Historical Lodge Set Against San Juan Mountains

In 1927, a boarding house was built at the base of the San Juan Mountains to shelter the area’s sawmill workers and act as a meeting place for logging barons. The building—now named The Spruce Lodge and listed on the National Register of Historic Places—looks much the same today as it did back then. Surrounded by miles of piney mountain forest, the lodge's rustic exterior belies a cozy atmosphere inside, with exposed wooden-beam ceilings, a crackling lobby fire, and newly renovated rooms.

Gleaming wood floors flank an electric fireplace in each jacuzzi suite, named after famed hot-tub architect Giuseppe Jacuzzi and furnished with one of his namesake inventions. Chalet rooms find inspiration in their alpine surroundings, with downhill skis and poles posted on knotted-pine walls. The roomy, red-roofed cabins come with fully stocked kitchens, living rooms, and private covered porches. Downstairs in the main lodge, an oxygen bar helps guests adjust to the thin mountain air with 20-minute oxygen-therapy sessions. Treatments can be customized with aromatherapy scents such as grapefruit, almond, and eucalyptus; warm cups of tea by the fire help stave off the winter chills.

South Fork, Colorado: Outdoor Activities Amid Gorgeous Scenery

The town of South Fork sits on the Rio Grande River, with lofty peaks forming a jagged backdrop. More than 250 miles of well-tended trails beckon hikers, cross-country skiers, and lapsed Eagle Scouts in pursuit of one last badge. In the winter, consistent snowfall throughout the San Juan Mountains and the nearby Wolf Creek Ski Area makes for stellar skiing. In the spring and summer, when all that snow begins to melt, guided whitewater-rafting tours take advantage of the rapids that form on the Rio Grande River.