Yampah Spa and Vapor Caves

I visited the vapor caves, I loved it. Came on a slow night, was nice and hot, was quite enough to meditate, will be coming back every time I am in town and will be passing the word around that it’s a place to visit

This place needs repairs and a cleaning. Let’s start with the positives, the staff is great, the experience is very unique, but whoever owns this place needs to maintain it better for health/​safety reasons. From a vet who has deployed, I think our shower trailers in Iraq were better maintained than this place which is CRITICAL when you have many people using a common facility. Tons of plumbing fixtures are dirty, shanty repairs are halfway done, towels and robes are beat up, multiple ceilings in massage rooms show signs of water leaks or damage, I could go on for days. I couldn’t relax in this place because I didn’t know if I was going to get a skin disease from dirty furniture or towel.

First — the staff is SUPER helpful and friendly. We received a tour of the options — opted into the vapor cave and a mineral bath.
We only had to wait 10 minutes for a private mineral bath — super relaxing; they provided everything we could’ve asked for in the bath room. Clean, fast, friendly, calming. Made my skin look and feel great. ¹⁰⁄₁₀ definitely returning!

I decided to try Yampah because of its history. Well, you can certainly tell its been around for a long time. It is a very modest fee for no-​frills vapor cave admission. Dressing room is very basic, but clean. The vapor caves do not look likes the ones in this picture. The picture makes it look bright and airy. However, the cave is dark and there is just steam everywhere. When you go deep inside the caves, you sit/​lie on a bench. Some people put their feet in cold water. You start sweating very quickly. It is a cool experience, but I’m not sure I would go on a regular basis, it seemed a bit dirty, or if you’ve ever lived in a humid country, just like excess humidity x 100. I feel like there might be dirt or mold building up in a lot of places in those dark caves. There is an area for relaxing if you’re waiting for a massage etc. but again very basic. Quite a few older folk. I went there on a Wednesday, and they had a discount, (it was probably an off-​peak day). However, there were staff washing the shower area (which looked like a public swimming pool rinse off area /​or fishmarket rinse off area from the 1970s). Also, staff were very loud and talking in the hallway. They need to have an area for the staff to do their social chit-​chat without creating a noisy experience for customers trying to relax.

I have never been to the salon here but decided to try it out. I was greeted by a stylist who was going to be doing my hair, named Leann. LEANN was absolutely the worst! Not only did she mess up my hair the first time she tried to dye it, making it bright orange, when she tried to fix it she left the dye on for too long and pretty much ruined an entire patch of hair. The whole time I was there she talked about inappropriate subjects and refused to apologize because she thought it was my fault that my hair was orange and falling out because she left the bleach on too long. I hate to dis the entire salon and the other stylists there because I’ve never had any other experiences but I can not recommend anyone to go see Leann, she has no idea what she is doing and has no manners or etiquette.

3 words: hot mineral bath. All the toxins plaguing my body were gone after a 45 mins soak in a private bath with running natural hot spring water!

Place was not worth the money! Just even for the caves it is 15 $ per person. Caves were good but not for 15 $. The other services they offer are beyond god awful expensive. The place was neat to try but I will never be back.

Came here after hiking at hanging lake and it was relaxing. Its like a hot sauna inside the cave. We also had a mineral bath and it was rejuvenating. I totally loved this. If you can passing by hanging lake. Reserve a few hours for this spa. It is totally worth it.

Awesome place– I’ve never been so relaxed in my life! Great ambiance. Would love a little more light in the solarium, but that would be my only desire!

This review is for my recent experience at Yampah Spa. I first called to inquire about receiving a foot reflexology treatment. I asked if any of the massage therapists at the spa are specifically trained in reflexology. The front desk person told me that yes all of their massage therapists are trained in reflexology. I decided to go ahead and give it a try. Well, what I received was definitely not a reflexology treatment. It was a nice foot massage and relaxing, but definitely not reflexology. I have received a reflexology treatment by a certified reflexology practitioner so I do know the difference. Since I wanted a true reflexology treatment — not just a foot massage — I was quite disappointed, to say the least and it was definitely a waste of $ 57 plus tip for a 25 minute treatment (even though the foot massage did not equate to reflexology, I still feel it is only fair the massage therapist). If it had been true reflexology, then the $ 57 may have been acceptable but still pricey for only 25 minutes probably.
Lesson learned.
There may be some fine massage therapists perhaps at Yampah and you may be ok to go there for a general massage… But it feels a bit like a «massage factory» — cannot say I enjoy the atmosphere — noisy and does not feel the cleanest (perhaps a byproduct of being part of a vapor caves facility, though they definitely need to do some updating-​the building is old and shows it). The bathroom I used was tiny and very unappealing especially when you are hoping for a nice spa experience.
From a personal preference standpoint, I will not be selecting Yampah for my future massage or spa experiences. (I might go again for a pedicure, however, as I did receive a nice pedicure there once… Their salon area is a little more inviting & they use AVEDA products).
Alternate recommendation: if you are looking for a similar experience nearby in Glenwood Springs, but want a Nicer massage/​spa facility… I recommend Spa of the Rockies at the Glenwood Hot Springs (& no, I do not work there… I have only been there to receive a few different treatments). They have much more upgraded facilities and it is very quiet and relaxing in the spa there.

Besides the lack of remodeling that clearly needs to be done, the teeny tiny changing rooms, the stank of 1000 year old dragon farts when you enter the vapor caves, it actually does feel quite refreshing. Tho you do sense that tomorrow you will have toe fungus and a UTI. And one moment I thought I was in the depths of hell. But again, I did feel relaxed upon leaving.

The vapor caves are a true experience. After changing into your suit, you will walk down a long flight of steps into the hot steamy embrace of the cave. The first room is warm and cozy, with hotter and hotter rooms as you step farther into the caves. The peaceful calm of the caves is wonderful. Natural spring water wells up from several places in the floor, and steam condenses and drips down from the stone ceiling. There are stone benches to sit or lay on depending on how many people are in the caves. When you have had enough heat you can go up to the solarium for some cool lemon water, or even go to an enclosed outdoor area to cool off in the snow Swedish style. You can go into the caves as many times as you like. A good value for $ 15.

I dislike complaining so I will start this off with the wonderful positives. The caves are amazing. I got a feeling of communing with ancestors being in there. The initial reception gal was darling and extremely helpful. I’m frustrated because I just spent over $ 100.00 and felt like I was at a ‘fast food’ version of a Spa. The services are incredibly overpriced. That’s my main beef. I understand it’s right off of i-​70 and they can probably charge this per demand, but I felt cheated. The word «Gratuity» was mentioned 3x’s. By the 3^rd time someone said it I was mad. And this pretty much ruined the whole vibe for me. A wish for healing and relaxation became another stressor of regret for having engaged. Fair trade. No, not by any stretch. My fault I went in a little late in the evening.– but, during the last 15 minutes of my experience there– the staff was hurriedly cleaning and hustling people out… and it was less than an ideal experience for the amount of money I exchanged for a Spa experience.

Awkward, uncomfortable experience. Came here with my husband and purchased the monthly special. First thing that threw us off was that they only accept the payment in full before your services, at any other spas I’ve ever been to, it’s after, now I realize that’s a red flag. After paying in full, we were shown the small locker rooms & solarium by a woman who didn’t speak much English. Every question we asked her she just said «I don’t know.»
–The «mineral bath» is quite literally a lukewarm bath in a dark room with a fan on. There is no ambiance of any, music, etc., both you and your partner have to cram into one of the selected tubs. There was also, another tub next to us (still filled with some water) not sure what that was for. Anyway, that takes 30 minutes of the «special».
–The next part, the «herbal warming wrap», was very uncomfortable. We were in a brightly lit room (no candles, anything) and the lady stood there and didn’t say anything & didn’t explain anything. We only had our robes on, and then she proceeded to flop a big wet rag (herbal soaked rag?) on these tarps laying on the table. And then looked at both me and my husband and said okay, «take it off and get on the table.» And then we waited for her to leave the room. I asked her to leave and she literally said «it’s okay I see people all day.» I wouldn’t care so much, but my husband getting undressed in front of a stranger We weren’t comfortable with. She proceeded to argue with me and refused to leave the room, so we just laid down and let her wrap. Usually they provide some kind of small towel at least in my other experiences. The experience was overpriced. It was just a sweaty mess, with us laying there sweating in a tarp for a whole 50 minutes. I asked her what kind of herbs they were (to know benefits of course!) again «I dont know, just herbs.» She didn’t wash her hands before the session. After the soak, we asked if we could shower off the sweat. She said «no, massage, no shower.» This place seemingly has got to be breaking health codes… We went up to the showers to rinse off any way. (Hope they’re not sending sweaty clients to them.) The massages with Sarah and Dusty were good, the best part of the whole thing, 25 minutes seemed so short comparing to the 1.5 hr beforehand we spent sweating, wasting time confused, and just being treated rudely. The caves seem like they could be a really good thing with some serious cleaning, or tiling the floor maybe. In the caves there are Tupperwares to use water to cool down, but they’re all communal. I didn’t want to dump water on my face some guy was just soaking his feet in. The locker room needs to be expanded, the shower heads not lined up together with no curtains. so you cant have privacy. A lot of potential, but potential is not what I want to pay $ 250+ for. Better training on how to do wraps, provide a level of professionalism, better communication; lastly to not be rude and forceful with clients that prefer their modesty. I probably wouldn’t have been so bothered by the rest if the lady had not been so abrasive. Wish I had spent it all on the massage. The massages were great. Just solely depending on historical landmark doesn’t cut it when your charging 5 star prices, for just a less than bathhouse. Just stick with the main hot springs across the street to relax.

This place is a great deal. $ 15 gets you an all day pass to the steamy caves (and my hotel, the Hanging Lake Inn, had a $ 5 coupon too! Towel and flip flops are free and locker is a quarter. They even lent me a bathing suit at no extra charge.

It’s all about the caves! As a visitor to Glenwood Springs, I didn’t get to check out the rest of the spa. but I checked out the caves, and then some. For $ 15 you get access to the underground caves of hot steam boiling out from rocks. It’s wonderful, surreal, and worth every penny. You go down some steps (Not ADA, for sure!) and there’s the warm area, and behind curtains, you step into the hot caves. I couldn’t make it past 10 minutes most times. There is a cold shower in there and buckets with water; otherwise you can step outside and cool off or hang in the solarium sipping lemon water and relaxing. I felt so good, my skin was purified and happy. I showered after with some wonderful soap they provide and came away happy.
Apparently Doc Holliday moved to Glenwood Springs to treat his health; I am curious if he spent time in these caves. It is quite possible!

I would say that this particular business needs to definitely do some updating based on the prices that they charge. The vapor caves are cool except they had these old plastic shower curtains hanging up and it didn’t look very well kept. The massage therapist was good and she did have good pressure. The biggest complaint that I have with my facial technician is she left the room for more than half my facial. There was a mask a short facial massage and some hot towels. She did not utilize the steamer or the galvanic current or any of the tools that were in the room. I frequently visit spas in different cities and I would say that this facial tech was less than mediocre. I would say that I would not return to this spa for that particular reason.

Amazing! I love coming here, relaxing, sweating, and getting a good sports massage. The vapor caves are a natural wonder! They do get packed on weekends so either go early or do weekdays. I travel also an hour to this place. So worth it! And Victoria for massages gives an amazing sport massage. I always make an appointment with her! And try to book her for a few times a month!

We did a private mineral bath, the caves, and massages.
The caves are cool, exactly what I expected. Make sure you bring sandals as the water on the floors is boiling hot! Due to the heavy rains recently I was told there is usually not so much water, but we didnt mind although you really had to take care where you stepped. The caves were a wonderful experience. The private bath was also wonderful, we really enjoyed soaking our tired muscles after hiking all morning and the quiet peaceful room and the iced cloths for our heads were just perfect.
My massage however was beyond awful. I had an old man named Tim that should not be giving massages. I asked a few times if he could give more pressure, he actually told me he really couldnt because he was worried about hurting me. I told him there is no way he can possibly hurt me and please dig deep, but I believe he did not have the strength to do so. It was very possibly the worst massage I have ever had in my life. The $ 57 was way too much for that 25 min massage as I left really needing one!!! It was really more like frantic rubbing than massaging, and I really wish I had just done the caves and bath as the massage did absolutely nothing but frustrate me and took away from the relaxation I achieved in the caves and bath, but since he is like a 90 year old man I almost felt bad saying anything. Maybe he really needs the job, I don’t know.
My BF got a gal named Cody, and said she was wonderful. He had a few knots she was able to get out completely in that very short time period.
All in all I would not go back due to the awful and expensive massage, but I guess if you luck out and get a good therapist it would really be worth it. I just don’t understand why they have someone working as a massage therapist who is not capable of massaging!

Like other reviews said, it is an old building. Building is not impressive– bathroom is so small so had to go to handicapped bathroom for more space. Cave– had a pee smell to it; ok– people might say «sulfur» smell (I am not used to sulfur smell). Mold growing on the wall– asked front desk about it– they clean it daily and probably rock formation– my opinion is take it at your own risk.
Pros– Mari was good at the massage. 50 minutes. Relaxing– although ask to do face and head before they do the feet. You don’t want feet dirt on your face. Facial was relaxing also with Sandra– the steam on my face almost made me sleepy. She did the aveda facial. Took out stubborn blackheads that I had for years. $ 80+ for each– massage and facial.
Will come back for facial if back in town from Houston, TX.