Entry No. 26 — the Pueblo file — filed under: hot-springs-wellness
The Greenhouse at Sand Dunes Recreation
In the 1930s, oil drillers punched a mile into the San Luis Valley floor and hit 118-degree artesian water instead. Hooper (population about 100) got a family swimming pool out of it — and behind that pool, since 2015, a 10,000-square-foot greenhouse where the rules flip: 21+ only, four soaking pools from 98 to 111 degrees, a ten-person dry sauna, tropical plants everywhere, and the Steel Box bar passing wine and small plates to people soaking in the high desert.
The move: Work your way up the four pools from 98 to 111 degrees, split small plates from the Steel Box between soaks, and finish in the sauna while the dunes glow outside.
📍 Before you go Check in at the main Sand Dunes Recreation building off County Road 63; the Greenhouse is a separate add-on admission on top of regular pool entry and strictly 21+ with ID, even though the outdoor pool out front is family territory. It generally runs walk-in, but the facility closes one day a week for cleaning — confirm before making the roughly two-hour drive from Pueblo. Pair it with Great Sand Dunes National Park about 25 minutes east, or the Colorado Gators reptile park and the UFO Watchtower a few minutes down Highway 17.
- 📍 Hooper
- 💸 $$
- ⚡ Low-key
- 🌗 Indoor or outdoor
Where: 1991 County Road 63, Hooper, CO 81136
Hours: Added 2026-06-11 — confirm current hours before you go.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Proof: source 1 · source 2 · source 3
last checked: 2026-06-11