Spa Executive June 2021

Dunton Hot Springs is a romantic 19th Century
ghost town nestled deep in the San Juan
Mountains of the Colorado Rockies. Set in an
extraordinary alpine valley, the resort’s history is
an inherent part of its identity: Dunton, Colorado
was a small, unincorporated settlement in Dolores
County, established as a mining camp in the
late 1800s.
The population started at fewer than 50 people
and peaked at about 260 – 300 in 1905, when the
nearby Emma mine’s ore production was at its
highest. But the nearest rail connection was miles
away and Dunton suffered from isolation and a lack
of transportation. The boom was not to last and,
by 1918, the town was deserted. It was purchased
by local residents and operated as a cattle ranch,
and later a dude ranch, until the 1990s, when it
was bought by current owner Christoph Henkel,
who spent seven years renovating and restoring
the entire town.
June 2021 Issue • p. 21