With summer arriving on the Western Slope, there’s no better time than now to cool off in a refreshing pool. But for the community of Hotchkiss, their public pool is more than just a place to beat the heat — it’s marking 30 years of operation this season.

Originally established on July 12, 1995, the North Fork Pool was born out of a committee’s determination that the North Fork area needed a swimming facility. Through district approval and a generous donation of land by the Horvath family, an 8-acre outdoor area with a pool now stands at 333 Bulldog St. in Hotchkiss. Since then, further additions were built such as a heated therapy pool and nearby skatepark in Paonia. Although the pool has faced its fair share of challenges, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, it continued to operate by offering small group reservations.

Then in 2022, a microburst storm flooded the pool with mud, forcing it to shut down. Luckily, “all the lifeguards chipped in to clean” after the Hotchkiss Fire Department drained the pool “and people brought lunches and snacks for the crews while they were working,” says Mary Smith, aquatics manager of North Fork Pool. As a result, the pool reopened after being closed for only eight days. Smith says the pool is loved by the Hotchkiss community not only for its nostalgic feel, but because it serves to keep people aware of water safety through programs offered to kids and adults alike.

These programs include swimming lessons, lap swimming, water aerobics classes and guided workouts. In addition, there’s a Red Cross certification program for people training to be lifeguards, including high school students. For this reason, the pool’s season of operation is “dependent on when the high school lets out for the summer so that we have enough time to get our lifeguards trained,” Smith states. But typical seasons tend to be three months that last through most of summer with reduced hours once the fall semester starts for the high school.

Now for its 30th year, North Fork Pool is open May 31 to Aug. 30, 2025. Various celebratory activities will be occurring throughout the season alongside “fitness challenges that’ll be accessible to all ages and all fitness levels” with prizes given, according to Smith. A dedication ceremony was also being held in June for the Miners Trail being constructed that will connect the pool to the Delta County Fairgrounds to give people a safer route to the pool on-foot and by bike.

For more information, contact the North Fork Pool Office at 970.872.4244 or facebook.com/NorthForkRecreation.

Originally published in the summer 2025 issue of Spoke+Blossom.

The North Fork Pool Celebrates 30 Years