5 Reasons to Have Your Company Picnic at Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park

Having fun in 2021 at Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park
Having fun in 2021 at Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park

Gather your team for an annual company picnic that pays dividends all year long at Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park, a team-building destination for businesses where fun is the chart-topping trend!

Company picnics done right are memorable events that enable employees to bond over shared experiences. A day dedicated to letting loose and having fun is also a great way to blow off steam and see alternate sides of colleagues and office mates. Choosing the right place to hold a company picnic is central to pulling off one that pays high returns on the investment. As a business that values its own employees, Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park understands the importance of keeping your workforce engaged whether you have 10 employees or hundreds like we do.

  1. Easy to plan. Chances are your company doesn’t have a dedicated event planner, Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park does. Our group sales office can guide you through the entire process. Choose from several themed menus like a fajita bar or barbeque spread. Serve adult beverages such as beer, wine or cocktails or hold an alcohol-free event. It’s up to you. Whatever you decide, our on-staff event planners will guide through every step of the process.
  2. Show your appreciation. Your employees work hard to make your business successful. A company picnic is a way for you, as an employer, to show your gratitude for a job well done. When you take time to do something out of the ordinary—like plan this year’s company outing at a mountaintop theme park—it’s not something they’re going to forget!
  3. Build team cohesion. At work, it’s easy for employees to focus on the specific job they are tasked to do. While company-wide meetings bring the office together, seeing one another in an off-site environment can help departments, and even colleagues who are just cubicles away from one another connect on a deeper, more meaningful level. A company picnic is a great way to improve corporate culture. More connectivity among workers means a more integrated workforce all striving for the same goal. Put simply, it’s good for business.
  4. Support families. It’s likely the majority of your employees have spouses, children, and girlfriends or boyfriends. When you invite the whole family to join in the company picnic it signals your employees that their life outside the office is important to you as well as their ability to get the job done at work. Glenwood Caverns is a family-friendly group destination with rides and attractions suitable for most ages.
  5. Have fun. The company picnic is first and foremost about having a great time together and sharing smiles, food and experiences as a group. Where better to do that than at a mountaintop theme park? For those who crave excitement, our thrill rides will have your most outgoing personnel screaming for more; our cave tours led by extroverted guides are informative and entertaining; the park’s smaller attractions keep kids enthralled for hours. Company picnics at the park are always scheduled from 4-9 p.m. when the park tends to be less crowded and temperatures are cooler. Snap photos of your crew to post on your social media, or let us take your group photo for you.
Giant Canyon Swing Glenwood Caverns

Caves, Karst and 10 Surprising Things You Didn’t Know About Glenwood Caverns

Caves are fascinating and mysterious places worth exploring. These ten surprising facts are just the tip of the stalactite! Learn more at Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park where we’ll be celebrating National Caves and Karst Day on June 6.

For the second year in a row, the National Caves Association (NCA) is celebrating National Caves and Karst Day on Wednesday, June 6. The goal is to raise awareness about the crucial roles both play in our lives and encourage vacationers to add a cave visit to their Colorado summer vacation itinerary.

 “Almost everyone knows about caves, but only a small percentage of people have even heard of karst,” said Steve Beckley, who owns Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park with his wife Jeanne. “Karst is terrain that’s typically characterized by sinkholes, caves, underground rivers and barren, rocky ground. Caves and karst are rich in resources, including 175 different minerals, a few of which have only been found in caves. Forty percent of the drinking water in the U.S. comes from karst aquifers!” That just scratches the surface of how caves and karst impact our daily lives.”

Take a cave tour at Glenwood Caverns for National Caves and Karst Day!
  1. Speleology is the study of caves. Our free speleobox mimics what it’s like to crawl through narrow cave passageways.
  2. Glenwood Caverns is one of the few caves that is located on top of a mountain.
  3. The caves were created by the mixing of ascending hot springs water and descending surface water. The combination of the two created an acid that dissolved the rocks and created miles of cave passageways and chambers.
  4. There are 127 steps (with platforms for viewing and resting) down to King’s Row which is the most highly-decorated cave room in Colorado. A light show highlights the spectacular cave formations.
  5. Many critters call the caves home. The creatures that spend their entire lives underground are called troglobites and include insects and spiders.
  6. Active, living caves are extremely fragile environments. To keep the atmosphere friendly to underground life, the Beckleys installed airlocks to reduce airflow, and technology that monitors temperature and humidity.
  7. In 2000, a two new species of troglogbites were discovered. Both are currently known to live only in Glenwood Caverns.
  8. A student and former tour guide discovered not one, but seven previously unknown forms of bacteria, some of which may have applications in fighting disease!
  9. Glenwood Caverns has a marvelous array of cave formations including snowflake-like aragonite crystals, flowstone that resembles frozen waterfalls, colored bands of cave bacon, mounds of cave popcorn and delicate soda straws, as well as a multitude of stalactites and stalagmites.
  10. The caves were always the main attraction at Glenwood Caverns, thrill rides were installed to give visitors something to do while they waited for the cave tours. Glenwood Caverns now offers three different cave tours and multiple thrill rides.

There’s no doubt about it; caves are intriguing. Explore Glenwood Caverns this summer. Whether you choose the easy-to-walk Historic Fairy Cave Tour, the popular King’s Row tour or the crawling adventure of the Wild Tour, our expert tour guides will shine a light on the fascinating world of caves. Join us on June 6, for the National Day of Caves and Karst or visit us anytime. To learn more about Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park visit glenwoodcavdev.wpengine.com.

Vaccine is good news for travel industry

Pop-pop-ular Popcorn Wagon Opens for the Season

To the delight of visitors of all ages, the Popcorn Wagon serves, you guessed it, scoops upon scoops of freshly-popped buttery popcorn, but that’s not all. Over the years the Popcorn Wagon’s funnel cakes have outpaced the sale of popcorn. The crispy, crunchy, melt-in-your mouth deep-fried batter is a county fair staple and it’s also a favorite treat at Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park, especially when topped with powdered sugar and strawberries!

You’ll find the iconic red wagon with its striped awning and yellow wheels stationed at the west end of the Park, between the building that houses the Shootin’ Gallery and Old Tyme Photos and the Climbing Wall. See our new interactive map for its precise location and check out the short video clips of the rides and attractions.

Enjoy a delicious meal and a spectacular view at the Lookout Grille

Fun Fact: A precursor to the modern food truck, the mobile popcorn machine has been around for well over a century. It was created by Charles Cretors who trotted it out for the first time at the World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago in 1893. It was designed to move to any location that the operator thought would be a good place to do a brisk business. Since then, popcorn wagons have become a staple at fairs, carnivals, rallies and theme parks.

In addition to popcorn and funnel cakes, The Popcorn Wagon serves up other theme park food favorites including chips, corn dogs, cotton candy and new this year—cinnamon glazed nuts. It’s also a convenient place to hydrate with a selection of drinks: bottled water, soda, Powerade and freshly squeezed lemonade.

The Popcorn Wagon is just one of several places to grab a bite at Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park. The Lookout Grille at the Visitor Center offers a casual sit-down dining experience for lunch and dinner with grill favorites that include burgers, wraps, chef specials and kids meals. There’s also a full bar for adults to enjoy a cold beer, glass of wine or cocktail.

The Snack Shack, located in the Plaza, is a perfect for on-the-go snacks and meals. You’ll find pizza, brats, hot dogs, ice cream, sno-cones and cold drinks including beer. Eat on the go or sit at one of the nearby picnic tables.

Homemade fudge at Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park

Try Glenwood Caverns’ creamy fudge in an assortment of flavors

 

If you just need to satisfy your sweet tooth, stop by the General Store. Every day the staff makes fresh batches of creamy homemade fudge. Peanut Butter Fudge is a customer favorite, as is Cookies-n-Cream and Rocky Road.

Along with experiencing all the thrill rides and attractions, eating is a big and satisfying part of the fun at Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park! Find out more at glenwoodcavdev.wpengine.com.

The Family that Theme Parks Together Reunites Together

Family at Glenwood Caverns
Family at Glenwood Caverns

With families spread out across the country like never before, the logistics of organizing a family reunion can become especially challenging. When the group is too big for a backyard picnic, families look to larger venues to handle issues such as lodging, food and activities that can interest multiple generations.

“For larger reunions, you may want to consider a park, campground, a nice resort, or maybe even a theme park,” advises the popular site Family-reunion.com.  In reunionsmag.com, Jacky Runice points out that theme parks like Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park even provide a metaphor for families: “Since we all know family life is like a roller coaster ride with its ups, downs, sudden turns and heads bumping together, why not go with the flow and consider a family reunion around a theme park vacation?”

Once you’ve decided on a theme park location, someone in the family should take the lead as organizer for the group and liaison with the venue. That means communicating with everyone to choose the best date (with plenty of time in advance to arrange work schedules), purchase the tickets (which may involve tailoring tickets to individuals’ preferences), book the lodging and meals (after reaching general agreement on budget), and coordinating transportation (individuals and families can make their own plans, but the leaders should know the itineraries).

At Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park, groups of 25 or more can get catered meals and special rates for admission. There’s a wide variety of shows, entertainment, rides and attractions for all ages, plenty of lodging nearby, and you can even add an excursion for a relaxing, healthy soak at Iron Mountain Hot Springs. Contact us for more information. We promise a mountaintop experience that your family will remember for generations to come!

Glenwood Caverns Kicks Off the Holidays, Nov. 18

America’s only mountaintop theme park celebrates the start of the holiday season with its 4th Annual Turkey Tram-a-Ganza and Winter on the Mountain at Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park.

The tradition continues! Count on Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park in Glenwood Springs, Colorado, for holiday spirit and merriment – lend a helping hand to those in need, spend time with friends and family, and get into the holiday groove with music, lights, Santa and more.

It all begins on Saturday, Nov. 18.

  • Turkey Tram-a-Ganza. (Noon to 4 p.m.) Generosity and giving to those less fortunate are an integral part of the holidays; that’s why we kick off the season with our Turkey Tram-a-Ganza. Bring a frozen turkey to the Glenwood Caverns tram base and receive up to four free tram rides per donated turkey, or bring a can of food (or non-perishable) for a single tram pass. Community food pantry, LIFT-UP will distribute turkeys and other Thanksgiving fixings to area families in need. Turkey donors also get the chance to enter a drawing to win an Annual Thrill Pass or two day passes to Iron Mountain Hot Springs.

  • Winter on the Mountain Kick-off Party. (5 p.m. to closing) Stay for the festivities at this annual party that celebrates the start of the holidays with an abundance of good cheer. Kids can meet Santa in the North Pole and get bear hugs from the Coco-Cola polar bear. The Alpine Coaster will be open, as well as several other attractions. Warm up, roast s’mores and sip hot beverages around the fire pits in the plaza. Local trio, the Leonard Curry Band will be performing holiday favorites in the Lookout Grille. At 6 p.m., the lighting of a musical Christmas tree is one of the highlights of evening.

Bring a turkey to the base of the tram and get up to four free tram rides to the top!

Plan Ahead for Fun: Glenwood Caverns Annual Passes are on Sale Now

Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park’s Annual Thrill Passes and Tram-only Passes are on sale now, buy yours before rates increase on Jan 2, 2018.

Winter is a long season in Colorado and the best way to enjoy it is make a plan to get outdoors. A tram ride to Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park during snow season is the perfect way to get a healthy dose of fresh air and have a great time along the way – whether you ride the Alpine Coaster or other rides, come for dinner and events, or to enjoy the views and our season-spanning Winter on the Mountain, which kicks off on November 18.

Annual Thrill Passes include unlimited tram rides, cave tours and attractions all year long. Thrill Pass holders also receive a ten percent discount at the Lookout Grille, the Snack Shack and the General Store gift shop. Tram-only pass holders have unlimited access to the ride the tram whenever they please.

Current pass holders can also cash in on the savings before rates go up. Even if your pass isn’t expiring soon, you can upgrade it to take advantage of the discounted, lower rates and enjoy the Park this winter and every season.

After Jan. 1, Annual Thrill and Tram-only pass prices will increase, so get them now to save big!  Passes are currently on sale and can be purchased online or at the tram base all days except Monday when the Park is closed. To receive annual pass discounts online, click on the links below and select your annual pass option, then enter promo code THRILL2018  for annual Thrill Passes or TRAM2018 for Tram-only passes.

Now:  Adult Thrill Pass $79, Child $69       After Jan 1:  Adult Thrill Pass $119, Child $109

Now:  Adult or Child Tram Pass $28          After Jan 1:  Adult or Child Tram Pass $32

You can also order you annual passes by phoning  Glenwood Caverns at 970-945-4228. After ordering, your annual passes will be available for pickup at the tram base.

Glenwood Caverns’ annual passes also make great holiday gifts that can easily be slipped into a card or stocking. The best part is even after winter snows have receded, you can still catch a ride to Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park for all your favorite rides, events and activities.

It’s Fright Season at US Theme Parks

Count on theme parks, Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park included, for a screaming good time at Halloween and year-round. 

Many amusement parks across the United States dress up for Halloween – some for tricks, some for treats. There’s the frightful transformation of Pittsburgh-area Kennywood’s Raging Rapids into the Voodoo Bayou, Busch Garden’s Howl-O-Scream Blood Asylum, in
Williamsburg and Knott’s Berry Farm’s Pumpkin Eater, Voodoo Maze, Ghost Town Streets, and 13 haunted mazes. More kid-friendly choices range from the Sweet Trick or Treat Trail at Hersheypark to pumpkin decorating and the Not-Too-Spooky Howl-O-Ween Radio Show at Sesame Place in Langhorne, Pa.

Other theme parks stay haunted all year – the scary installations are called “dark rides” in the industry. There’s Twilight Zone Tower of Terror at Disney’s Hollywood studio, a drop tower that goes on to a “fifth dimension” star field where you hurtle toward doom. Universal’s Wizarding World of Harry Potter in Orlando and Hollywood includes a ride through Hogwarts Castle with threating spiders, dragons, Dementors, and Death Eaters. For a more classic fright, check out the Spook-A-Rama at Coney Island in New York or the Haunted Mansion at Knoebels in Elysburg, Pa. Curse of DarKastle at Busch Gardens in Williamsburg, Va., combines the traditional scares with 3-D CGI animation and other modern features.

Check out USA Today’s Readers’ Choice 2017 selections for seasonal spooky them parks to find one near you this month, or TripSavvy’s list for a scary treat any time.

A Mountain-full of Colorado Fall Fun

Fall is a beautiful time of year to visit Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park

Autumn in Glenwood Springs, Colorado, is spectacular, but fall at Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park, America’s only mountaintop theme park, is over-the-edge for seasonal colors, family-fun and thrills! 

Autumn splendor is on full display at Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park where for four weeks you can experience your favorite Colorado fall activities including Octoberfest, leaf-peeping, hayrides and more. Here’s everything you need to know to make the most of fall at Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park.

Every Day. All of Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park’s rides and attractions are open for the fall season – that includes the Alpine Coaster, Giant Canyon Swing, Cliffside Roller Coaster, Canyon Flyer and the Flying Eagle Zip Ride.

Color Viewing. The Park’s mountaintop location is ideal for spotting colorful fall foliage. Views include Glenwood Canyon, the Roaring Fork Valley with Glenwood Springs in the foreground and the snow-capped peaks of Mt. Sopris and the Elk Range. The tram, the Lookout Grille, the Mine Wheel and viewing decks at the Giant Canyon Swing and above the restaurant are some of the best places for leaf peeping and photos.

Saturdays Only.  In addition to all the daily happenings at the park, on Saturdays (Sept. 30, Oct.7, 14, 21 & 28), from noon to 5 p.m., visitors can spend the afternoon participating in family-oriented activities such as tractor-driven hayrides, fall-themed games for kids, face painting and pumpkin decorating.

Octoberfest. Grab your dirndls and lederhosen. For two consecutive Saturdays, from noon to 4 p.m., Oct. 14 and 21, the oompah band Alpine Echo, will regale visitors with German music including the crowd-pleasing chicken dance, polkas, waltzes, Bavarian pub songs and everyone’s favorite from the Sound of Music – Edelweiss.

Festive Food & Drink Specials. All month long, the Lookout Grille will be serving bratwurst and sauerkraut, seasonal beers, spiked apple cider and festive fall drinks for kids. Satisfy your sweet tooth at the General Store with homemade fudge, including some with pumpkin flavoring.

The Details. Face painting, kids’ games and hay rides are included with admission; pumpkins are just $3 each. Regular admission rates apply. Funday Passes, which include the tram ride, cave tours and unlimited turns on all open rides, cost $54 for adults and $49 for kids 3 to 12. Tram rides cost $16 for adults and $11 for kids. Through Oct. 29, the park is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. It will be closed Oct. 30 through Nov. 9.

10 Oktoberfest Celebrations in Colorado and Nearby

Oktoberfest at Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park is coming up soon in October; in the meantime embrace your inner German with these other celebrations that start in September.

We started our Oktoberfest tradition at Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park two years ago with extra activities for families, including a pumpkin patch, face painting, and hayrides. Last year, we added an Oktoberfest band for a weekend, and it was such a hit we’re doing two weekends this year – stay tuned for all the details. Our rides will continue to be open this fall, and we’ll have plenty of beer, brats, and other food and drink specials.

Most Oktoberfests in the Rocky Mountains get moved to September, but in Glenwood Springs, October weather is perfect for us at the Park on top of Iron Mountain. If you want to get ready for our celebration, here are our Top Ten suggestions for events in Colorado and nearby.

  1. The Denver Oktoberfest, September 22-23 and 29-30

Denver will host the 48th Annual Stein Hoisting National Championships, the Keg Bowling National Championships, the 12th Annual Long Dog (Dachshund Derby), and a bratwurst-eating contest. There will be music on a downtown German stage.

  1. The 23rd Annual Breckenridge Oktoberfest, September 8-10

Breckenridge lays claim to the largest Oktoberfest street party in the Rocky Mountains. More than three dozen vendors will sell genuine German cuisine and brew. German-themed games include Hammerschlagan, a nail-driving contest. There will be Bavarian lederhosen, oompah music, polka dancing, a 5K run, and a ceremonial keg tapping.

  1. Oktoberfest at Snowbird Ski and Summer Resort, Sandy, Utah, August 12-October 15 (Saturdays, Sundays, and Labor Day)

This event started in 1973 and now draws a total of more than 60,000 visitors. The biergarten has more than 50 varieties of beer, both traditional German and local brews. Authentic German food and music, handmade arts and crafts, and children’s activities are on tap.

  1. Vail Oktoberfest, September 8-10 and 15-17, 2017

Vail’s admission-free event includes traditional food and Paulaner beer, Bavarian music, dancing, yodeling, and contests for bratwurst eating, keg bowling, stein lifting, and best Oktoberfest costume. Free concerts are on Saturday nights. Children’s events include crafts, entertainers, and a 1K fun run.

  1. Ninth Annual Steamboat OktoberWest, September 15-16

Steamboat’s Friday Beer Stroll among participating restaurants features Colorado, not German, beer. Saturday’s event in Gondola Square at the Steamboat Mountain Village includes live music, all the Colorado beef you can taste at an “I Love Beef Cook Off” from local restaurants, and 45 Rocky Mountain brewers, each sampling two beers, in the beer garden.

  1. Keystone’s Oktoberfest, River Run Village, September 2

The Das Bier Burner 5K initiates the events at noon, with a pint of craft beer for any adult who crosses the finish line. New Belgium Brewery will bring Colorado craft beers with German roots. Concerts and kids events are free.

  1. FORToberfest, Fort Collins, September 16

The last music festival in Old Town Square includes 10-plus hours of live music – funk, bluegrass, rock, indie, and more – seasonal beer from more than six local breweries, and bicycle booths. Costumes are encouraged. Admission is free.

  1. Red River Oktoberfest, New Mexico, October 6-8

At the annual Oktoberfest in Brandenburg Park, you can vote for the best brews from local microbreweries, eat German food, buy crafts from local vendors, and listen to German oompah music. There will be a Miss Oktoberfest contest, competitive stein holding, chicken yodeling, and brat-eating, as well as activities for kids.

  1. Art & Oktoberfest, Boulder, September 29-October 1

This event in Boulder’s Band Shell Central Park includes arts and crafts, music, German food, polka, and a German beer garden. Dancing and polka lessons will be held in front of the bandshell.

  1. Grand Targhee’s 2nd Annual Oktoberfest, Alta, Wyoming, September 16.

This festival includes brats, sausages, pretzels, music, and beers from local microbreweries. Events for children include face painting, potato sack races, and a pumpkin toss.

Great Eclipse: Follow the Moon Shadow

Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park offers safe mountaintop viewing of the Great Eclipse of 2017.

Visitors to Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park on Monday, April 21, can watch the solar eclipse from our mountaintop safely. The Great Eclipse of 2017 that will sweep across the continental United States passes so close to us that the moon will cover 90 percent of the sun. That’s the darkest we’ve seen in daylight since about 1900.

The eclipse will start here about 10:20 a.m. and peak at about 11:45 a.m. It’s extremely dangerous to look at the eclipse with the naked eye, so we’ve stocked 200 special glasses for protected view. This is definitely a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, so bring the kids and grandkids. They’ll be bragging about the experience for generations to come.

You can also become a citizen-scientist, contributing to NASA’s Global Learning and Observation to Benefit the Environment (GLOBE) Program by collecting data and reporting it through the free smartphone app GLOBE Observer. “No matter where you are in North America, whether it’s cloudy, clear or rainy, NASA wants as many people as possible to help with this citizen science project,” said Kristen Weaver, deputy coordinator for the project. “We want to inspire a million eclipse viewers to become eclipse scientists.”

Of course, when broad daylight returns in the early afternoon, you can always find shade underground in the caverns.