Entry No. 31 — the Pueblo file — filed under: hot-springs-wellness
Valley View Hot Springs & Orient Mine Bat Flight
“Seven pools, off-grid, clothing-optional — and a quarter-million bats up the hill.”
The nonprofit Orient Land Trust runs this off-grid, clothing-optional spread at the foot of the Sangre de Cristos: seven pools, natural rock-and-gravel ponds in the mid-90s, hot pools at 104–106, electricity from their own 1975 hydro plant. The real draw is up the hill. A 1.5-mile hike ends at the Glory Hole of the Orient Mine — Colorado's biggest iron producer, which fed Pueblo's steel mill until 1932 — where roughly 250,000 Mexican free-tailed bats corkscrew out at dusk, mid-June through mid-September.
The story
Before it was an off-grid land trust, the Orient Mine was Colorado's powerhouse iron producer, stripping ore out of the Sangre de Cristo foothills to feed Pueblo's steel mill until the operation went dark in 1932. When the miners walked away, the massive open-pit collapse known as the Glory Hole sat empty until roughly 250,000 Mexican free-tailed bats moved in to take over the roost. Today, the nonprofit Orient Land Trust manages the site, keeping the entire spread off the regional grid with power generated from their own 1975 hydroelectric plant.
The soaking grounds consist of seven pools scattered up the hillside. The natural rock-and-gravel ponds sit in the mid-90s, while the upper hot pools hit 104 to 106 degrees. You need to know before stepping out of the bathhouse that clothing is optional everywhere on the property—not just beside the water, but along the walking paths and all the way up the mountain trail.
Between mid-June and mid-September, the real reason to sit in the Waterfall Pond until twilight becomes obvious. An hour before sunset, you hike 1.5 miles past the rotting foundations of the Orient ghost town to the lip of the Glory Hole. As darkness hits the valley, a solid column of a quarter-million bats corkscrews out of the earth in a synchronized, rushing flyout that can go on for long minutes before they disperse to hunt.
What it's like
Cell service cuts out well before you reach the end of County Road GG, so save your directions before leaving US-285. Day passes for the hot springs are strictly capped and summer weekends book out early—with trust members getting first crack at reservations—so do not show up expecting a walk-in soak. Watching the bat flight up at the mine is completely free even if you don't pay for pool access, but remember that you will be making the one-hour hike back down the dirt trail in absolute darkness. Pack a strong headlamp and a jacket.
The move: Book a summer day pass, soak in the Waterfall Pond until an hour before sunset, then hike up past the ghost town of Orient to the Glory Hole and count the minutes the bat column keeps pouring — headlamps on for the walk back down.
📍 Before you go Turn east off US-285 onto County Road GG north of the CO-17 junction and follow it to its end at the foot of the Sangres; the address says Moffat, but Villa Grove is the nearest town. Day admission is capped and summer weekends book out, so reserve ahead — members get a longer booking window than non-members. Clothing is optional everywhere on the property, including the bat-hike trail, and watching the flight itself is free even though soaking is not. The bats are only in residence mid-June through mid-September, the moderate 1.5-mile climb to the Glory Hole takes about an hour, and you will descend in the dark — bring headlamps.
- 📍 Villa Grove (north of Crestone)
- 💸 $$
- ⚡ Low-key
- 🌗 Indoor or outdoor
Where: 64393 County Road GG, Moffat, CO 81143 (end of CR GG, east off US-285 south of Villa Grove)
Hours: Added 2026-06-11 — confirm current hours before you go.
⚠ Seasonal or scheduled — always check before you go.
Pair it with
- Joyful Journey Hot Springs — Drive six miles down the valley if you want to contrast Valley View's off-grid mountain ponds with odorless, lithium-laced soaking pools.
- Smokey Jack Observatory — Pair watching a quarter-million bats take flight at dusk with looking through a 14-inch Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope across the range in Westcliffe.
- Crestone Ziggurat — Follow up an off-grid soak by driving south to visit the yellow-brick Babylonian ziggurat built in the foothills outside Crestone.
Good to know
Do I need to pay to see the bat flight?
No. Access to watch the bat flight at the Orient Mine Glory Hole is free, though soaking in the Valley View hot springs pools requires a paid day pass.
Are clothes required on the bat trail?
No. Clothing is optional across the entire Orient Land Trust property, including the soaking areas, the grounds, and the 1.5-mile hike to the mine.
When are the bats at the mine?
The colony of roughly 250,000 Mexican free-tailed bats is only in residence from mid-June through mid-September.
How do I secure day admission for hot springs soaking?
You must reserve ahead online or by phone. Day passes are capped to limit crowds, and summer weekends regularly sell out.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Further reading: olt.org · uncovercolorado.com · coloradobirdingtrail.com · alamosa.org
last checked: 2026-06-11