Dunton Hot Springs

Character and identity

A restored ghost town turned all-inclusive hideaway, Dunton Hot Springs sits at 8,850 feet in a private valley of the San Juan Mountains, about thirty miles southwest of Telluride. The accommodation is twelve log cabins, nine of them relocated mining-era structures, scattered across 1,500 acres of spruce, aspen and cottonwood. Six hot springs run the gamut from open-air soaks under the stars to the original bathhouse. The saloon, library and on-site vineyard give the place its rustic-chic register, while bears, moose, lynx and bald eagles share the grounds. Service is intimate and house-party in feel.

Who's it for

Bottom line

What you're paying for here is genuine remoteness and a sense of place that almost no other US property can match: a private valley, restored mining cabins, and six hot springs to rotate through. Book if seclusion and landscape matter more than polish. Aim for a creekside cabin, and target late summer or early autumn for the aspens and warm-weather riding.