In 2001, Neil and Terry Seitz, the owners of Valley View Hot Springs for thirty-five years, founded the Orient Land Trust. Their deep commitment to preserving the Everson Ranch, Valley View Hot Springs, and the Orient Mine, and their belief that these resources are too valuable to be owned by any individual, led to the creation of the Orient Land Trust.

Seitz’s selfless donation of these properties laid the groundwork for preserving extensive, unbroken landscapes and implementing numerous innovative ways to utilize warm waterways across Valley View Hot Springs. With their guidance and member support, OLT increased this open space to protect natural, wild, agricultural, and historic resources in the northern San Luis Valley. The Seitz’s foresight, vision, and continued dedication to preserving this historic and geographically unique piece of the Earth inspires us to preserve this land for all to enjoy for all time.

Valley View Hot Springs is owned and operated by Orient Land Trust, a non-profit organization dedicated to preserving this delicate and peaceful ecosystem. Reservations are highly recommended, as admission is limited. Becoming a supporting member of the Orient Land Trust allows you to make a reservation more than 24 hours in advance. Clothing is always optional over the entire property, and we invite you to explore naturism in a peaceful community environment. Valley View Hot Springs, with its unique geography, is a place where guests can immerse themselves in nature within a diverse ecosystem. Three ponds, each full of charm, are within easy hiking distance. Body-temperature water bubbling up from the gravel underneath and surrounded by delicately built rock walls. A quarter-mile hike up the mountain leads to a set of three ponds known as the Top Ponds. The steep hike is worth the view. Our large swimming pool was originally built in the early 1900s. Its constant flow of fresh spring water keeps it at a stable temperature year-round.

The latest news from Orient Land Trust and previous newsletter articles.

The Everson Ranch at Orient Land Trust connects the past to the present, symbolizing and illustrating a historic way of life in the San Luis Valley. It has been a working ranch since it was homesteaded in 1872, passed down from generation to generation. The vast ranch extended for miles, including the hot springs and its year-round water supply.

The Everson Ranch was added to the Orient Land Trust in 2004.
After being subdivided into residential lots in 2001, OLT purchased the property to retain the historical lands. The Everson Ranch was OLT’s first capital campaign.  By 2010, OLT members had raised the necessary donations to secure the land, reservoir, and several additional parcels. These generous contributions saved the unspoiled views, wildlife corridor, dark skies, waters, and wetlands. The Ranch is bordered on the north and south by Federal and State lands, parts of which are also stewarded by OLT.

From 1880 until 1932, the Orient Mine was the largest producer of iron ore in Colorado, producing approximately two million tons of limonite. Located on the east side of the San Luis Valley, it’s believed to have been named for the Old French word which means east.

The Orient Mine had two associated town sites, with the early years spent on the upper site and moving to the lower site in the early 1900s. At its peak, the town of Orient had a population of more than 400 people. It had a library, barber shop, school, two restaurants, a boarding house for 300, a saloon, a milling company, and a host of small businesses, including a clothing supplier.

Brazilian Free-Tailed Bats were first documented at the mine in 1967. For nearly 50 years, these bats have returned and called the Glory Hole home from mid-June until mid-September. At the height of bat season, it’s estimated that nearly 250,000 bats fly out of the mine and play a vital role in controlling the mosquito populations.