Tried a 'secret' hot spring near Pagosa Springs and found a line of 15 cars parked down the dirt road.

The local guidebook called it a hidden gem from 2018, but social media posts have clearly blown the spot up, so maybe check recent conditions before you drive an hour out there.

3 comments

3 Comments

blair6302mo ago

Yeah, that line about the whole idea of a secret spot being dead really hits. It feels like everything gets turned into content now, not an experience. You see it with restaurants, hikes, even little neighborhood shops. The second something gets called authentic or hidden online, it's basically on a clock until it gets ruined by the crowd chasing that exact feeling. The search for a real, quiet moment just feeds the machine that kills it.

linda3051mo ago

Blame the whole 'if you know you know' crowd for making it a thing you gotta post about. Now it's just a parking lot with a side of hot water.

robertanderson2mo ago

Saw that happen to a quiet little swimming hole back home. One decent photo on Instagram and by next weekend it looked like a tailgate party. The whole idea of a secret spot is dead now, killed by the same guidebooks and blogs that claim to help you find them. You can't even blame people for wanting to go, but it just ruins the thing that made it special in the first place. Makes me want to find a place and just never, ever tell a single soul about it.