Home

Steamboat Springs — If visitors want to get some summertime exercise without leaving the city limits, they do not have to go any further than the Steamboat Springs Health and Recreation Association.

At the east entrance of Old Town, close to the corner of Third Street, Health and Recreation offers everything from early morning yoga classes to a late night dip in its springs-fed, hot pools. Massages, a water slide, a lap pool and workout rooms are available.

Jeanne Gillaspie, assistant director of the non-profit association, said the favorite summertime activity is probably the club's Olympic-size pool and 350-foot water slide.

Gillaspie said the water slide, built into the side of a mountain, is an obvious favorite among children, as is the toddlers pool equipped with toys and animals.

The association features three hot spring pools. Manager Pat Carney said the mineral water in the hot spring pools is an added bonus and attracts visitors even though many have hot tubs at their lodging.

The three hot pools range from 98 to 103 degrees.

The association's fitness center features weight machines, free weights, stationary bicycles, treadmills, cross-trainers, rowing machines, Stairmasters, versa climber and lifecycles.

The center offers daily exercise classes like spinning, yoga, step, strength and stretch, kickboxing and water-fitness.

Gillaspie said visitors are most likely to try the yoga classes while on vacation in Steamboat. Classes are offered on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 6 a.m. and 10 a.m. Water aerobics, which is often at 12:15 p.m., is another favorite in the summer.

And for those who are sore after summertime sports such as hiking, biking or horseback riding, the center provides therapeutic, rejuvenating, deep tissue and soothing massages. The cost for a massage is $60 per hour.

"Sometimes on vacation they have more time to treat themselves to massages since they are not so busy," Gillaspie said.

Carney finds people can spend all day at the Health and Recreation Association, especially women.

She said they can start early in the morning with a class like yoga, follow that with a massage, dip in the hot pools and a workout in the fitness center. In the afternoon, they can bring the children for a swim and the water slide.

The association also has a child care program that allows a parent to take a class, get a massage or swim laps. Child care is $6 per hour.

All-day access to the three hot pools and lap pool is $7.50 for adults, $5 for those ages 13 to 17 and $3.50 for children and seniors. Ten rides on the water slide cost $5 and general admission must be paid to use the water slide. Use of the fitness center is $10 per day, and a pass to all the facilities is $15 and includes hot pools, classes, fitness center and tennis courts.

Visitors can reserve tennis courts for $7 per hour. Built last fall, this is the first summer the tennis courts will be used.