Music on the Mountain Returns August 19

Music on the Mountain, Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park’s mountaintop concerts begin again and run through September.

Music on the Mountain resumes Saturday, August 19. After a brief summer hiatus the popular Glenwood Springs concert series takes to the stage once again for six evenings of musical entertainment. A different band entertains the crowd each week through September 23. Come for the live music and stay for an evening of dancing, delicious food, drink specials, and spectacular views. Even the breaks between sets are fun-filled – with prize drawings for t-shirts, Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park Funday passes, and Iron Mountain Hot Springs day passes.

In addition to providing six weeks of late summer entertainment, Music on the Mountain also helps to serve the community. Guests can ride the tram or an adventure vehicle and enjoy the concerts free with the donation of a canned food item for the Lift-Up community food pantry. At last count, Music on the Mountain attendees had donated over 64,000 cans of food!

For Saturday shows, rides to the mountaintop start at 4 p.m., with music from 6 – 10 p.m.; on Sunday, Sept. 10, rides to the park begin at 2 p.m. The band plays from 4 – 8 p.m.

During the concerts the park is fully operational with outdoor rides open until dusk. The Laser Tag arena and 4D Motion Theater are open until the park closes. For the best value, we recommend purchasing the Funday Pass at the walkup window for just $38 with the free tram ride.

Come and listen to all your favorites from roadhouse blues and southern rock to modern renditions at America’s only mountaintop theme park. The lineup features award-winning artists with a heavy focus on rock classics.

Saturday, August 19 — Fifty50 (classic, modern and original rock) sponsored by Swire Coca-Cola

Saturday, August 26 — The Gerry Goodman Band (Stevie Ray Vaughan cover tunes, classic rock) sponsored by Young Services

Saturday, September 9 — Already Gone (American resort rock) sponsored by Community Banks of Colorado

Sunday, September 10 — Christian Music on the Mountain (The Orchard from Carbondale) sponsored by Glenwood TV

Saturday, September 16 — Poser (classic rock) sponsored by Bighorn Toyota

Saturday, September 23 — Emotional Rescue (Rolling Stones cover band) sponsored by Glenwood Insurance Agency

Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park: What Our Visitors Say

Alpine Coaster at Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park

Few accolades could mean more than this recent headline by Jamie Swartzendruber on her WineGlasSlipper blog, also published in Denverkids.com: “Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park: It doesn’t get more Colorado than this!”

“Voted one of USA Today’s 10 Best Caves, Glenwood Caverns is a must for your family summer fun list,” Jamie wrote. “Three cave tours offer varying levels of difficulty to suit the whole family! I have a little dare devil, so this year, we opted for the Wild Cave Tour (10-year age requirement AND we finally made the cut). What is it? Only the most extreme caving expedition a kiddo is permitted on, an adventure for the true thrill seeker.”

Our Giant Canyon Swing was more thrill than she bargained for, Jamie said. “With a scratchy voice and trembling hands, I exited the swing of terror, a theme park walk of shame, through the line of sweet little girls waiting to get on,” she wrote.  Wide eyed, they kindly asked if I was going to be alright. I may still have the occasional nightmare, but hey, check that one off my list…. Though I struggled with the Giant Canyon Swing, the kids LOVED it! They rode several times, throwing their hands in the air or striking nonchalant poses. I may have felt theme park envy. The Alpine Coaster was another top-pick. Scary enough to cling to the breaks but enjoyable enough for mom to survive. I’m sure the views are fantastic, but I’ll admit, my eyes were steady on the tracks and my heart was still jumpy.”

Summer fun on the Giant Canyon Swing

We get that a lot. People love the mountaintop experience here – exploring inside the caverns, taking in the view from the summit, screaming over the edge. Here’s a sampling of our online reviews from visitors who have come from across Colorado and the country.

From Iowa, on TripAdvisor, where we have a Certificate of Excellence: “The Alpine Coaster was a lot of fun. It was extremely fast if you want it to be, and you can control (the speed of) the actual sled you are riding on. I had never been on one before and it was my favorite thing to do at the Adventure Park. I rode it numerous times. You don’t have to worry, at the end a lift takes your sled back to the start of the ride and that is cool.”

Take a cave tour at Glenwood Caverns for National Caves and Karst Day!

From Longmont, on TripAdvisor: “By far the easiest way to go caving. Both the original Fairy Caves and King’s Row are easily accessible. The guides are experienced cavers and are a lot of fun. There’s nothing like these caves anywhere else in the US. The tram makes it easy to get to from town.”

From Florida, on TripAdvisor: “This place was fun! We come from the land of Disney and Busch Gardens, but this place dared you! We had a blast riding the Alpine Coaster and the zip line shot! I wish I could say I tried the swing, but I chickened out. I loved the caverns tour and caves. All this was on top of a mountain that you reach by taking a gondola. That was an adventure by itself!”

From Littleton, on Yelp: “A fun day of adventure for the kids and adults alike. We did the combo pass with Iron Mountain Hot Springs. Glad we came here on a sunny day. Tram ride is a great way to go and very scenic. Alpine Coaster was worth going on again and again.”

From our own Facebook page: “We loved everything: the gondola ride up, the incredible views, the rides and cave tours! Everyone was really nice! The Caverns tour guide was SO excited to tell us about the caves! He had lots of fun scientific and historical information! Just a really fun place to spend the day with the family! We also got some amazing pictures.”

Come see for yourself. And thanks, Jamie (We’re proud that it doesn’t get any more Colorado than this.)

Seven Years of Screams

Giant Canyon Swing

Seven years after the Giant Canyon Swing opened at 1,300 feet above Colorado River, the thrill ride continues to attract international attention for its scenic beauty and sheer fright. As one French enthusiast posted with an online video of the experience: “Le Giant Canyon Swing du Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park, dans le Colorado, est l’une des attractions les plus effrayantes au monde” – The Giant Canyon Swing at Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park, in Colorado, is one of the most scary attractions in the world.”

The swing has been featured in Sweden, Iran, Indonesia, Germany, the United Kingdom, Spain, and other countries, listed among the top scare experiences anywhere. Imfromdenver.com ranked it No. 3 of 5 Of the Most Terrifying Things To Do In Colorado. Those who manage to open their eyes during the ride describe the lush green vistas below and Glenwood Springs in the distance as they travel a 112-degree arc back and forth across the cliff at up to 50 mph. The requirement of a signed waiver, the height minimum of four feet, and owner Steve Beckley’s refusal to ride his own creation more than once all enhance the appeal for extreme thrill-seekers.

Major news channels and travel networks have featured the attraction, with celebrity hosts sometimes even daring the swing like Good Morning America’s Sam Champion and the Travel Channel’s Bert the Conqueror. Others, like Crystal from Colorado Radio in April, admire from afar, posting about the swing but declining to ride after watching others’ videos. Business Insider posted a new video of the swing earlier this year.

EarthTripper named the Giant Canyon Swing one of the 10 Scariest Rides On The Planet. “One look at the Giant Canyon Swing in Colorado makes it easy to see why it made this list,” Simon Tingle wrote in a post updated in May. “The ride is precariously positioned right on the edge of a cliff and catapults passengers straight over the edge, with a 1,300 foot drop down to the Colorado River below!”

August 16th is National Roller Coaster Day!

Mark your calendars for Tuesday, August 16th and get ready to scream: it’s National Roller Coaster Day! We will  be celebrating at Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park by riding the nation’s highest roller coaster, the Cliffhanger Roller Coaster. There will be prize giveaways, including Annual Thrill Passes for the 100th and 300th Cliffhanger riders!

At a whopping 7,100 feet above sea level, the Cliffhanger Roller Coaster overlooks Glenwood Canyon and the Colorado River in Glenwood Springs, Colorado. Riding the Cliffhanger is a breathtaking experience with unbelievable views, and it’s the perfect way to celebrate roller coasters!

 

The Cliffhanger Roller Coaster offers incredible views and huge thrills!

National Roller Coaster Day 2016 celebrates 138 years of roller coasters, starting in 1878 when a U.S. patent was awarded to Richard Knudsen and J.G. Taylor for a design that would eventually be called a wooden roller coaster. Roller coasters enjoyed a boom in popularity in the late 1910s and early 1920s. The most famous of the roller coasters from that era is the historic Coney Island Cyclone, built in 1927, which is still in operation today.

Today, wood and steel roller coasters are bigger and better than ever. The Kingda Ka Coaster, in the Six Flags Great Adventure Park, is the word’s highest coaster. Kingda Ka is 456 feet off the ground; about 23 giraffes stacked on top of each other! The coaster drops 416 feet from the first hill: not for the faint of heart!

Have the need for speed? The Formula Rossa coaster in Dubai is the world’s fastest roller coaster, with a top speed of 149 miles per hour. Riding the Formula Rossa, you’ll experience the same g-forces as Formula 1 drivers!

Roller coasters provide all different kinds of experiences, but they have one thing in common: they are all a lot of fun! We’re excited to be a part of National Roller Coaster Day, and we hope you’ll join us on August 16th for roller coaster thrills! We will be open from 10am to 6pm. Regular admission applies. For more information, visit our park info page.

Screaming on the Giant Canyon Swing

As much as we like to make people smile, we also like to make them scream. These two gentlemen can attest to that fact! The Giant Canyon Swing here at Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park has been called “the scariest ride in the world” by many a rider. You can now take home memories of your ride, if you’re brave enough to try it. We’re located on top of Iron Mountain in scenic Glenwood Springs, Colorado.

Bring the Family to Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park!

There’s a full day of family fun waiting for you at Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park! Located on top of Iron Mountain overlooking beautiful Glenwood Springs, Colorado, the park offers lots of options for kids (or adults!) who aren’t quite ready for our over-the-top thrill rides. You can enjoy scenic tram rides, guided walking cave tours, the Mine Wheel Ferris wheel ride, the family-friendly Wild West Express roller coaster, the bouncing GiddyUp ride, a laser tag arena, a climbing wall, a giant maze and a 4D Motion Theater. Come on up and bring the whole family!

Over-the-Top Thrills at Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park

Over the top of Glenwood Canyon, that is! Are you ready to fly out 1,300 feet above the Colorado River? Head to Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park in Glenwood Springs, where there are three ways to experience the adrenaline rush of cliff-side thrill rides: the new Glenwood Canyon Flyer, the Cliffhanger Roller Coaster and the Giant Canyon Swing. You can also enjoy an exciting ride on our newly re-engineered Soaring Eagle Zip Ride, with breathtaking views of the Roaring Fork Valley.

One of the Top 10 Roller-Coaster Rides in America!

Want to ride one of America’s 10 best roller coasters? Come on up to Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park in Glenwood Springs, Colorado, and ride the Alpine Coaster! USA Today and Park World editor Paul Ruben named it one of America’s 10 Best Roller-Coaster Rides! Our Alpine Coaster was the first of its kind in the U.S., and is still the longest one in Colorado. It’s open year-round, so you can experience the thrill winter, spring, summer and fall!

Glenwood Caverns Celebrates Summer, 10th Anniversary

Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park in Glenwood Springs, Colo., will celebrate its 10th anniversary with a summer kick-off party and live music on Friday, May 24. Guests will be able to enjoy an evening of Music on the Mountain by Beatles tribute band Doctor Robert and a free tram ride in exchange for a canned food donation to benefit the LIFT-UP food pantry.

“We have so much to celebrate this year,” said Steve Beckley, who owns the Adventure Park with his wife Jeanne. “In addition to the 10th anniversary of the Adventure Park, we have just opened the expanded Historic Fairy Caves Tour and added six new gondola cabin cars. All of our rides and attractions will be open, and we’re looking forward to the fifth season of Music on the Mountain to support LIFT-UP.”

Steve and Jeanne Beckley opened Glenwood Caverns & Historic Fairy Caves to the public in 1999, transporting guests from an office behind the Hotel Colorado to the top of Iron Mountain on buses during the summer. The response was so positive that they decided find a way to keep the caves open year-round. The tramway, which the original owner Charles Darrow proposed to the city in 1903, opened in 2003, along with the mountaintop restaurant and visitor center. The Beckleys rebranded the destination Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park that year and have been adding family-friendly rides and attractions ever since.

Kicking off the fifth season of the popular Music on the Mountain benefit concert series, Doctor Robert is a new generation of Beatles tribute band, committed to the accurate reproduction of more than 100 songs of The Beatles’ repertoire. Their high-energy shows are full of Beatles magic, as Casey Falter, Karen Janssen, Ben Wright and Kevin Reinert recreate some of the most band’s demanding musical compositions.

Reflecting pools seen on the newly expanded Historic Fairy Caves Tour provide a unique perspective on these beautiful formations.

Beatles tribute band Doctor Robert kicks off the fifth season of Music on the Mountain at Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park.

The “cans-for-a-tram” rides will begin at 4 p.m. and the band will play from 6 – 10 p.m. The Lookout Grille and Snack Shack will be open for dinner and refreshments; drink specials including $3 glasses of wine, $3.50 Coors Lights and Coronas, and $4 well drinks, will be available in the plaza.

During the summer kick-off party on May 24, guests will also be able experience the newly expanded Historic Fairy Caves Tour, the King’s Row Cave Tour and the park’s rides and attractions. A Funday Pass, just $35 with the free tram ride, includes both walking cave tours and unlimited access to the Alpine Coaster, the Giant Canyon Swing, the Cliffhanger Roller Coaster, the Mine Wheel, the Wild West Express Coaster, the Soaring Eagle Zip Ride, the Fort WhereAmI Maze, the 4D Motion Theater, the Laser Tag arena, the Speleobox cave simulator, the climbing wall and the Giddy Up! Western ride.

The Music on the Mountain series continues throughout the summer and fall: June 1, Already Gone; June 8, Night Plane; Aug. 10, Fifty50; Aug. 17, Little Friday; Aug. 24, The Rock Dogs; Sept. 7, Lizard Skinner; Sept. 8, contemporary Christian music; Sept. 14, Acoustic Mayhem; and Sept. 21, The Missing Link Band. This year’s sponsors include Bighorn Toyota, Community Banks of Colorado, Glenwood Springs Post Independent, AMT Network, Perri’s Collision, Swire Coca-Cola, Glenwood TV, Glenwood Insurance & Pinnacol Assurance and Hotel Glenwood Springs.

The park will be open 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. on May 24. Beginning on May 25, it will be open daily from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., with later hours for most of the Music on the Mountain concerts. The last tram ride up will be half an hour prior to closing. For more information, visit www.GlenwoodCaverns.com or call 800-530-1635 or 970-945-4228, ext. 0.

Unlimited rides on the Cliffhanger Roller Coaster — America’s highest-elevation roller coaster — are included in the Funday Pass!