Our Story
America's only mountaintop amusement park!
A mountain is ideal for many things – hiking, skiing, hang gliding, but it’s not the most logical location for a theme park. Yet, situated 7, 100 feet above sea level in Glenwood Springs, Colorado, is America’s only mountaintop theme park. How exactly did Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park end up there?
Well, follow the path of curiosity long enough, as Steve and Jeanne Beckley did and you might find yourself in some interesting and unexpected places. What started out as a spelunking hobby in college became a quest to explore the private and nearly forgotten Fairy Caves, the closed-to-the-public Colorado cave fiercely protected by its then owner, Pete Prebble.

Steve and Jeanne Beckley
Inspired by the natural beauty of the Colorado caves...
Inspired by photos he saw in caving books, Beckley began writing to Prebble in 1982, in the hopes of gaining access to the caves, but almost all of his letters came back unopened, stamped “Return to Sender.” Disappointed but not deterred, Beckley kept up the letter writing campaign. After a decade Prebble relented and in 1992, granted Beckley permission to explore the caves.
As spectacular as the images in the caving books were, nothing could prepare Steve and Jeanne for what they were about to see. After struggling though Jam Crack, a claustrophobically narrow opening only nine inches wide in spots, they emerged into The Barn, a huge chamber with fiery red walls. It was here, that Steve’s dream of sharing the beauty and wonder of the Fairy Caves with the public was born.
The Beckleys acquired the property from Prebble in 1998. On Memorial Day weekend a year later, 500 visitors showed up for a tour of the newly renamed Glenwood Caverns. By 2003, the “little” cave tour operation was accommodating 100,000 visitors a year. To transport the burgeoning number of guests to the mountaintop cave entrance, the Beckleys installed a Poma gondola and dubbed it the Iron Mountain Tramway.
Though interest in the caves was booming, the wait for a tour was breaching three hours. “We started putting in rides to give people something to do while they were waiting for the caves,” said Steve. The idea took off and launched the business in a new and unexpected direction – the planning of a mountaintop theme park with a Western history slant officially got underway. The first rides were installed in 2005, including the Alpine Coaster which is still a visitor favorite. Since then, a slew of thrill rides and attractions have been added to the Colorado theme park.
Accolades
Hard work pays off. Check out a small sampling of accolades the Beckleys and Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park have received over the years!- Named Best Team Building Experience from Colorado Biz Magazine 2023
- Highest Looping Roller Coaster (Defiance) in the US from Travel and Leisure 2023
- Best Family Entertainment location (local’s choice from post independent 2023)
- Best place for a Kids Birthday Party (local’s choice from post independent 2023)
- Named the Best Amusement Park in Colorado from Readers Digest in 2022
- The Alpine Coaster was named one of the 10 Best Roller-coaster Rides of Your Life by USA TODAY and Park World Magazine
- The State of Colorado awarded the Beckleys the 2001 Governor’s Award for Outstanding Community Tourism Initiative
- Glenwood Springs Chamber Resort Association named them Citizens of the Year for 2002
- The Giant Canyon Swing was named one of the 10 Most Extreme Theme Park Rides in the USA by USA TODAY
- Glenwood Caverns was named one of the 10 Best Caves in the USA Today 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards
- Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park ranked in the top 4 for Best Family Fun in Sunset magazine Travel Awards
Read the whole story in Roaring Fork Lifestyle Magazine’s Movers & Shakers edition
Steve Beckley’s Dream: Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park
- This place is simply amazing! The amusement park is relatively small and since it wasn’t crowded when I visited it, I was able to go… read moreThis place is simply amazing! The amusement park is relatively small and since it wasn’t crowded when I visited it, I was able to go to all the attractions within 4 hours. Definitely worth visiting not only for the fun but also for the incredible views! read lessSuelen8/09/2023
If you love wild caving, and getting dirty while crawling around caves, then you should try this wild caving tour. Lots of small holes to… read moreIf you love wild caving, and getting dirty while crawling around caves, then you should try this wild caving tour. Lots of small holes to wiggle through, and the best part, we had an incredible guide named Katrina, who made the entire trip even more enjoyable. If you have not tried wild caving, I would begin here at Glenwood Caverns… read less
KevinC8648/06/2023This was a highlight of our family vacation. Our group of 14, ranging in age from 4 to 66 had a blast at this adventure… read moreThis was a highlight of our family vacation. Our group of 14, ranging in age from 4 to 66 had a blast at this adventure park. There is a great variety of rides, with just the right amount of adrenaline for each age. Even the gondola ride to the top was an amazing start and end to the day’s activity. Several in our family also commented on how friendly the staff were. They seemed to really enjoy helping the guests have a great time. Definitely worth a visit. Tickets can be bought online to avoid the lines. Discounts are available from hotels and online as well, so worth checking out. read less
Steven W8/05/2023 - We had the best day! I loved the swings! My family rode all the rides and couldn’t get enough. Moisis showed us Kings cavern, he… read moreWe had the best day! I loved the swings! My family rode all the rides and couldn’t get enough. Moisis showed us Kings cavern, he was very knowledgeable and likeable! Highly recommend this Park, it’s a one of a kind! read lessAleth Cates7/13/2023
This park is super fun on the mountains living in Florida and visiting this park was a super neat experience. the rides were awesome and… read moreThis park is super fun on the mountains living in Florida and visiting this park was a super neat experience. the rides were awesome and breathtaking at that. Adrenaline rush for sure. read less
Idsia R.4/24/2023So much fun! The Christmas decorations were gorgeous, and the fresh snow made the park look like a winter wonderland. It was so cool to… read moreSo much fun! The Christmas decorations were gorgeous, and the fresh snow made the park look like a winter wonderland. It was so cool to see the bacon stalagmites and ride in the gondola and alpine coaster. We went in the winter so some rides were closed, but the park did not disappoint. read less
Alice N.1/04/2023 -
If you’re a thrill seeker, hard to pass this place up.
The Giant Canyon Swing (big pendulum) is ridiculous, but I highly recommend waiting in line… read moreIf you’re a thrill seeker, hard to pass this place up.
The Giant Canyon Swing (big pendulum) is ridiculous, but I highly recommend waiting in line for seats on the mountain-facing side of the ride. If you’re not going to end up through the gate first so you can pick that side, just let people pass you so you can get it the next ride. If you’re seated facing the mountain, you’ll be on the side that looks straight down over the 1300 foot cliff drop to I70 and the Colorado River down below; super scary rush! The other side you’ll be facing down over the line to the ride, still awesome, but not the same.
The round swingset, i.e. Canyon Flyer, I actually found to be far more discomforting than the Swing. You’re just seat belted into a swing-set chair and around you go over the side of the same cliff, vs the Swing having you locked in so tight you can barely move. You really get the feeling you could just go flying off the side lol. My eight year old rode it three times in a row.
The older roller coaster was fun but a bit jerky of a ride vs a smooth modern coaster. The new yet to be opened Defiance looks like it’s going to be incredible.
The alpine coaster was great. You can go all out because they auto brake you to keep you at ~25mph, so you’re not going to get to an unsafe speed even if you try.
Lines moved quickly throughout the park, and all the staff were incredibly nice. The cave tour is nice, but if you’ve been to some of the incredible caves along the east coast from Carolinas to Pennsylvania, you may feel a bit underwhelmed. It’s definitely still a good tour and interesting caves, but there are better ones out there. read lessDavid R.9/26/2022Fun coasters, fantastic views! A must-see for anyone who likes coasters. No, it doesn’t have the variety of a Six Flags Park, but not being surrounded by concrete… read moreA must-see for anyone who likes coasters. No, it doesn’t have the variety of a Six Flags Park, but not being surrounded by concrete and steel was pretty nice. It’s small, and has the feel of a mom-and-pop operation, but every employee we encountered was kind, friendly, and went above and beyond to help us out. Also, the new Defiance coaster is definitely not a “mom-and-pop” experience. My daughter and I forced ourselves to go on it once in the back, then decided we had to do the front. It is really something riding a gravity defying coaster with nothing but the track and views of the valley below as you rush down a vertical track and then the subsequent rolls. Very short ride, but well worth it! Sadly, the Cliffhanger coaster was shut down due to wet tracks, but the Alpine Coaster made up for it. It’s “just” a set of tracks right above the ground that runs down the hill, but getting to control the speed by myself on my own little “sled” was a blast. And it’s so long! The first ride, every time I thought that surely I must have reached the bottom, there was another curve. I’d visit again for this ride alone.
If you are large or have long legs, the Soaring Eagle zip ride might feel a little insubstantial…. I wish the seat had been a little deeper, that I could’ve scooted my rear farther back, and I’m only 5’8″. My daughter and I thought once was enough. Probably a blast for adventurous kids.
The Canyon Flyer, our first ride (intermittent morning showers were delaying some rides) was a real adrenaline rush, too. It’s perched on the edge of a steep hill, you’re in a little swing, and then it’s swinging out over the valley with nothing but a tiny highway and river far below your feet. Really incredible. My heart needed a break after that. Would’ve gone again if I hadnt discovered the Alpine Coaster.
I like nature, green trees and blue skies, so i wasn’t terribly interested in the caves, but the one tour we did was interesting.
Nice gift shop, large indoor café with incredible views that had nice hot food (nothing gourmet, but hot) and hot chocolate which was nice after we got a little wet and chilled in the morning showers. The Smokehouse looked good too, but hadn’t yet opened when we were ready to eat.
The park opening was delayed due to wet gondola tracks from a heavy rain during the night, but we had no trouble seeing everything we wanted to between 11 and 4:30, including a long lunch and long afternoon rest. Granted, there were no lines. Maybe you need all day if there are.
We visited Colorado from California pretty much to visit this park, and I’d do it again. Two nights at the Queen Anne B&B in Denver (cheaper flights) then a beautiful drive along I-70 to Glenwood Springs for 2 days. We had a wonderful time! (Highly recommend the lake at Georgetown as a rest stop.) The people were friendly, every worker we encountered was helpful, and most of it was cheaper than California. Would love to return! read lessP. Cathey9/22/2022This place was so much fun. It’s decorated like the wild west, has caves to tour, good food and beer, and a wide range of… read moreThis place was so much fun. It’s decorated like the wild west, has caves to tour, good food and beer, and a wide range of attractions to suit anyone from simple but fun 4D movies up to crazy thrill rides that literally hang you off the side of a 1300 foot high cliff. There’s something for everyone. Some places would be more difficult to get to if you have trouble walking due to inclines. read lessBryan Coesens9/22/2022