Every modern comfort our visitors enjoy, from our sauna to our cooking facilities, are entirely “off-grid”. 

Most are powered using a highly efficient hydroelectric power plant. The same spring waters our guests soak in also warms our cabins, nourishes the plants and wildlife, and generates a moderate amount of electrical power. We dispense this limited electricity as wisely as possible, off-loading these demands as need be to compensate for drought seasons. 

The hot springs facility operates entirely off-grid and is profoundly affected by precipitation and visitor usage. As part of our educational mission, we've shared this and other natural resources with 27,000 visitors annually for decades. All energy conserved by guests is directed through our governor and into extra hot water for the soaking they so enjoy. Visitor's interest is further developed with guided Hydro tours, active research, and educational campaigns. These direct connections have inspired sustainable living practices for generations forming a wide-spread community of tourists, locals, and environmental enthusiasts. We've cultivated long-standing partnerships with schools, government, local, and environmental organizations including an engineering school who's freshman class created sustainable energy designs for our newest property, a historic ranch and campus. Simply put, the possibilities are tremendous!

Sustainable Energy Tour

Interested visitors should inquire about our in-depth geothermal and hydroelectric tours. Hosts show them the entire cycle, visiting the springs, collection box, down to the hydroelectric power plant, following the current back up to the governor, and finally to experience the benefits first hand.

Astronomy Program

Astronomy Hosts share the science and wonder of the night sky with visitors. With our 8” telescope, guests can spot distant galaxies, fascinating stars, as well the rings and moons surrounding nearby planets.

Heavens Above, Site 1792105 (OLT) - astronomy and satellite events, localized to Valley View Hot Springs

Space Weather - meteor showers, solar weather, and aurora sightings

All Night Soaking

Year round, our overnight guests can soak comfortably under the stars all night. All spaces remain open through the night. We maintain minimal artificial light and recommend having a flashlight ready well before dusk. Most visitors are surprised how comfortably they can soak for hours. Do please keep a low voice out of respect for others sleeping in nearby tents and cabins.

Valley View Hot Springs is well known for its natural setting, kind culture, and a tradition of open air naturism. Clothing is altogether optional throughout the property. Nudity is not inherently indecent, suggestive, nor demeaning. It’s simply a natural, healthy, and comfortable choice.

“Never before did I get so close to Nature; never before did she come so close to me... Nature was naked, and I was also... Sweet, sane, still Nakedness in Nature! - ah if poor, sick, prurient humanity in cities might really know you once more! Is not nakedness indecent? No, not inherently. It is your thought, your sophistication, your fear, your respectability, that is indecent. There come moods when these clothes of ours are not only too irksome to wear, but are themselves indecent.

Walt Whitman, 19th century American poet

New to naturism? No worries...
There's nothin' to it ...really.

Few people experience social nudity outside a locker room or home, if that. At Valley View, soakers often find nudity preferable especially as they emerge from the warm water into the cool, dry air. Hikers visiting the Orient Mine appreciate the freedom to shed off sweaty clothes and feel the breeze. Many feel less judged, enjoying great conversations with diverse people, some of whom they may never have met otherwise. Put simply, nudity is natural.

Naturism at OLT
Social Nudity in Nature

(printable guide for sharing, Adobe PDF format)

“Naturism is the practice of clothing optional communal nudity in a non-erotic setting, with a commitment to inclusiveness and diversity, and without discrimination based on race, age, gender, sexual orientation, religion, national or ethnic origin, lifestyle or socio-economic background. The purpose of preserving the naturist culture is to encourage body acceptance, self-respect, respect for others, and caring for the environment. The property provides a pristine, rustic and peaceful setting in which to enjoy the benefits of a naturist lifestyle including feelings of physical, spiritual, and psychological well-being, as well as a sense of freedom and relaxation.”

as outlined by OLT's Founders

What to Expect

Personal Choice: Clothing is a personal choice in all areas and at all times. Nudity is neither prohibited nor expected.

Social Decency: Aside from public nudity, social norms are no different. Naturists are empowered, maintaining strong personal boundaries regardless of clothes or setting. Leering, harassing, sexual, and suggestive behavior is no more appropriate here than any public park, campground, or pool. Hugging and affection are common among friends. If anything, naturists tend to be especially courteous, accepting, and considerate of others.

Non-erotic Setting: Naturism is not opposed to sex, but makes a clear distinction between sex and mere nudity. Sexual behavior is considered private, for consenting adults in their own private space. With our peacefully platonic open space, self-control is normal and natural.

Males and Females: Men concerned they may become aroused can simply don a towel, turn over, or take a dip in the pool. Menstruation is a natural part of every woman’s life. Some use tampons while others prefer pads with shorts or bathing bottoms.

Friendly Help: If ever unsure, just ask! We're happy to answer any questions or concerns, however sensitive they may be.

Relaxing: Unlike stripping or streaking, being naked here is practical, not provocative. Instead of a thrill, naturists seek a simple awareness and acceptance of their own bodies and those of others.

Privacy from Cameras: Camera devices including cell phones are not to be used where others are in view. Photographing the landscape and wildlife is encouraged, just so long as others aren’t included without their consent.

Children of All Ages: Kids naturally prefer nudity. We welcome families as well as couples and singles from all walks of life, religions, and lifestyles. We do require
swim diapers until toilet trained. And like anywhere else, parents are responsible for their children and asked to remain with them at all times.

Every Body: When it comes to body variations, naturists are among the most accepting people you'll ever meet. We accept those with tattoos, jewelry, piercings, surgical alterations, and medical accessories. Diversity is every bit as important to our community as it is to our eco-system.

Communal Space: We have no private nor segregated pools. All guests share unisex bathrooms with private stalls and showers. A variety of private cabins and rooms may be reserved.

Healthy Facilities: Our professional staff clean the pool each week or so, the rooms before each visit, and the communal bathrooms and kitchens daily. The fresh spring water and natural ponds flow fast and clean, all without the use of chemical disinfectants. Nudity is always optional in all spaces and not deemed unhygienic by us nor the Health Department. Although sharing bare seating poses less risk than common faucets or door knobs, some find sitting on towels most comfortable. We don’t judge. Certainly anyone with a rash or wound may prefer a barrier.

Remote Location: Our vast property is owned and managed by the Orient Land Trust to prevent overcrowding and development, all as a nonprofit public service. It is surrounded by miles of BLM public open-space providing a peaceful escape whether soaking, camping, or hiking.

Sunny Days and Dark Nights: At this altitude, sunscreen may be prudent although we ask guests to rinse off before entering the waters which we share not only with one another but also the birds, bats, fireflies, and threatened fish. Alternatively, a sunhat and sarong can offer great protection both in and out of the water. Flashlights and rugged shoes are recommended for the well-worn, but rocky trails between each pond.

Naturist Ideals

It is generally agreed by naturist organizations that eroticism and blatant sexuality have no place in naturism and are, in fact, antithetical to its ideals.

Join The Naturist Society to learn more about naturism at protected locations around the world. TNS members receive discounted admission at Valley View Hot Springs.

The properties protected by the Orient Land Trust bridge public lands that allow a rich diversity of wildlife to roam freely across the Sangre de Cristo Mountain Range and out into the San Luis Valley. By preventing development and fostering mindful land practices, this open space has thrived to the benefit of all.

We are well known for our wildlife who live as comfortably and naturally as our visitors. Guests come here from across the country just to see Colorado's largest bat colony. They are frequently visited by deer and colorful birds. And some of our tiniest residents turn summer nights into an amazing show. 

In 1998 the Colorado Natural Heritage Program prepared a biological inventory study for The Nature Conservancy. In that study the Valley View Hot Springs and Orient Mine area was found to have high biodiversity significance. With the help of volunteers OLT is working to prepare a baseline for the lands under the control of OLT so that the success of preservation policies can be measured. OLT continues to work closely with concerned government agencies to ensure that the environment, including the water, plants and animals, particularly indigenous species, and all other components of the ecosystem, are protected. OLT will utilize tools such as habitat conservation and cooperative management plans to facilitate the goal of preserving the environment.

Fauna

Birds

Flora

Restored Riparian Habitat

The Rio Grande Chub (Gila pandora), a listed species of concern by the Colorado

Threatened Fish Species

On the eastern portion of the Everson Ranch, an award-winning restored riparian section of Hot Springs Creek provides critical habitat to two imperiled species of fish, the Rio Grande chub and the Rio Grande Sucker.  

Hot Springs Creek runs down Hot Springs Canyon (in a wet spring) and joins in with the spring water from Valley View Hot Springs.  The water is carried from Valley View Hot Springs in a twelve inch diameter pipe 9000 feet to the hydroelectric plant.  From there it comes out onto the valley floor.  From there, the creek has been turned from a hundred year old irrigation ditch into a natural meandering creek through a partnership with the Colorado Division of Wildlife, US Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service. 

Steps are taken to keep the water downstream as clean as when it emerges from the ground.  Not only is this respectful to the environment and downstream neighbors, but its important to the Rio Grande Chub living just downstream of the powerhouse.  This species, federally listed as threatened, contributes to a healthy ecosystem.  Their home, the stream and reservoir, were re-built to near-natural conditions in late 2010.  Chemical use is minimized.  Research is currently underway regarding the feasibility of a natural wastewater treatment facility.  Steps are being taken to reduce the use of sunscreen, which can affect water quality.

Reservoir

delicate bentonite clay

Community Meeting and Dance Hall

Educational Models

Outdoor Learning Spaces

OLT welcomes visitors to see the livestock, fish, birds, historic farm equipment, fields, and reservoir at the Everson Ranch. Always check-in at the OLT Welcome Center before touring the Ranch unattended. Visitors may be invited to help water the new trees around the reservoir or even feed the animals.

Be especially careful to re-close all cattle gates behind you.

Do not enter any structures without a host with you. 

No driving past the farm house toward the reservoir requires a high-clearance vehicle. We recommend the leisurely walk instead.

As always, leave no trace.

Brazilian Free-tail Migration

Also known as Mexican Free-tail Bats, some 250,000 roost in the historic Orient Mine every summer. This mostly male migration starts as far south as South America, gathering numbers as it flies north with small wings, no more than __ inchs long. 

Brazilian Free-Tailed Bats from Colorado Parks & Wildlife on Vimeo.

Resident Bats

Several much smaller colonies live in the Valley year-round, many hibernating in the Orient Mine and visiting Valley View well before the larger migration arrives. Species include...

Corynorhinus Townsendii Townsend's Big-Eared Bat

Eptesicus Fuscus Big Brown Bat

Lasionycteris Noctivagans Silver Haired Bat

Lasiurus Cinereus Hoary Bat

Myotis Ciliolabrum Western Small Footed Myotis

Myotis Evotis Long-eared Myotis

Myotis Lucifugus Little Brown Bat

Myotis Thysanodes Fringed Myotis

Myotis Volans Long-Legged Myotis

Nyctinomops Macrotis Big Free-tailed Bat

Tadarida Brasiliensis Mexican Free-tailed Bat

White Nose Syndrome

[[Introduce WNS]]

This fungus is not yet been discovered among our bats.

Monitoring and Research

The CDOW is actively monitoring our bats’ behavior and numbers using several “bat detectors” located around the Orient Mine.