The Trailhead Hotel: Where adventurers sleep

When Stuart Sloat was 10 years old, his family took a trip out West, far away from his native New Hampshire.

He fell in love with Colorado’s bigger mountains, better snow, and moderate weather. He decided right there, at Independence Pass, to move to Colorado when he grew up.

Nearly 40 years later, Sloat finds himself living that child’s dream – 20 minutes from Independence Pass, where he first saw the Rockies up close. And through The Trailhead Hotel, his latest real estate acquisition, he’s helping others find their Colorado adventure.

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As the hotel’s new owner, Sloat turned The Trailhead Hotel from a run-of-the-mill roadside stay to a place dedicated to outdoor lifestyles. From its gear sheds and bike storage to its fire pits, the hotel is designed to meet the needs of adventurers and dreamers alike.

He’s designed the hotel – and the atmosphere surrounding it – to provide all the comforts of home. The Trailhead Hotel has free Wi-Fi, HBO and movie channels, as well as refrigerators and microwaves. It also has a hot tub and jacuzzi, guest laundry facilities and an outdoor mud-wash station.

For people who hike, bike, fish, ski – The Trailhead beckons. And for those who prefer adventure via wineries, spas and outdoor festivals, The Trailhead is the perfect place to relax. No matter what activities guests enjoy, they start the day with fresh coffee and homemade doughnuts and end it with a s’mores kit.

Becoming owner of The Trailhead Hotel is another dream come true for Sloat, one that he didn’t anticipate when he first moved to the mountains from Colorado Springs.

“My wife and I moved up to the mountains when COVID-19 turned the world upside down,” he said. “I expected to be here for two weeks. Now it’s been over three years with no complaints!”

It’s a different kind of adventure for Sloat, who has climbed 14ers in Colorado and tall peaks around the globe. His focus is creating a haven that caters to guests who also love Colorado.

“It’s a place I look forward to being where people’s adventures begin,” he said. “Owning The Trailhead is a natural fit. I definitely cannot count how many times I’ve shared my love for Colorado and the experience it has to offer with people from the area, new to the area, or who know nothing whatsoever about the area. Offering a place where guests can gather, get a good night’s sleep and find out what’s out there to explore – that’s just a dream come true.”

And The Trailhead Hotel is exactly that kind of place. It’s the hotel where backpackers, after a week on the trail, can get a shower, wash their clothes, relax by the firepit and sleep in a bed before heading back to the world. It’s within minutes of ski and snowboarding resorts, close to world-class fishing and biking.

“It’s prime for people coming from Denver or Colorado Springs. They can finish a day at work, get up to Glenwood Springs for a great night’s sleep and be skiing, fishing, biking, golfing, enjoying festivals, visiting wine country,” Sloat said. “They can adventure their own way – whatever floats their boat – for as long as they want to stay.”

And if all that activity sounds exhausting, The Trailhead also caters to Colorado’s relaxed vibes. Sleep in, spend the day at the hot springs and finish up at a spa, he said.

“It’s all right down the street,” Sloat said. “And what’s better than watching the sun go down in the mountains around a fire pit and sharing stories with kindred spirts?”

For Sloat, owning The Trailhead Hotel combines his love of adventure with his real estate expertise. As he puts it, once he ended up in the mountains, he had to make a living. The Trailhead Hotel is the culmination of that little boy’s dreams all those years ago.

“I jumped into this business without a clue of what I was doing,” he said. “And the staff here has been great. They have been super loyal, so supportive and really spectacular. The manager, Lauren Hert, really makes The Trailhead tick.”

For people adventuring in Colorado for the first time, The Trailhead Hotel aims to make the adventure easier and a little more comfortable. The expertise at the hotel – where to go for all the outdoor fun, when to go and how to get there – can help people new to Colorado as well as those veterans who can’t get enough of the mountains and are always seeking that side trail, the unknown fishing spot, that sweet powder spot for back-country skiing.

Sloat understands all of it – he’s been a newcomer to Colorado and the 14ers that dwarf any other skyline. He’s climbed Mt. Gurla Mandhata, the world’s 34th highest peak in the Himalayas in Tibet and he’s spent his adult life in the state, getting to know the Rockies. He’s never lost his love for people, for like-minded souls gathering to swap stories and tall tales, for Colorado’s blue skies and snow-capped peaks.

And now, he can introduce people to The Trailhead Hotel, another shift that highlight’s his love of the outdoors.

“As the years pass, I continue to love outdoor challenges and adventures,” Sloat said. “But with a little twist. Having a day in the mountains end with a hot shower, great dinner and comfortable bed is a little different than spending a night at 23,000 feet and minus 20 degrees, where the only real option is to pretend to sleep by lying perfectly still at night and telling yourself it’s not that cold.”

And even for those who love sleeping outdoors, watching the Alpine glow melt into a million stars by a campfire, The Trailhead Hotel is there to offer a little bit of company and a lot of comfort, he says.

“Sometimes you want a comfortable bed and a warm shower as part of your vacation,” he said. “And sometimes you want company to share the stories of that latest hike or ski trip. The Trailhead has all of that.”

One thing The Trailhead Hotel will never be – thanks to Sloat and the mountains around Glenwood Springs – is just another boring hotel. For one thing, guests can bring furry family members to this dog-friendly hotel. For another, it’s not Sloat’s style.

“I was never bored growing up because any free minute in life meant an opportunity to head out into the woods on our country farm and explore, build trails, build forts,” he said. “That’s the spirit I’ve held on to and the spirit I brought to the hotel. Life is an adventure. And the outdoors can teach you about yourself, give you confidence for what comes at you. If you are willing to go for it, and take risks, you can accomplish whatever you set your mind to.”

And at the end of another glorious day in Colorado, The Trailhead is there to provide company, comfort and rest to get ready for the next day’s adventure.

For more information, or to book a room, go to trailheadhotel.com.