Eldorado Springs Pool: A Historic Boulder County Treasure

There are places in Boulder County that feel like they belong on a postcard, and the Eldorado Springs Pool sits right at the top of my list. This world-renowned spring-fed pool anchors the heart of Eldorado Canyon, an internationally known destination for rock climbing, hiking, and trails, and it rests beneath the towering sandstone cliffs of Eldorado Canyon State Park, only about eight miles from Boulder. It has been here for well over a century, and this week I found out the one piece of news that makes it even better: my senior discount starts in a month!

A World-Renowned Pool in the Heart of Eldorado Canyon

If you have never driven down to Eldorado Springs, you are missing one of the most spectacular little corners of Boulder County. The road winds past the town of Eldorado Springs and into a canyon where rust-and-gold sandstone walls rise hundreds of feet into the sky. Climbers come from around the world for the routes on those cliffs, hikers pad along the trails, and right there at the canyon floor is the pool, its cool turquoise water fed by the springs that give the place its name.

On a warm afternoon it is pure magic: sunshine on the cliffs, cool water, the sound of laughter, and the whole scene framed by canyon walls that have watched over this spot for eons. It genuinely does not feel like you are eight miles from downtown Boulder. It feels like a secret.

A History Worth Celebrating, Since 1905

The story of this place is as good as the swimming. The resort first opened on July 4, 1905 as Moffat Lakes Resort, and it quickly earned the nickname the "Coney Island of the West" for the crowds it drew. The grand concrete pool opened the very next year, in 1906, when it was advertised as the largest swimming pool in the country. Can you imagine what a marvel that must have been in Colorado in 1906?

Over the decades the resort offered a dance hall and swimming, and it became a beloved local gathering spot for generations of Boulder County families. Like any long story, it had its hard chapters. A 1938 flood destroyed the original dance hall, but the resort persevered through its long history, and after extensive renovations it re-opened in August 2024. That kind of staying power, through floods and closures and a changing world, is exactly why this pool feels like part of our community's soul.

Read the full pool history · Eldorado Springs Resort official site

The News I Have Been Smiling About All Week

Okay, deep breath, because this is the exciting part. I found out yesterday that my senior discount here starts in a month! After all the years I have spent writing about Boulder County, sending clients here on summer afternoons, and telling anyone who will listen that this is one of my favorite places on earth, my own little perk is finally on its way. I am honestly thrilled.

And there is more, and this is the part worth celebrating with confetti: the pool is staying open on weekends this winter, turning into a hot springs pool at 101 degrees, with a cold plunge and a sauna added. Did you catch that? A steaming 101-degree soak beneath snow-dusted canyon walls, then a bracing cold plunge, then warm sauna air. That is not just a pool trip, that is a winter ritual, and it is happening right here in Boulder County.

When I say this news made my whole week, I am not exaggerating. These are the little joys that make this community so special, and I could not wait to share them with you.

Go Check It Out: Bring a Book & Chillax

So here is my invitation to you: go check it out… Such a beautiful location for the afternoon. Bring a book & chillax! There is something about floating in that cool spring water with the cliffs rising above you that resets the whole spirit. Eldorado beauty all around. 🍂🙌🏽🍁

Whether you join me this fall for one last warm swim, or you wait for the 101-degree hot springs weekends this winter, I promise it will be worth the short drive. And if you go, take a moment to look up at those cliffs. They have been standing over this pool since long before any of us arrived, and they will be there for generations of Boulder County families to come.