Our Story
Interesting & Unexpected
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 mountain-top 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 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 mountain-top 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 mountain-top 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.
What began over two decades ago as nagging curiosity to explore a little known cave in Glenwood Springs has become America’s only mountain-top theme park, a place where the thrills run deep and the sky’s the limit!
Accolades
Hard work pays off. Check out a small sampling of accolades the Beckleys and Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park have received over the years!
- 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
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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.9/26/2022This 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 Coesens9/22/2022Fun 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. Cathey9/22/2022 -
This is one of the best hidden gems, best theme parks I’ve ever been too and I’ve been to A LOT! The scenery, the AMAZING… read moreThis is one of the best hidden gems, best theme parks I’ve ever been too and I’ve been to A LOT! The scenery, the AMAZING RIDES, the low crowds, everything I love about theme parks was here. Plus parking was free and the cave tour is also included with park admission. I can not state enough about the scenery too. It’s too much to type but if you want to see my full tour of everything at this park just search MrBucketlist on Youtube Tour of Glenwood Caverns. Enjoy! read less
MrBucketlist S.9/20/2022Took the Gondola up the Mountain to ‘Glenwood Springs Adventureland’ – very picturesque, exciting ride to amusement park on top of the mountain! … read moreTook the Gondola up the Mountain to ‘Glenwood Springs Adventureland’ – very picturesque, exciting ride to amusement park on top of the mountain! Rollercoaster takes you down the steep windy mountain – Ferris wheel on top – scenery is awesome! Great little Fake Western town on top for kids to play in…….. Restaurant and food stand there too……… Gondola workers are very helpful and pleasant…….. It was shut down due to lightening, then re-opened and by the time we got up top, thunder started, a little sprinkle of rain, saw the views on top of restaurant and then the rains came down harder and we were stuck up there because they shut down the Gondola again due to rain & thunder!! Very exciting! ❣️. A short time later, they re-started the Gondola, and the ride back down views were incredible! And my friend was able to make their flight at Aspen Airport back home……… A good time was had by all! 💖 Great place to see……. 👌 read lessDEBRA D9/06/2022Spent a day here and my 11 year old son had a wonderful time. The amusement park is not very large but the rides are… read moreSpent a day here and my 11 year old son had a wonderful time. The amusement park is not very large but the rides are cool and the experience is incredibly unique as the amusement park is set on top of a mountain range. You actually need to take a gondola to get up to the park and some of the rides give you the feeling that your going over the edge of a cliff. If your near the area I’d highly recommend a visit to Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park! read lessAnthony Rinella8/23/2022 -
Don’t miss this! Absolutely worth the trip! The gondola ride up to the Park was amazing in itself, with spectacular views along the way. This park is so… read moreAbsolutely worth the trip! The gondola ride up to the Park was amazing in itself, with spectacular views along the way. This park is so cool, with something for thrill seekers, as well as for those just looking for a relaxing, fun day. The Alpine Slide is incredibly fun! Very cool gift shop and great food at the top, too! The caves were awesome, and the guides were fun and informative. While waiting for the cave tour, a tiny chipmunk entertained us! A very awesome day! read less
AndyR8/19/2022Great Day! What a nice park! We had such a pleasant, relaxed day and the park is clean and full of friendly staff.
Nate, our cave tour guide,… read moreWhat a nice park! We had such a pleasant, relaxed day and the park is clean and full of friendly staff.
Nate, our cave tour guide, was so nice and did a terrific tour for us, and Skyler in the restaurant kept us entertained with local knowledge and recommendations while we waited out the rain.
The rides were great, too. Best Alpine Coaster I’ve ridden anywhere, and the swing and new roller coaster were terrifying in a good way.
Terrific visit and highly recommended. read lessPHXroadwarrior8/16/2022So much fun! Definitely worth the trip. My family was visiting me in Denver and we stopped for one night in Glenwood Springs on our… read moreSo much fun! Definitely worth the trip. My family was visiting me in Denver and we stopped for one night in Glenwood Springs on our way to Moab. We took the gondola up to the adventure park (really great views and you can comfortably fit 4 people in a gondola at a time). We aren’t personally into rides (nor did we have the time), but definitely looked like adults and kids of all ages really enjoyed them. We did both of the cave tours: we did the Fairy Caves first at 10:45am and the King’s Row second at 12:00pm with Kiki. They have tours every 45 min, but sometimes they run a little late depending on the size of your group and if there’s more talking/questions. By the way, the adventure park opens at 9am but the first tour isn’t until 10:45am (and most of the rides don’t open exactly at 9am either), so just plan accordingly. I highly recommend both tours if you have time as they are both different and unique. I’ve even done the Cave of the Winds in Colorado Springs – they were comparable but all very different & unique & worth it! Our tour guide was also so great, funny, and knowledgeable. Truly an enjoyable experience with family! read less
Vidisha S.5/05/2022