If you had to name one amusement park as the most iconic in Colorado, what would you say? Santa's Workshop? Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park? Lakeside? Needless to say, Coloradans have their pick when it comes to exciting parks, but according to Parent Portfolio, Elitch Gardens is hands-down the most iconic in all of Colorado:
Located in Denver, Elitch Gardens may be the most well-known theme park in the Centennial State, and according to Parent Portfolio and its recently released Most Iconic Amusement Park in Every State, it is also the most legendary.
First opened in 1890, Elitch Gardens was a first-of-its-kind attraction for the newly-formed state that, through the years, has continued to grow in both size and popularity.
Originally called Elitch’s Zoological Gardens, Elitch Gardens has since lost the zoo portion of the park and now focuses mainly on rides and the built-in waterpark, which Parent Portfolio noted.
As per the article, Parent Portfolio shares that "Colorado’s only amusement and water park in one offers something for everyone across 54 rides and attractions," adding that guests can "Score stunning views of Denver from the 20-story Observation Tower or at the top of the Tower of Doom before it drops 200 feet to the ground at 65 mph."
Colorado’s Bishop Castle Was Built By One Man Over 60 Years and It Will Blow Your Mind
After living in Colorado for over a decade, I finally made it to Bishop Castle - a well-known, multi-story, several thousand square foot, free-admission landmark built by one man over more than half a century. It was even more amazing than I imagined!
I moved to Colorado in 2013. Soon after, I heard about an interesting attraction called Bishop Castle. It was in Rye, an off-the-beaten path, small town about three hours south of Denver. A very good friend of mine from New York saw something about it in a Colorado guidebook, and it seemed interesting to us. He made me promise to “save it” and wait until he visited to check it out. I agreed.
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Although that friend visited me in Colorado many times over the past decade, we never made it down to Rye; we were always busy doing other things when he came to town. So, last month, in September 2024, I decided I’d put off my Bishop Castle adventure long enough and made a detour to stop by it with another friend on my way back to Denver from Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve.
I’m so glad that I did! I do hope to bring my New York friend to see it on his next Colorado visit, because now I realize this free, gigantic, impressive, and unusual attraction is absolutely worth the drive and effort to reach it. It far exceeded my expectations, and I can’t wait to go back again.
Photo by Christy Articola
So, what is Bishop Castle, anyway? Why is there a castle in rural Colorado? The answers to these questions all lead back to a man named Jim Bishop. Bishop Castle, a three-story structure with vast windows, winding staircases, and two towers - one of which reaches 160 feet in height - was built entirely by him over a period of sixty years.
That’s right. Brick by brick, Jim Bishop built an entire castle - by himself and on his own. And today, you can visit it for free and explore it be overwhelmed by wonder.
When Jim Bishop was 15 years old, he bought the land upon which Bishop Castle sits for $450, and he soon started building a small cottage using found materials from the surrounding land. As he began to stack rocks to create the walls, locals jokingly asked if he was building a castle.
Photo by Christy Articola
This was all the inspiration that Jim Bishop needed. From that point forward, he continued to build until he was no longer able to build anymore. Over the following 60 years, the castle that stands on the property came into being - and it’s an incredibly impressive sight to see.
Bishop Castle is made almost entirely of stone that Jim Bishop took from the adjacent national forest land. There’s also a vast amount of wrought iron which was used to create supports, railings, stairways, and walkways. The windows are of course made of glass, and the flooring is wood. Jim Bishop created the entire castle without blueprints or any real plan; he simply put it together, piece by piece, and added new and interesting features as they appeared in his mind.
Today, Bishop Castle is open to the public and it’s free to visit. Donations are welcome, and there’s a gift shop onsite selling Bishop Castle merchandise, too. Jim Bishop is still alive, but his days of building are long past. Some days, he’s present on site and is available for questions and conversation about his masterpiece.
Photo by Christy Articola
I made it to top and immediately, my concerns about safety were tossed aside in favor of wonder. I couldn’t believe the size and beauty of the large, central room I entered first. It was like walking into a church. Three huge, many-paned windows and a glass ceiling allowed natural light to enter while offering views of the surrounding forest and mountains. The interior space was empty but was surely large enough for a group of over 100 people to comfortably gather for a party or event. Open archways on both sides of the room led to stairs.
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Photo by Christy Articola
Now that I was inside, I felt a lot more confident about my safety. It was clear that this castle was very solid and that it was not going to crumble or disintegrate in any way any time soon. In fact, even if unmaintained, I truly believe that Bishop Castle would stand on its own for centuries to come. Jim Bishop constructed his castle to last for the long term.
My companion and I next decided to climb one of the towers. I chose one at random and started my ascent. Unknowingly, I chose the shorter of the two towers - but it was still quite tall. The stairs seemed to continue forever upward until I finally reached the top.
I’m not afraid of heights under normal circumstances, but when I saw how high up we were, and felt the strong breeze at the top, I definitely got a little nervous. I held on tight and looked at the beautiful views all around. We snapped a few pictures and soon went back down to the main chamber.
I was quite tired after this part of the adventure, but my companion decided to climb the stairs to the second, taller tower - and next time I go, I certainly will, too. He said that this one was even more terrifying, despite the structure clearly being very solid - but he’s glad he went to the top. Meanwhile, I went down the stairs to the area below the main chamber and checked that out. Stone archways offered a true castle feel, and stained-glass windows were a very nice touch as well.
Photo by Christy Articola
After we reconvened, we stayed a bit longer and took lots of photos. It was great that we had the place to ourselves. It was like we were in a giant playhouse built for adults, and we felt like we were king and queen of this castle. Together, we marveled at this incredible work of art and continued to point out various details to one another. We were absolutely amazed by this castle and were filled with wonder. It’s truly incredible in every way regardless, but when you stop and take a moment to remember and recognize that it was built by a single human being - a man with zero architectural or construction training and without help from anyone else - it becomes nearly unbelievable.
Bishop Castle far exceeded my expectations for it and I am so glad that I finally made it to Rye to see it for myself. I will surely return to it time and time again in the years to come, and I am excited to spread the word to you, dear reader, and to anyone else who will listen. Hooray for Jim Bishop and hooray for Bishop Castle. There is likely nothing else like this castle in the entire world, and we are so lucky to have it right here in Colorado.
I love hot springs! I grew up in New York, so I didn’t visit a single hot spring until well into adulthood. But, after I soaked at my very first one while traveling out west in my late twenties, I found that I couldn’t get enough of them. Since then, I have visited dozens of hot springs all over the United States and the world, and I feel so fortunate to live in Colorado where there are so many from which to choose.
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I’ve been to almost all of the commercial hot springs in our great state at this point and I’ve been to most of them more than once, too. Most are quite a drive from Denver, but I’m willing to go anywhere to sit in warm, mineral-rich waters. I make a big effort to get myself into hot water - literally - at least once every other month, no matter what time of the year it may be.
Photo by Christy Articola
When someone told me about Durango Hot Springs recently, I was surprised that I’d never heard of it. Sure, Durango is quite far from Denver and I don’t get all the way out there very often, but I consider myself to be pretty in-the-know when it comes to the topic of hot springs. How hadn’t I heard of Durango Hot Springs before?
I visited the Durango Hot Springs website and it looked absolutely beautiful online. I soon made plans to go there and took the long drive across the state to check it out on a warm day in September. My companion and I had long standing plans to visit Utah anyway that weekend, and it was kind of on the way.
Photo by Christy Articola
Due to the length of the drive from Denver, we didn’t reach Durango Hot Springs until late afternoon, but we knew we’d have plenty of time to enjoy them anyway as the springs are open until 10 p.m. each day. We entered, checked in, changed into our swimsuits, and got ready to soak.
As soon as we stepped out into the large, open, springs area of Durango Hot Springs, I was impressed by the beauty of the space. Advance research had told me that Durango Hot Springs features over 40 soaking pools with water temperatures between 99 and 112 degrees, each with a distinctive blend of 32 minerals including lithium, magnesium, potassium, sodium, calcium, chloride, fluoride, sulfate, silicon, iron, manganese, and many others.
Photo by Christy Articola
Many people visit hot springs primarily just to relax in naturally occurring, heated water - and that alone is a true pleasure. But, when you also consider the mineral content of the water in hot springs, the health benefits are vast. Each of the minerals listed above offers proven health benefits that range from muscle and nerve strength to decreased inflammation to bone health to immune system support and more. The health benefits of hot springs are massive, and anyone who can soak in a hot spring on a regular basis absolutely should take advantage of that opportunity for countless reasons.
Photo by Christy Articola
All hot spring waters are infused with minerals as the hot water passes through the earth on its way to the surface. However, most hot springs that you’ll visit offer far fewer minerals than this one. If you’re looking to maximize your exposure to healthy minerals while soaking, then Durango Hot Springs is an excellent choice.
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Photo by Christy Articola
After doing a walk through the entire property before stepping in the water, I learned that the reason I hadn’t heard of Durango Hot Springs before was that it was purchased by new owners in 2019 and was renamed. This hot spring wasn’t “new” - but rather was recently renovated and rebranded. Previously, these springs were called Trimble Hot Springs, and that name did sound familiar to me.
In the over a century since these springs first opened, they have been visited and enjoyed by hundreds of thousands of people including celebrities like Marilyn Monroe, Clark Gable, and others. The property had its ups and downs; it was closed at times for periods of several years, and on three different occasions, hotels associated with the springs burned to the ground. But, the springs continue to bubble to the surface no matter what happens in the world of humans, and humans keep coming back for more.
Photo by Christy Articola
Now, after all those years and many trials and tribulations, Durango Hot Springs is better than ever. The current owners did a complete renovation of the property and it’s absolutely beautiful. There are 26 mineral soaking pools on the property today, and three are specifically for families. There are eight small, private soaking tubs that can be rented by the hour; patrons can adjust the temperature to their liking while using them. There’s a 25-meter, salt-water resort-style pool for lap swimmers that’s full of 83,000 gallons of saltwater. There are two cold plunges for people who enjoy the art of contrast bathing. And, 12 of the property’s soaking pools are ADA-accessible!
Photo by Christy Articola
My companion and I were amazed by this place overall. We spent an hour in one of the private hot springs pools and watched the sun slowly dip lower in the sky. After that, we moved from pool to pool checking out the variety of options offered. The pools were all a little different from one another, and the landscaping around them was impressive; we were in awe of the vast number of native plants and the great care taken in their arrangements.
We bought some drinks from the concessions area and sipped them while relaxing by a fire pit. I was especially impressed by the fact that the entire property felt quiet and serene; despite the number of visitors onsite during our visit, there were so many spaces that felt private. We felt incredibly relaxed and were very pleased with our late afternoon getaway.
Photo by Christy Articola
There were two things we didn’t get to enjoy this time, but that we look forward to checking out on our next visit. First, Durango Hot Springs has installed an outdoor stage for live music. There were no performers when we were there, but I can imagine how fun it must be to enjoy performances from the comfort of the springs! Second, we checked out but did not take advantage of the spa. The spa menu is quite extensive and includes a number of massage and facial services that I can’t wait to try in the future.
Photo by Christy Articola
Currently, Durango Hot Springs does not have lodging on site, but it’s something they are planning for the future. After our hot springs adventure, we departed the property and stayed elsewhere in Durango, which gave us the opportunity to check out this really cool little town a bit more than I had been able to when passing through in the past. We both had so much fun at the hot springs and in Durango in general that we both agreed that we’d need to return soon to spend more time. Our entire visit exceeded our high expectations.
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Durango Hot Springs is a very special place. I’m so glad we made the trek to it from Denver and I can’t wait to return. I’ve visited dozens of hot springs in Colorado and beyond, and, without a doubt, Durango Hot Springs is one of my new favorites. I highly recommend it anyone who loves hot springs - or, if you haven’t been to one yet, this one is a great place to start. Plan a visit today! You’ll be glad that you did. This place is fantastic, and you’ll feel great after spending even a short time in these spectacular springs.
