’ as the way to good health. From Mount Sanitas came the word sanitarium, and today the area is home to popular hiking trails.

Boulder Farmers' Market, a hub for the local community for 30 years,
 has been named #1 farmers' market in the U.S.

In 1898, the Colorado Chautauqua was built at the foot of the Flatirons as a family retreat focusing on nature, culture and music. Today, Boulder offers 45,000 acres of unspoiled outdoor beauty for visitors to explore via 300 miles of hiking and biking trails. 

Boulder Open Space and Mountain Parks offers Shinrin Yoku, the Japanese art of forest bathing, a research-based framework for supporting healing and wellness through immersion in forests and other natural environments. Shinrin-yoku has been scientifically proven to reduce stress hormones in the body, lower blood pressure, reduce anxiety and depression, boost mood and more.

Breckenridge: In recent years, Breckenridge’s county was ranked among the highest life expectancies in the country according to the study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association. Wellness is the way of everyday life in Breckenridge with more than 60 miles of trails taking off from downtown historic Main Street for year-round adventures.

Mountain biking through Gold Run Gulch and mining ruins near Brechenridge

 

 

 

 

 

Other features include a newly-renovated 17-million dollar recreation center, welcoming yoga studios and innovative spas (complete with grottos, reflexology, CBD, TCM, reiki treatments) peppered throughout town, and local makers creating tinctures, salves and elixirs from native Breckenridge plants.

 

Colorado Springs: As far back as 3,000 years ago, the indigenous Ute people lived near Garden of the Gods Park. The area also served as a Native American crossroads, where numerous nomadic tribes gathered in peace. Beginning in the early 20th century, the city’s dry air, nearly year-round sunshine and high altitude attracted those afflicted with tuberculosis. Following the Gold Rush, Colorado Springs’ first major economic driver was wellness tourism. More recently, Colorado Springs became known as Olympic City USA and is home to the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Training Center. The city offers athletes a mild climate, incredible natural training grounds and awe-inspiring beauty. 

For feelings of peace, tranquility, and relaxation in Colorado Springs,
float in a private pod with 10 inches of water and 1,000 pounds of Epsom salt.

For decades, members and guests have come to Garden of the Gods Resort and Club not just to disconnect from the outside world, but to reconnect with the best that life has to offer. Strata Integrated Wellness Spa is a destination for holistic wellbeing that is multilayered and all encompassing. This wellness spa offers energy practice, psychotherapy, acupuncture, mindfulness work and more.

Crestone: This picturesque mountain town in the Mystic San Luis Valley region of Colorado has emerged in the last few decades as a spiritual mecca for world religions. What began as a small mining town now accommodates a Hindu temple, a Zen center, a co-ed Carmelite monastery and several Tibetan centers. Visitors can experience nearby Joyful Journey Hot Springs Spa for a soak in secluded mineral hot springs and a full-service spa treatment. Joyful Journey offers a variety of accommodations ranging from classic hotel rooms to Tipis, all-season yurts and campsites.

Glenwood Springs: Therapeutic healing via hot springs and wellness treatments have a long and storied history in Glenwood Springs—a Rocky Mountain town historically called “Colorado’s Spa in the Mountains.” A wellness paradise, Glenwood Springs’ global reputation as a healthy destination dates to the 1880s, and the healing tradition continues with numerous spas offering an ever-increasing array of exceptional treatments and services. With its ample geothermal amenities and outdoor activities, Glenwood Springs is a Colorado wellness hot spot for relieving stress and restoring balance.



Glenwood Springs is home to the world's largest hot springs pool
which has been offering mental and physical health benefits since 1888.

Glenwood is home to one-of-a-kind wellness attractions that include the Glenwood Hot Springs Resort, considered the world’s largest mineral hot springs pool; Iron Mountain Hot Springs with its 16 soaking pools situated along the banks of the Colorado River; and the Yampah Spa and Vapor Caves, the only known vapor caves in North America that offer therapeutic steam naturally.

Information courtesy of Carly Holbrook, PR for Colorado tourism, which provided photos.