Orvis Hot Springs is the established clothing-optional hot springs of Colorado. The property sits just north of Ouray in Ridgway, on County Road 3, on the geothermal source that has flowed at the site for thousands of years. Seven natural pools have been developed around the source over the resort's history, and the property has held its clothing-optional positioning consistently through changes in ownership.
The signature pool is the Lobster Pot, a small hot pool kept at 114 F that is the hottest soak on the property and one of the hottest developed mineral pools in Colorado. Most visitors get in and out of the Lobster Pot in under five minutes; longer soaks at that temperature are unsafe. The other six pools step down to a 65 F cold plunge: a main soaking pool at 100 F, a hot pool at 108 F, an indoor pool, a stargazing pool, a cold plunge, and a private rental tub for couples.
Clothing policy is the central operational detail. Outdoor pools are clothing-optional for adults 18 and over. Guests aged 17 and under (yes, the resort does accept minors with parents) must wear swimsuits at all times. The indoor pool is suit-required from 7 AM to 9 PM, switching to clothing-optional outside those hours. This is the most carefully managed clothing-optional structure in any Colorado hot springs and one reason Orvis has avoided the operational friction other clothing-optional springs sometimes face.
Lodging is small and deliberate. Six fully remodeled rooms (no TV, no phone, WiFi for utility only) plus a campground with tent and vehicle sites round out the overnight options. Camping at $50-60 per person per night includes 24-hour pool access; rooms include it too. There is no on-site restaurant, only kitchen facilities for guests, which keeps Orvis squarely in the 'small contemplative adult retreat' category rather than the full-resort tier.
