Here’s Why Glenwood Springs Colorado Has A Funny Smell

Have you smelled rotten eggs while traveling through Glenwood Springs, Colorado? Don't worry you're not alone or crazy.

Glenwood Springs, Colorado is known for their famous hot springs, but some people may be unaware of the fact that those hot springs can actually be pretty smelly.

Get our free mobile app

Real Hot Springs Can Smell Real Bad

When traveling I-70 in Colorado and approaching Glenwood Springs, you may catch a whiff of a repugnant odor. The first time it happened to me I was traveling with my pup Sonny and thought for sure that he had passed some gas.

Little did I know that Sonny was in fact innocent and that the weird odor I had smelled was actually coming from the hot springs located in Glenwood Springs.

The Science Behind Hot Springs

According to Glenwood Hot Springs Resort, the rotten egg smell that you catch a whiff of is actually due in part to sulfur. A combination of minerals from deep inside the Earth along with bacteria, oxygen, and pressure creates hydrogen sulfide, which is the cause of that weird stench.

The sulfur binds with oxygen to form the compound sulfate. Sulfur compounds are naturally occurring in hot springs and the source of the characteristic eggy odor.

Glenwood Hot Springs Resort reports that "the deeper the hot springs and the faster it sends water to the surface, the stronger the smell."

Don't let this be a turnoff to visiting the hot springs, the smell is only pungent at first and you'll quickly become accustomed to it. Plus the plethora of minerals and sulfate found in the Hot Springs are said to be what holds the true healing power.