Even the steam that rises from the Mother Spring is hot: The world’s deepest geothermal hot spring, measuring more than 1,000 feet, has a surface temperature of 131 degrees. Bubbles pop on top of the round pool. It may be too fiery for humans, but the water source feeds more than 50 other geothermal pools at The Springs Resort in Pagosa Springs where visitors can comfortably soak and relax.

Set against the backdrop of the San Juan Mountains, the land on which the resort sits and its medicinal waters were discovered by the Southern Ute Indian Tribe more than 150 years ago (in fact, Pagosa is derived from a Ute word meaning “healing waters”).

Wellness was not a concept then, but it certainly is now. In many ways, The Springs Resort is returning to those roots with a recently completed expansion and a renewed commitment to what it refers to as “soakology: the nature of wellness.”

In the spring, The Springs Resort unveiled more than 25 new geothermal mineral soaking pools (doubling its previous offerings), 78 additional hotel rooms, a restaurant, a two-story thermal spa, a panoramic sauna, a dedicated yoga studio and extra “wellness amenities” such as aqua floating meditation and guided contrasting bathing experiences. (Overnight guests can access all of the pools 24 hours a day, while various day passes afford differing levels of access to everyone else.)

“Homing in on the wellness aspect of the hot springs is really what The Springs is focused on right now,” says Jennifer Green, executive director of Visit Pagosa Springs. “It’s (about) staying on top of the hot springs trend, continuing to innovate and be new and offer unique experiences.”

Geothermal water has long been recognized for its therapeutic benefits. Naturally infused with minerals such as potassium, magnesium and sulfate, soaking in the warmth can lower blood pressure, increase energy, strengthen bones and improve skin tone.

As wellness and self-care have continued to trend, interest in hot springs has also grown, leading to major expansions at properties across the state. Old Town Hot Springs in Steamboat Springs opened four new pools in June. Glenwood Springs’ Iron Mountain Hot Springs added multiple pools and saunas this year after debuting its adults-only WorldSprings — soaking areas inspired by well-known geothermal locations around the globe — in 2023. Its neighbor, Glenwood Hot Springs Resort, added the Yampah Mineral Baths, a collection of five pools, in 2024, and a 16-room boutique hotel, Hotel 1888, began taking reservations in June.

The Springs Resort’s new pools are all situated downriver from the original property and were intentionally designed with wellness in mind. In practice, that looks like new adults-only and family-friendly areas, a reflexology walking path, an indoor pool specifically for aqua massage treatments and Contrast Falls — a dynamic waterfall where one side pours geothermal water and the other pours cold river water.

The major expansion comes to a site that’s enveloped by craggy peaks and 3 million acres of wilderness land and national forest — an ever-present reminder that while these pools may be new, Mother Nature’s healing touch has a long history.