Hot Sulphur Springs is a statutory town and the county seat of Grand County, Colorado, United States. The town is located near Byers Canyon between Granby and Kremmling, northwest of Denver and northwest of Winter Park. The town population was 687 at the 2020 census. The first pool house was built ca. 1900.

When Grand County was formed, Hot Sulphur Springs was the first county seat from 1874 to 1882, after which it moved to Grand Lake. The county seat returned in 1888 and has been there ever since.

Byers died on March 25, 1903. The town was incorporated on April 1, 1903.

The big plans of Byers were prevented by the slow arrival of the railroad in 1928 (after the construction of the Moffat Tunnel), and eventually the railroad quit stopping there, although the town is still a resort attracting many visitors. The first lodging rooms opened in 1926.

In 1997 the resort was extensively renovated, and the Ute tribal spiritual leader blessed the waters at the opening ceremony, attended by almost 1,000, which welcomed the Utes to use the springs once again.

Payday was always the last day of the month and was considered a dangerous day because of the many gunfights that occurred. Because Halloween is October 31, the last day of the month, the people of the town celebrated Halloween on the 30th to keep children safe, which continues to the present day.

The Pioneer Village Museum is also located in Hot Sulphur Springs.

Geography

Hot Sulphur Springs is located in central Grand County, along the Colorado River, just east (upstream) of where the river enters Byers Canyon. U.S. Route 40 passes through the center of town as Byers Avenue; it leads east to Granby, the largest town in the county, and west to Kremmling. The Byers Canyon Shooting Range west of town is part of the Colorado Parks and Wildlife Hot Sulphur Springs State Wildlife Area providing a winter foraging area for big game animals.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , all of it land.

Climate

This climate type is dominated by the winter season, a long, cold period with short, clear days, relatively little precipitation mostly in the form of snow, and low humidity. The climate is similar to that of nearby Kremmling.

Demographics

<!--As of the census of 2000, there were 521 people, 196 households, and 131 families residing in the town. The population density was . There were 227 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 94.82% White, 0.38% African American, 1.92% Native American, 2.11% from other races, and 0.77% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 7.10% of the population.

There were 196 households, out of which 32.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.7% were married couples living together, 5.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.7% were non-families. 25.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.45 and the average family size was 2.98.

250px|right|thumb|The welcome sign at the west end of town on Byers Avenue.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 24.4% under the age of 18, 9.0% from 18 to 24, 34.7% from 25 to 44, 25.7% from 45 to 64, and 6.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 122.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 134.5 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $39,306, and the median income for a family was $46,000. Males had a median income of $42,431 versus $20,208 for females. The per capita income for the town was $24,012. About 2.3% of families and 5.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.0% of those under age 18 and 9.1% of those age 65 or over.-->

Hot springs

The natural thermal springs at Hot Sulphur Springs are located in just outside the town limits on the west side of the Colorado River. The natural hot springs are heated from geothermal activity. Historically, the indigenous Ute people used the springs, but as more European settlers, and American soldiers arrived in the area they were pushed out although the court system declared the Utes the rightful owners. In more recent years a resort has been built at the hot springs that offers several soaking pools and tubs with temperatures ranging from 98&nbsp;°F to 112&nbsp;°F.

See also

  • Arapaho National Forest

References

  • Town of Hot Sulphur Springs official website
  • Hot Sulphur Springs Chamber of Commerce
  • Grand County Government
  • Pioneer Village Museum