While some men wine and dine their love interests, Steve Beckley took his future bride-to-be on the adventure of a lifetime exploring Glenwood Caverns before it was a commercial cave. Thirty years later their love and adventures continue.
Continue readingExclusive Interview with Bilingual Santa Claus at Glenwood Caverns
Santa Claus took a break from toy-making management at the North Pole to sit down for an exclusive interview you won’t find anywhere else!
Continue readingDefiance: Edgy New Roller Coaster Coming to Glenwood Caverns
Members of American Coaster Enthusiasts (ACE) and local community supporters gathered at the mountaintop theme park in Glenwood Springs to celebrate the coming of Defiance, a new gravity-defying roller coaster, set to thrill adrenaline junkies starting in 2022.
Continue readingMeet Sam Brager, Ace of the Alpine Coaster
A member of Glenwood Caverns’ maintenance crew, Sam Brager ensures the Alpine Coaster—the Adventure Park’s number one ride—keeps rolling especially on days when there’s a mechanical hiccup or two.
Continue readingAs Optimists, We Believe in Silver Linings
Glenwood Canyon has gotten a lot of attention in the news lately. Mudslides have caused a temporary closure of the interstate highway that travels to and through Glenwood Springs. As optimists though, we believe there is always a silver lining.
Continue readingAdventure Park Still Swinging After Glenwood Canyon Mudslides
The mountaintop Adventure Park in Glenwood Springs is open and continues to be a busy summer hub for visitors despite an interruption in travel due to Mother Nature’s activity in Glenwood Canyon.
Continue readingFamily Meets at Glenwood Caverns for Long Overdue Fun-Filled Reunion
For Shanda Poitra’s family, getting together to celebrate her sister’s birthday turned into a post-pandemic family reunion at Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park.
Continue readingAmusement Parks Bring Built-in Fun to Company Retreats and Meetings
Theme parks, like Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park and others, provide built-in fun for a company event, whether it’s a picnic or a teambuilding exercise.
Continue readingVisit A Cave During International Year of Caves and Karst
In addition to showing off the beauty of the caves for visitors, Glenwood Caverns’ is celebrating the International Year of Caves and Karst to help provide education and protection for the natural wonders here in Glenwood Springs and around the world.
The International Year of Caves and Karst (IYCK) is an initiative of the International Union of Speleology (UIS), a non-profit headquartered in Slovenia and dedicated to the exploration, study and management of caves through international cooperation.
Glenwood Caverns is a proud IYCK supporter, helping to educate visitors about caves and karst. “Every cave tour is an opportunity to inform visitors from all over the globe and of all ages about the unique, fragile environment of caves,” said Kathy Miller, Director of Cave Operations.
What Exactly is Karst?
Karst is a type of landscape that covers about 20 percent of the world’s land, with special surface, hydrological and underground features and phenomena. It forms mainly by the slow dissolving of certain rocks over thousands of years. Karst forms most widely in carbonate rocks—limestone, dolomite and marble—by water enriched with carbon dioxide, which is slightly acidic and can dissolve those rocks. In dry climates, karst forms on evaporite rocks— gypsum, anhydrite, and halite (rock salt)—which dissolve even if the water is not acidic. In rare cases, karst will form in other rocks, such as quartz sandstones. Caves are the best-known type of karst feature, and form as underground drainage systems by the dissolution process.
Why are Caves Important?
- Economic Drivers. Caves and karst are priceless natural resources. Hundreds of caves are open to tourism around the world, many in World Heritage sites. About 150 million tourists visit caves each year, providing vital support to many national economies.
- Fresh Water. Karst aquifers provide an estimated 20 percent of the world’s drinking water and include the largest wells and springs on earth.
- Biodiversity. Caves and karst are home to many of the planet’s most diverse, important and rare ecosystems, supporting ecological diversity above and below the ground.
Why Do We Need to Understand Caves Better?
Despite its broad international distribution and great importance, caves and karst are generally poorly understood. Few scientists and natural resource managers are adequately trained to properly study or manage them. Many governments do not recognize caves and karst at all or fail to recognize their importance. As such they are often unprotected, subject to contamination and vandalism.
Progress is being made, however. Specialized cave and karst conferences are now common and national cave and karst research institutes have been established in eight countries. Effective understanding and management of caves and karst requires broad, international understanding and appreciation by governments from the local to the national level, as well as from such stakeholders as scientists and the public.
How Can You Help?
One of the best ways to support caves and karst is to visit a cave near you. Your visit not only raises money that contributes to the care of caves but also raises awareness about the importance of protecting them for future generations. With 2021 declared the International Year of Caves and Karst, this year is a perfect time to go deeper by exploring the hidden world of caves either at Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park or elsewhere.
Learn more about Glenwood Caverns and make plans to visit in 2021!
Rock On: Meet Rebecca Gabriel, the Singing Cave Tour Guide
Becca, as she prefers to be called, rocks her job as a cave tour guide at Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park where her vocal and comedic talents play a leading role in her success.
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