Entry No. 47 — the Grand Junction file — filed under: hot springs
Waunita Hot Springs Ranch
Tucked 27 miles east of Gunnison at 8,946 feet, just below the Continental Divide, Waunita Hot Springs Ranch has been run by the Pringle family for over 50 years. The centerpiece is a 35-by-90-foot outdoor pool fed entirely by natural geothermal water — one of the largest private spring-fed pools in Colorado — maintained at 95–102°F depending on season. An adjacent hot tub holds 100–104°F year-round. The surrounding ranchland has the feel of a working old-west spread: weathered timber lodges, open meadows, no cell service. Since 2016 the ranch shifted toward large-group and corporate retreats, but day-use soaking remains available when no private event is booked.
The story
Ignore your phone’s navigation system when you head east out of Gunnison on US-50. If you let standard GPS guide you, it will cheerfully dump you onto County Road 888, leaving you lost in the high country dirt. The actual turn sits quietly at mile marker 176 onto County Road 887, winding up toward 8,946 feet beneath the Continental Divide. There, sitting in an open valley surrounded by weathered timber lodges, is Waunita Hot Springs Ranch—a working spread held by the Pringle family for more than five decades.
What makes this place legendary among high-country locals isn't a glossy spa menu or cucumber water. It's the sheer scale of the water. The centerpiece is a mammoth 35-by-90-foot outdoor pool fed entirely by natural geothermal springs, keeping the temperature between 95°F and 102°F regardless of mountain frosts, flanked by a smaller hot tub that steams at a steady 100°F to 104°F year-round. It stands as one of the largest private spring-fed pools in Colorado.
The hitch—and the reason you won't find crowds of tourists here—is that in 2016 the ranch quietly shifted its primary business toward private group retreats and family reunions. When a group books the spread, the gates lock to outsiders. But on the off-calendar days when no corporate retreat owns the grounds, day-use soaking opens up to those who know to ask.
What it's like
Before driving into the valley, you have to do your homework: check waunita.com and call (970) 641-1266 to confirm no private event has bought out the property for the week. Once you turn off US-50, your cell signal vanishes completely. You'll check in, head to the bathhouse to rinse off (a mandatory pre-soak shower is strictly enforced), and step out into an enormous, steamy expanse of water framed by weathered ranch timber and total alpine silence. Bring cash or cards for day fees, pack your own towel, and plan to be entirely off the grid while you soak.
The move: Drive the high corridor east of Gunnison, soak in a genuinely enormous spring-fed pool at nearly 9,000 feet, and have the place to yourselves on a quiet weekday. The silence, the heat, and the absence of cell service make it feel genuinely off-grid.
📍 Before you go Day use is only available when no private group has the ranch reserved — check the online calendar at waunita.com and call ahead: (970) 641-1266. Fees apply; overnight guests get unlimited pool access. The ranch is year-round but winter road conditions vary. No cell coverage on property. Showering before entering the pool is required. Corporate and reunion bookings can close the ranch with little public notice, so confirm the same week you plan to visit.
- 📍 Gunnison
- 💸 $$
- ⚡ Low-key
- 🌗 Indoor or outdoor
Where: 8007 County Road 887, Gunnison, CO 81230 (turn at mile marker 176 on US-50 — do not use GPS, which routes drivers to the wrong road via CR-888)
Hours: Added 2026-06-11 — confirm current hours before you go.
⚠ Seasonal or scheduled — always check before you go.
Pair it with
- Alpine Tunnel West Portal — Pair an intense, high-altitude railroad relic hunt near the Divide with a deep, quiet hot spring soak just down the corridor.
- Tincup Cemetery — Combine an off-grid soak at Waunita with a trek to Tincup's isolated 10,000-foot cemetery knolls.
- Gunnison Pioneer Museum — Explore 42 historic frontier buildings on the edge of town before heading east into the valley to soak at a 50-year-old family ranch.
Good to know
How do I secure day-use access to the pool?
Day soaking is only allowed when no private group or retreat has reserved the ranch. Check the online calendar at waunita.com and call ahead at (970) 641-1266 during the week of your planned visit to confirm open hours.
Why is GPS unreliable for reaching the ranch?
Navigation apps regularly misroute drivers onto County Road 888. The correct route requires turning directly off US-50 at mile marker 176 onto County Road 887.
What are the dimensions and temperatures of the hot springs?
The main outdoor pool measures 35 by 90 feet and ranges from 95°F to 102°F depending on the season. The adjacent hot tub stays between 100°F and 104°F year-round.
Is there phone reception at Waunita Hot Springs?
No. The property has no cell phone service, so plan all directions and contact details before leaving Gunnison.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Further reading: Official site · uncovercolorado.com
last checked: 2026-06-11