Entry No. 30 — the Pueblo file — filed under: hot-springs-wellness
Valley View Hot Springs (Orient Land Trust)
“A ribbon of 250,000 bats at dusk — you don't just see it, you hear it.”
A nonprofit land trust runs this one: seven soaking ponds strung up a hillside at the foot of the Sangre de Cristos, clothing optional across the entire property, power from their own micro-hydro plant. The real move is mid-June through mid-September — hike two miles past the Orient Mine ghost town to the Glory Hole, where roughly 250,000 Brazilian free-tailed bats (a bachelor colony, documented since 1967) pour out at dusk in a ribbon you can hear. Admission is capped, so it never feels crowded.
The move: Reserve a summer day pass, soak the top ponds through late afternoon, then hike the two miles to the Glory Hole and stand still while the bat ribbon spirals out overhead — headlamps on for the walk down.
📍 Before you go From the US-285/CO-17 junction south of Villa Grove, turn east onto County Road GG and follow the graded gravel about seven miles to the foot of the mountains — any car makes it driven slowly. Admission is capped and runs on reservations: supporting members book months out, non-members much closer in, so plan ahead rather than drop in. The lower pools sit near parking, but the best natural ponds take a steep quarter-mile climb, and the bat hike is nearly two miles each way with a sharp final pitch — bring headlamps and closed shoes for the dark walk back. Crestone and the Great Sand Dunes are both within about an hour south if you want to stack the day.
- 📍 Villa Grove (north of Crestone)
- 💸 $$
- ⚡ Low-key
- 🌗 Indoor or outdoor
Where: 64393 County Road GG, Moffat, CO 81143 (about 7 miles east of the US-285/CO-17 junction south of Villa Grove)
Hours: Added 2026-06-11 — confirm current hours before you go.
⚠ Seasonal or scheduled — always check before you go.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Proof: source 1 · source 2 · source 3 · source 4
last checked: 2026-06-11