Have you been to valley view hot springs? (Salida, Saguache: rent, hotel)

[mquest123]

What was your experience like?

[froggin4colorado]

I went a long time ago, back in 1995. I was a senior in hs and went to Saguache schools- Mt. Valley HS. The Bishop family owned it back then..not sure about now. You can camp or rent a cabin. Very pretty spot, but very remote. Villa Grove doesn't have much so pack your stuff!
Clothing is optional after dark, so be prepared. Also, up in the upper pool, the upper 3, they were called the party pools. When I was there, lots of weed being smoked up there so we stayed clear. It was quite a shocker to see what happened after dark- I didn't know. I wasn't a complete goody two shoes but definitely wasn't expecting to see old men and women walking around butt naked and wasn't sure I felt comfortable hanging in a pool with them as I was a young 18 yr old thin and curvy. So, we kept jumping pools trying to find a remote pool away from them.
The deer were awesome, all over the place. The view was also wonderful.
I guess if you don't mind the nudity after dark, go for it. Just remember that Salida is your closest town- Saguache is close but still has nothing and Villa Grove has even less. One small convenience store and one small cafe. Saguache has the Dinner Bell or Oasis resturant- owned by the same family and the hours depends on where he is working. Saguache also has a liquor store and a small grocery store, 2 small gas stations, and for the most part a vacant downtown street. However, if you get the chance, look into the old Jackson Hotel at the end of the street. Its eerie because it looks like everyone cleared out at a moments notice because the magazines are still laying out along with other decor.
Hope that helps some.

[docwatson]

Camping was beautiful, first time I've seen fireflies in CO (we went in May, not sure if that has anything to do with it), with the stream was running nearby.

The large pool is nice, not so hot but nice for swimming. Most of the other pools are smaller and not so hot. It is clothing optional and definitely what you'd expect - a good number of older folks. But everyone was respectful. I didn't see any "party pools", I think it is more mellow now.

The scenery was quite beautiful and it is well worth a visit. It's a very peaceful place and the sunsets are beautiful. My only reservation is that the pools are not hotter or deeper. Strawberry Hot Springs remains the best I've been to in Colorado.

[xeric]

I was last there in 1994 but visited frequently before then. It's a beautiful place. It was clothing-optional day and night (not just after dark) and I'd be surprised if that's changed. As for it being wild (in a party sense) - I never thought so. It's perhaps hard to understand if you've never been exposed to public nudity, but at their best such environments are peaceful, friendly, and completely non-sexual. Valley View is one of those "best" places in that respect. My only complaint is that the water isn't very hot (most pools are somewhere in the 90s), and so I didn't really like going there when the weather was cold (and there's quite a long cold season at 8700 feet in Colorado). But summer visits couldn't be beat.

[bongo]

My experience too was that I wished the springs were hotter.

[froggin4colorado]

party pools = smoking joints
I went back in 1994/95 myself as a HS senior. They def could have been hotter, I also went in the winter time.

[xeric]

Originally Posted by froggin4colorado

party pools = smoking joints
I went back in 1994/95 myself as a HS senior. They def could have been hotter, I also went in the winter time.

Fair enough. I just didn't want people to think that it was sex parties.