Long before modern ski resorts and mountain towns drew visitors to Colorado, travelers were already crossing the Front Range in search of something else: healing mineral waters. El Paso County, on the eastern edge of the Rocky Mountains, once hosted a constellation of small spring-side retreats, bathhouses, and rustic resorts. Today, many of these places have faded from view, but their stories remain woven into the landscape and into a unique form of early wellness tourism.
Why Mineral Springs Drew Travelers to El Paso County
In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the mineral-rich waters bubbling up across El Paso County were believed to ease everything from digestive troubles to nervous exhaustion. Visitors arrived by rail and carriage, often staying for weeks at modest boarding houses and grand hotels built near the springs. This early form of health tourism set the tone for the region?s continued appeal as a high-altitude retreat.
For modern travelers, exploring the legacy of these springs is less about chasing cures and more about discovering a quieter, historic side of Colorado beyond the better-known mountain resorts.
Tracing the Lost Spring Resorts of the Pikes Peak Region
El Paso County stretches from the high plains up to the shoulders of Pikes Peak, and historic springs once dotted this transition zone. Many no longer operate as resorts, but their locations and stories offer a fascinating itinerary for history-minded visitors.
1. Springs Along the Front Range Foothills
Below the looming mass of Pikes Peak, clusters of mineral springs once anchored small spa communities. Travelers checked into simple lodges or boarding houses, then spent their days strolling among cottonwoods, sipping mineral water from public fonts, or soaking in bathhouses that piped in spring water.
Today, a drive along the base of the mountains reveals subtle hints of this past: historic foundations, place names referencing springs, and older neighborhoods that grew up around the promise of healthful air and water. Walking tours and self-directed drives allow visitors to imagine what life was like when a ?water cure? was considered cutting-edge travel.
2. Springs on the High Plains Edge
East of the foothills, the land opens into rolling prairie. Here and there, springs emerged along streambeds and in sheltered draws, forming oases that attracted ranchers, early homesteaders, and eventually health seekers. Small bathhouses and seasonal resorts sprang up, often with simple wood-frame structures and windbreaks shielding guests from the open plains.
While most physical traces have vanished, the stories of these sites survive in local history collections and oral traditions. Exploring these areas today means enjoying quiet drives on lesser-known roads, watching antelope on the horizon, and recognizing how precious any natural water source was in such an arid landscape.
How to Experience El Paso County?s Spring Heritage Today
Although the heyday of spring-side sanatoriums has passed, travelers can still connect with this heritage through historic districts, museums, and scenic routes that pass former resort sites.
Visit Local History Collections and Exhibits
Community museums and archives in and around El Paso County often showcase vintage photographs of mineral springs resorts, bathhouses, and early spa advertising. Spending an hour with these exhibits gives valuable context before exploring the landscape itself. Look for displays of:
- Old resort photographs showing verandas, pavilions, and bathing facilities
- Promotional brochures promising cures for wide-ranging ailments
- Maps marking the locations of now-vanished springs and wells
Armed with this information, you can set off on your own interpretive tour, viewing present-day towns and open spaces through the lens of their spa-town past.
Walk Historic Neighborhoods That Grew Around the Springs
Several communities in El Paso County evolved from early health retreats into full-fledged towns. While the original bathhouses might be gone, residential streets, old hotels, and commercial blocks still trace the lines of those first wellness districts.
As you wander:
- Notice porched houses that would have offered rooms to long-stay visitors
- Look for former boarding houses and small inns near where springs once flowed
- Pay attention to street names or park names referencing springs, wells, or baths
These walks are especially rewarding in the cooler light of morning or late afternoon, when the Front Range peaks glow and the connection between landscape and healthful living feels most tangible.
Scenic Drives Linking Former Spring Sites
Road-trippers can weave former spring locations into a scenic loop that showcases the county?s variety?from plains to peaks. While many springs themselves are on private land or no longer visible, the routes between them still offer:
- Sweeping views of Pikes Peak and the Rampart Range
- Historic ranchland and old road alignments
- Small communities that once banked their future on mineral-water tourism
Bring historic maps or notes from local archives and treat the drive as a treasure hunt, mentally overlaying old resort sites onto today?s landscape.
Seasonal Considerations: When to Visit
El Paso County?s elevation and varied terrain mean that timing your visit can significantly shape your experience of these historic spring landscapes.
Spring and Early Summer
From late April through June, the plains green up and wildflowers dot the foothills. This is an excellent time for walking historic neighborhoods and exploring open-space parks connected to spring-fed creeks. Temperatures are generally mild, though afternoon storms can roll in quickly along the Front Range.
Mid-Summer
July and August bring warmer, often dry conditions on the plains, with cooler temperatures in the foothills. This is a comfortable season for longer scenic drives connecting former spring sites, as well as for pairing heritage exploration with nearby hiking trails and mountain viewpoints.
Autumn and Winter
Autumn offers crisp air, changing foliage, and fewer visitors. Many travelers find this the most atmospheric time to explore remnants of old resorts and to imagine guests huddling around fireplaces in the era before central heating. Winter can bring snow and icy conditions, especially closer to the mountains, but on clear days the stark landscape and sharp mountain views highlight why people once sought restorative air here.
Staying Overnight: Hotels and Lodging Near Historic Spring Areas
While the original spring-side hotels and sanatoriums may no longer operate, modern accommodation in and around El Paso County still reflects the area?s long-standing role as a place to rest, recuperate, and enjoy the high, dry climate.
In the foothill communities and nearby city centers, you?ll find a mix of larger hotels, restored historic properties, and smaller inns that echo the region?s resort-town origins. Many visitors choose to stay near older downtown districts, then take day trips to explore former spring locations, museum exhibits, and scenic drives along the base of Pikes Peak.
Travelers who prefer quieter nights can look for lodging on the fringes of town or toward the plains, where evening skies open wide and the sense of space that once drew health seekers is still palpable. When booking, consider:
- Proximity to historic neighborhoods and local history museums
- Easy access to highways that trace old resort routes through the county
- Views of the mountain front, which add a powerful sense of place to your stay
Many hotels highlight outdoor terraces, walking access to parks, or fitness and wellness amenities?modern echoes of the earlier focus on climate, air, and restorative landscapes.
Connecting Wellness Tourism Past and Present
Even if the mineral baths have closed and the grand verandas are gone, the spirit of early wellness tourism still lingers in El Paso County. Travelers come for fresh air, big skies, and mountain scenery much as they did over a century ago. The difference today is that visitors can blend that restorative experience with a deeper appreciation of the county?s historic springs and the people who built lives and livelihoods around them.
By pairing time outdoors with visits to local history collections, walking tours through older districts, and overnight stays in nearby hotels, you can create a nuanced itinerary that honors both the natural and cultural heritage of this corner of Colorado.