On a map, these two look close. Both are in southwest Colorado, both sit in the San Juan Mountains, and both are built around natural hot springs. Spend a night at each, though, and you’d be hard pressed to find much else in common.

The Springs Resort is a full wellness resort in downtown Pagosa Springs with 50+ geothermal pools. Dunton is a restored 1880s mining town with 14 cabins at the end of a gravel road. Here’s how they compare on the things that shape the trip.

The Springs Resort vs Dunton Hot Springs at a Glance

The Water

Every pool at The Springs Resort draws from one source, the Mother Spring. Guinness World Records verified it in 2011 as the world’s deepest geothermal hot spring, with a plumb line reaching 1,002+ feet. The resort’s published mineral analysis lists 13 minerals, with sulfate, sodium and chloride leading the way. Because there are 50+ pools at different temperatures, you can work your way from a cold plunge to a very hot soak without leaving the riverbank.

Dunton Hot Springs has five places to soak. There’s a restored 19th-century bathhouse, an open-air pool right at the spring source, and a private tub tucked inside one of the cabins. Temperatures run from about 85°F to 106°F. It’s small, and that’s much of the draw.

Lodging and Scale

The Springs Resort has more than 150 rooms spread across four types. Newer rooms and suites in the main building sit close to the expanded pools; lodge suites come with kitchens, and some rooms are pet-friendly. Couples, families, groups of friends and solo travelers on different budgets can all find something that fits.

Dunton has 14 hand-hewn log cabins and tops out at 52 guests. You can also rent the whole town for a wedding, retreat or reunion, with privacy as a main part of the design.

Wellness and Spa

At The Springs Resort, wellness sits at the center of the stay. The thermal spa offers massages and body treatments. The Wellness Studio holds classes in yoga, meditation and sound healing. Then there are the self-guided Pathways, which turn an ordinary soak into a thermal circuit aimed at recovery, rest, energy or mindfulness.

Pathways were developed with guidance from Dr. Marcus Coplin, the resort’s Medical Director. He’s a naturopathic doctor and serves as Director of Hydrothermal Medicine for the Balneology Association of North America. If you’d like more structure, the 2- and 3-night wellness retreats start every Monday.

Dunton offers signature massages, scrubs and facials, plus yoga when the season allows. Wellness is one piece of a Dunton stay, sitting alongside the food, the cabins and the remote setting.

Winter at Each Property

Both stay open all year, and from The Springs Resort, Wolf Creek Ski Area is about 23 miles up the road. Overnight guests can soak at any hour, so skiing in the morning and soaking late into the night works on the same trip.

Winter at Dunton means snowshoeing, snowcat rides and cross-country skiing. It’s a lovely place to spend a snowy few days. As a base for daily downhill skiing, it’s a harder fit.

Getting There

The Springs Resort is about an hour from Durango-La Plata County Airport. Albuquerque is about 3.5 hours away and Denver about 5.5. Because the resort sits in the middle of town, you can walk to restaurants and shops.

Dunton is about an hour from Cortez and two from Durango. From Telluride, plan on an hour in summer and closer to an hour and a half in winter. The last 8 miles are gravel, and the town sits at 8,850 feet.

How Pricing Works

The Springs Resort lists room rates, day passes and packages on its website. You can book a single soak, a night or a full retreat.

Dunton prices by the night for two guests, all-inclusive, with meals and most drinks covered. Rates change by date and aren’t posted as fixed prices on its site.

Which Is Right for You?

Choose The Springs Resort if you want:

Lots of places to soak, with 50+ geothermal pools and round-the-clock access for overnight guests

A stay built around wellness, whether that’s a spa treatment, a class, a self-guided Pathway or a full retreat

Skiing at Wolf Creek and soaking on the same trip

Options that range from a day pass to several nights

A walkable mountain town outside the door

Choose Dunton Hot Springs if you want:

A small, all-inclusive stay in a restored ghost town

A remote setting, and you don’t mind a gravel road in

The whole place to yourselves for a wedding or group

To book a stay at The Springs Resort, visit: www.pagosahotsprings.com/accommodations/

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is better for a wellness trip, The Springs Resort or Dunton Hot Springs?

If wellness is the reason for the trip, The Springs Resort gives you more to work with: 50+ geothermal pools, a thermal spa, Wellness Studio classes, self-guided Pathways and weekly retreats. Dunton suits travelers who want a small, remote, all-inclusive stay.

Can you visit The Springs Resort for the day?

Yes. Day passes are sold every day, from Original Pools access up to the full resort.

Are both properties open in winter?

Yes, both are open year-round. The Springs Resort is about 23 miles from Wolf Creek Ski Area. Dunton’s winter is built around snowshoeing, snowcat rides and cross-country skiing.