Dakota Hot Springs — Local services in Four Corners States

First of all, it was a complete mistake that my group and I even came across Dakota Springs; we were actually looking for Desert Reef Springs (would highly recommend you go there instead, and this review will explain why).

The manager seemed nice at first, but sent up a red flag right off the bat when she asked for each person's name and nothing else; I've never had a hot spring in Colorado ask for any contact information, so I didn't really know what to think of this. Also, while most springs expect you to read the signs for yourself, and don't have any overbearing rules as it is, the manager immediately rattled off a string of about half a dozen restrictions that I didn't think much of at the time, but would prove poisonous to my experience by the end of our stay.

The spring itself was utterly disappointing. While I couldn't see any debris in the water (could have been there, we didn't arrive until dark), the temperature could not have been more than 85°F, and the only spots that had hot spring water were a single shower spout that had to be shared by all patrons, and a metal hot tub submerged next to said spout that was so hot that it was impossible for the vast majority of the bathers to submerge themselves in (tried it myself, and had to leap back into the cool water after just three seconds; legs felt like they were burnt for a solid five minutes).

Our fellow bathers were actually the high point of our visit: everyone who made conversation with us was outgoing and funny and made us feel plenty welcome even though it was our first time ever visiting Dakota Springs. Kudos to the locals.

However, as many have noted in earlier reviews, the management was quick to hound the bathers about closing time...30 MINUTES BEFORE CLOSING. Informing your patrons five to ten minutes before closing time is perfectly courteous, but the manager came out to the poolside and immediately asked whether "anyone [was] going to shower". Turns out she wanted everyone showered up and GONE by 10pm. Sorry, lady, but that's not how it works: if you advertise your pool hours as being open until 10pm, that tells people that they can relax in the pool UNTIL 10PM. If you want to close up by 10pm on the dot, then advertise closing time as 9:30. That's basic business procedure, it's really not that hard.

But I was even willing to let that go until said manager threw the last straw on the camel's back: thoroughly disappointed with our experience, my group decided to find out whether Desert Reef Springs was still open, so I ended up volunteering to look up the information. Just as I'm trying to open my browser, along comes the manager, and says, in a perfectly sweet tone:

"Oh, is that a phone? We've kicked people out for using those, you know. Put it away or we're going to have to take it up to the office."

That's right, instead of simply asking me "Could you please put that away?", the manager deemed it necessary to threaten me with the bum rush AND threaten to confiscate my property, and she did it all with a smile. Instantly it clicked in my head and I recognized the insincere hospitality she had been showing us and the other bathers for what it was. That passive-aggressive threat from the manager was quite possibly the single most shockingly two-faced exchange I have ever experienced in my life. Believe me when I say that the horror story posted in the reviews about a family being PUSHED NAKED out of the pool and getting the police called on them by the manager for staying just FOUR MINUTES AFTER CLOSING does not sound implausible in the slightest after my experience.

To the other patrons: thanks for making us feel welcome and showing us the friendliness that the staff didn't.

To Management: you need to drop the attitude, and you also need to ease off of the nigh draconian enforcement of your policies. If you're not prepared to do that, then you need to hand Dakota Hot Springs over to someone who is actually willing to treat their customers...

I am very sad to be posting anything other than a five star review. Tony the manager works hard to be sure that Dakota Hot Springs to be safe for everybody. But her Camp Host has other ideas. This is the third time he has as a Combat Veteran has has chosen to treat me like crap for being effeminate. When he first took over the position I told him that I am Transgender-Fluid-Faggotie. I told him that I am 100% Permanent and Total with my MST (Military Sexual Trauma) PTSD. My PTSD is very different than his in that mine has nothing to do with Combat. I and many of my comrades in our US Military where being used as Sex Slaves by our chain of command. They where drugging and raping us. Consequently we went through three First Sargent's and two Commanders in the 574th Ordinance in Grafenwoehr Germany in the late 80s.

This is the third time that the new Camp Host has mindfully harassed me with his PIMP (Prejudiced Is My Purpose) Combat Veteran attitude. The first one I am having a hard time remembering because of my PTSD. but the second time is vivid. I was driving out the dirt driveway at a normal speed of 15 to 20 miles an hour when he passed me driving erratically at around 40mph in his truck showering my car with dirt. Then he Tactical threaded around sideways in front of me to stop me from leaving. Then he get out of his car and started shooting at me telling you that I had left a bunch of trash when I have not left any Trash anywhere.

This time I had been there most of the day and had decided to get out of the pool at around 9 o'clock. I had pushed myself and my disability hard that day but was feeling really good and relaxed and wanted to get out before the rush because it can be very difficult to deal with my disability (I have also had chronic lyme disease for over four decades) and all the people running around at the same time answering questions as to why I'm having convulsions.

I had gotten out of the pool had boat with my convulsions from the cold and was been trying to deal with the nausea. So I lay down on my back on the floor when nobody else was around and was trying to calm down so I could drive home. You can't post came in and announced that it was 930 and then he left. Then he came back in and told me that I could not be lying down on the floor because it was a changing room and I was not allowed to lie down on the floor.

I told him that I was disabled and I was trying to get my nausea under control. He said I know you have caused problems over this issue before. I couldn't believe it he was turned around and come back to harass me again. The problem is the person who have harassed me before laying down in the Cabana is now been banned from the Dakota Hot Springs. Then he just got belligerent and he kept telling me this is your last time here this is your last time here you're never coming back and he just got angrier and more belligerent it was...

Been coming here many years and for the most part enjoy it, but the place suffers from what you might call benign neglect. It's definitely not upscale and that's a good thing but this place could be so much nicer if the people that owned and run this place would put some conscious thought into what they want the experience to be for their patrons.

First the good: nice hot water and awesome showerhead and lobster pot, laid back(except on weekends), live and let live attitude. The best times to go are weekdays when the place is less crowded. I like the clothing optional aspect, so if you can' t handle naked people, and some fairly unattractive ones at that, stay away(except Tuesdays when suits are required). This place caters to an older crowd for the most part.

Now the negatives: if you're expecting a quiet, contemplative, healing place, then go on weekdays only, and hopefully you will luck out and find it. The Saturday and Sunday crowds,, especially, can make this place crowded, and at times, loud, especially when the volleyball a$$holes insist on taking half the pool over for long periods of time. They also allow alcohol here(!) and unfortunately, there are certain visitors here that don;t know when to stop. They also allow smoking JUST ABOUT ANYWHERE,and alas, most of the smokers could care less if you're downwind of them. Rude smokers abound here. And I'm just talking about cigarette smokers, as this place is extremely anti-marijuana. It's sad that management here seems to take the 1950s attitude that it's ok to smoke wherever you want and drink to excess if you want while basically ignoring the wishes of the peaceful types(including stoners) who want a quieter vibe.

I might add that in general the place suffers from poor maintenance, it could be so much nicer, and cleaner, and better maintained, without being a snobby yuppie place. Most of the furniture is old(ancient actually) and very uncomfortable, and the restroom, and cabana, are for the most part, dirty, and poorly maintained. A little investment by the owner into some decent furniture, fixing the torn canvas shades, and a complete fence around the pool so one doesn't need to look at falling apart trailers that dot the parking lot, would be nice. The pool is only cleaned once a week as far as I can tell(Tuesdays) so by the weekend it is not uncommon to see all sorts of weird stuff on and in the water. How about investing a basic filtering system DHS? Under current ownership it seems unlikely for any of these negative to change. Some other hot springs to consider: Joyful Journey, Cottonwood,...