Dunton Hot Springs has one of the most unusual histories in the American hot springs world. The original Dunton was a small silver-mining outpost founded in 1885 in a remote San Juan Mountains valley, with a population of a few hundred miners at its peak. The mines closed early in the twentieth century and the town was abandoned, becoming one of the West's many forgotten ghost towns. The current ownership purchased the entire town in the 1990s and rebuilt it as an ultra-luxury all-inclusive hot springs resort, preserving the original 1885 cabin structures while restoring the interiors to luxury standards.
Thirteen guest cabins anchor the resort, each restored from an original 19th-century town building. Hand-hewn logs, copper tubs, reclaimed timber floors, vintage lassos, and period furnishings define the interiors; the exteriors retain the weathered ghost-town character. The cabins arrange in a circle around the restored saloon and dance hall, which together serve as the resort's social center and dining room.
Five soaking options use the natural hot springs source, which emerges at 108 F and is calcium bicarbonate water with notable iron and manganese content plus trace lithium. The source pool itself is the hottest, exposed to the sky for under-the-stars soaking. The 19th-century bathhouse has both an indoor pool and an outdoor pool. A more intimate pool sits behind the Dunton Store cabin. Most distinctively, the Well House cabin has a private indoor mineral pool inside it, meaning a guest staying in Well House has private soaking inside their cabin.
The all-inclusive structure is what places Dunton in a different category from most American hot springs. Rates from $1,200 per night cover lodging, three meals daily, all beverages (alcoholic and non-alcoholic), hot springs access (24/7 for guests), and most activities. Alcohol is unusually included at this price tier. The separate Dunton River Camp on the Dolores River runs at $2,200 per tent per night with a two-night minimum and is the resort's higher-end tented-camp product. Whole-town buyouts for weddings and corporate retreats are routinely offered.
