By Lisa T. Bergren

Interested in exploring some of Colorado’s hot springs? After packing a lunch and swimsuits/towels/change of clothes, we set off on this day trip from Colorado Springs to a place that had won high marks from fellow moms—Mt. Princeton. We arrived late morning and purchased our tickets to the waterslide and pools (2010 rate: $15 on a Saturday for adults).

This place is a kid heaven that a mama can love too. Mountains plunge down all around you; the sun climbs, hot and dry above; water splashes beside. What’s not to love? Far better than being in some crowded, expensive water park in the city. The waterslide is not really a stand-out, but it’s fast, curvy and totally pleased my children. I had to bribe/threaten the six-year-old to go for the first time but had to drag him out. We spent several hours, playing in the pools, riding the slides, soaking in the sun, and eating our picnic lunch.

As rain moved in (as it’s apt to do in Colorado in the afternoons—start early!) we moved down to the bigger, more traditional hot springs pools and my favorite, the river. Between all the pools, there’s something for everyone in terms of temperature (75, 90, and 100 degrees) but head to the river and wait for an opening at one of the small pools among the rocks. There you’ll find the best option of all: a mix of hot mineral water, flowing in to mix with the cool mountain run-off. When I go back, this is where I’ll spend the whole day (if Hubs is along to supervise the kidlets, of course.)

It was so nice, that I’d seriously consider renting one of their pretty cabins, relatively new, for a night or two. That’d give a family extra time to do a trail ride with a local outfitter, or rent ATVs and explore Tin Cup Pass.

St. Elmo

But we were just there for the day, so as the clouds lifted, we moved up the road (through gorgeous, old aspen groves) to historic St. Elmo, a town that was born with the Gold Rush and looks like it was abandoned in the midst of it.

There, the kids got a feel for a ghost town, but the highlight was the lumber pile, crawling with chipmunks. The St. Elmo General Store, across the street, sells food for you to feed them. Be aware; these critters are tame. Prepare children for them to crawl all over them—and take some antibacterial lotion to wash off hands and arms when they tire of the Nature Game.

They peeked in windows up and down the boardwalks, then we grabbed a snack and made the journey home to Colorado Springs. It was a long, but totally satisfying, day trip.

Things to Know:

• Directions to Mt. Princeton
• Waterslide & upper pool hours: Sun-Thurs 10am-6pm; Fri-Sat 10am-8pm
• NOTE: Waterslide season runs from Memorial Day Weekend through Labor Day Weekend
• Lower hot springs pool hours: Sun-Thurs 9am-10pm; Fri-Sat 9am-11pm
• Cost (as of 2010): All pool access, M-F $10 adults, $7 kids 12 & under/seniors;  Sat Sun $15 adults $10 kids and seniors; free pool access to guests staying on the property
• Reservations: condos and cabins that hold up to 10 people: $275-400/night (but pool/waterslide access for all guest is free, so factor that in!)