Take a sunset soak in the gurgling, 100°F mineral pools after a hard day's play, set against a backdrop of aspens and the rocky relief of the San Juan Range, and you'll wonder why the mining town of Dunton Hot Springs (elevation 8,700 feet) was ever abandoned. Luckily the 19th-century log cabins, set on 1,400 wildflower-studded acres, were restored by local craftsmen in the mid-1990s' into a luxurious, secluded retreat 30 miles southwest of Telluride near Dolores, Colorado.

On the inside, each of the 12 hand-hewn cabins defy their frugal frontier roots. All are comfortable rustic-chic with Southwestern antiques and other worldly treasures. Some cabins have fireplaces and one even has its own bubbling bath of geothermal goodness. The views from inside every abode, or from the comfy wicker chairs on their porches, are monumental, like those of 14,246-foot Mount Wilson and the towering "toothy" ridge of El Diente.

The ring of cozy cabins form the perimeter of

Take a sunset soak in the gurgling, 100°F mineral pools after a hard day's play, set against a backdrop of aspens and the rocky relief of the San Juan Range, and you'll wonder why the mining town of Dunton Hot Springs (elevation 8,700 feet) was ever abandoned. Luckily the 19th-century log cabins, set on 1,400 wildflower-studded acres, were restored by local craftsmen in the mid-1990s' into a luxurious, secluded retreat 30 miles southwest of Telluride near Dolores, Colorado.

On the inside, each of the 12 hand-hewn cabins defy their frugal frontier roots. All are comfortable rustic-chic with Southwestern antiques and other worldly treasures. Some cabins have fireplaces and one even has its own bubbling bath of geothermal goodness. The views from inside every abode, or from the comfy wicker chairs on their porches, are monumental, like those of 14,246-foot Mount Wilson and the towering "toothy" ridge of El Diente.

The ring of cozy cabins form the perimeter of the town. At its center are a tipi, which shelters one of the six geothermal ponds, more historic structures housing a well-stocked library, an opulent spa, and a saloon complete with wagon-wheel chandeliers and the original bar that Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid once sidled up to. (Look closely to find their names gouged into the wood.) Today the watering hole serves gourmet food—think succulent, meadow-grazed local lamb and vine-ripe veggies, largely from the lodge's own organic farm—and wine from the resort's private vineyard in nearby McElmo Canyon. The kitchen opens to the dining room and guests are invited to participate in meal preparation. In late summer, the chef incorporates chanterelles and wild mushrooms picked from the surrounding meadows into the menu. A vineyard tour with wine-tastings is another great way to get your Rocky Mountain high.

It takes some pretty spectacular adventure offerings to draw guests away from the cushy resort grounds, but the surrounding terrain has got the goods. To the south lies a wealth of Anazasi archaeological sites, while the red-rock beauty of Monument Valley and Canyon de Chelly are within a day's drive. Closer still are endless hills to explore. Dunton's "Mountaineering Adventure" package offers motivated guests the option to power through four guided full-day trips into the San Juan National Forest, with activities including hiking, mountain biking, mountaineering, and rock climbing. If that sounds too intense, don't despair, the package also includes four massage treatments. Other prospects include the rush of river rafting or kayaking and the solitude of fly-fishing along a private nine-mile stretch of the Dolores River. And when the cold comes, so do a whole new set of thrills including heli-skiing through billowing powder, snowshoeing, and ice climbing.

Heather Hansen is co-author of Disappearing Destinations: 37 Places in Peril and What Can Be Done to Help Save Them and has written for publications including Men's Journal, Outside, and Mother Jones.