10 Ways to Keep the Summer Fun Going in Colorado

Colorado is cool in the summertime. Keep the fun going with these 10 outside activities you can enjoy across the state.

In addition to the high-flying summer fun at Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park, America’s only mountaintop theme park in Glenwood Springs, Colorado, the entire rest of the state is a playground of outdoor adventures!

    1. Go wild. Lions and tigers and bears, oh my! Also giraffes, rhinoceroses, elephants, wolves, and alligators are waiting for you at major zoos. Check out the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, the Wild Animal Sanctuary in Keenesburg, and the Colorado Gators Reptile Park in Mosca.
    2. Take a hike. Smell the wildflowers at Yankee Boy Basin near Ouray, Shrine Pass near Frisco, or Lake Isabel near Colorado City. Enjoy the waterfalls at Hanging Lake near Glenwood Springs, Seven Falls in Colorado Springs, or Bridal Veil Falls in Telluride. Retrace history on the Santa Fe Trail’s Sierra Vista Overlook near La Junta, Canyons of the Ancients National Monument Pueblo dwellings in Montezuma County, Skyline Drive dinosaur tracks near Cañon City. View elk at Horseshoe Park in Rocky Mountain National Park, bighorn sheep and mountain goats at Mount Evans Wilderness Area near Idaho Springs, and moose at State Forest State Park near Walden.
    3. Camp out. Find cabins and yurts at Golden Gate Canyon State Park near Golden; wilderness backpacking at West Fork Campground near Pagosa Springs, Trappers Lake near Meeker, and Ansel Watrous Campground near Bellvue; and lakeside tent and RV sites at Elk Creek Campground near Grand Lake, Cherry Creek State Park near Aurora, and John Martin Reservoir State Park near Hasty; and amazing views at Silver Bar Campground near Aspen and Moraine Park Campground near Estes Park.
    4. Ride a bike It’s summer, so you can pedal down the ski slopes on Vail Mountain, Purgatory, and Keystone Resort, with a ride-up on the gondolas. You’ll find bike parks at Winter Park Resort, Lory State Park near Fort Collins, and Palmer Park in Colorado Springs, and paved routes in Glenwood Springs, Denver, Vail, and Golden. Mountain biking was invented at Crested Butte, where you can find a great singletrack rides.
    5. Float your boat. Waterski at Navajo State Park, Jackson Lake State Park, and Blue Mesa Reservoir; canoe at Lake Granby in Granby, Gross Reservoir near Eldorado Springs, and the Colorado River near Palisade; fish at Grand Mesa Lakes near Cedaredge, Lake Pueblo State Park, and Steamboat Lake State Park; sail at Lake Dillon in Dillon, Grand Lake, and the Ruedi Reservoir in Basalt.
    6. Swing your club. Golf at mountain courses such as Pole Creek Golf Club, Copper Creek Golf Club, Breckenridge Golf Course, among rock formations at Arrowhead Golf Course and dinosaur footprints at Fossil Trace Golf Club, or on the highest course on the continent at Mount Massive Golf Course.
    7. Go underground. Get out of the sun at Cave of the Winds in Manitou Springs, Rifle Falls State Park, Dinosaur National Monument, Whit4e River National Forest and our own Glenwood Caverns.
    8. Eat & Drink. As the fruit ripens across the season, check out the peach, cherry, and apple orchards and the wineries on the Western Slope, especially around Palisade, Grand Junction, Paonia, Hotchkiss and Cedaredge.
    9. Paddle whitewater. Go for the fast water in the Arkansas River Headwaters near Salida, Gunnison Gorge near Gunnison or Browns Canyon National Monument near Buena Vista. Take it a little milder at Glenwood Canyon near Glenwood Springs, Ruby Canyon near Grand Junction, or Eagle River near Gypsum. Take it easy at Cottonwood Lake near Buena Vista, Pearl Lake State Park, or Barr Lake State Park. For whitewater, hit Confluence Park in Denver; Clear Creek Whitewater Park, Glenwood Springs Whitewater Park, or Gunnison Whitewater Park.
    10. Get festive. Join the celebrations at the Crested Butte Wildflower Festival July 6-15, the Hot Air Balloon Rodeo July 14-15 in Steamboat Springs, the Denver Underground Music Showcase July 26-29, the Vail Dance Festival July 28-Aug. 11, the Colorado State Fair in Pueblo Aug. 28-Sept. 3, and A Taste of Colorado in Denver Aug. 31-Sept. 3.
Explore Glenwood's many hiking trails

Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park Update on Wildfire in Basalt, Colorado

America’s only mountaintop theme park in Glenwood Springs continues to welcome visitors for a summer filled with thrills and adventure. Due to visitor inquiries, however, we are providing guests with this update about the Lake Christine wildfire in Basalt.

We’ve recently fielded some questions about our proximity to the Lake Christine fire in Basalt, Colorado. We’d like to inform anyone planning to visit Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park and Glenwood Springs more broadly, that with the exception of some smoke in the area, the fire has had little impact on our operations. The Park, including all the rides and attractions, is 100-percent open for visitors to enjoy.

The town of Basalt, where a wildfire has been burning since July 3, is approximately 25 miles southeast of Glenwood Springs. The Lake Christine fire is currently 39 percent contained.

Though most days have been clear at the Park, due to shifting wind patterns, visitors can expect to see and smell some smoke on occasion in the vicinity of Glenwood Springs. Because our guests’ health and safety is always a top priority, those with medical issues may wish consult this interactive map for air quality information.

All roads to Glenwood Springs are open including I-70 through Glenwood Canyon and continuing west toward Grand Junction. Highway 82, which connects Glenwood Springs with towns up-valley, including Carbondale, Basalt, El Jebel, Snowmass and Aspen are also all open, with normal traffic patterns.

The latest update on the fires is that crews continue to make great progress on the western flank of the fire. Additional hand lines as well as dozer lines were established and the objective in the coming days is for all of these to unite. In the northwest corner, crews will continue to build direct fire line and utilize burning operations to reduce the fuel load and secure the fire line. The southern perimeter remains quiet. Swing shift crews are patrolling this edge and assisting other divisions with operations.

For more information and regular updates on the Lake Christine fire, please visit InciWeb.

10 Souvenirs to Take Home from the Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park Gift Shop

Souvenirs play an important role in travel. They help us recall special moments long after our vacations are over. These 10 mementos from the General Store will help you remember all the fun you had at Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park.

Ever wonder why on vacation we’re lured into shops that sell trinkets emblazoned with the name of a place or attraction? Bringing home a little bit of the place we’ve been is not only fun in the moment when we’re shopping, that cute t-shirt or kitschy coffee cup can also bring us a mini-dose of happiness every time we put it on or fill our mug.

Kristen Swanson studies merchandising and what people buy when they’re vacationing. “Research has shown that all tourists, or most tourists…there’s always that one exception, are predisposed to shop for souvenirs as part of the activities they’re going to do when they go traveling,” Swanson said. “A souvenir is a remembrance of an experience. They have emotional value attached to them that ordinary objects don’t have.”

Souvenirs also happen to be excellent conversation starters. When you wear that Glenwood Caverns t-shirt, you never know who might ask you about your experience at America’s only mountaintop theme park. Break out your set of Glenwood Caverns shot glasses and regale your friends with stories of how you screamed like a little baby on the Giant Canyon Swing. Smile as your kids re-enact exploring make-believe caves while wearing their toy caver’s helmets.

Stopping at the gift shop to peruse the merchandise and select something special to take home is part of the pleasure of vacationing.  A visit to the General Store at Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park is no exception. Favorite souvenirs that guests like to take home from the park include:

  • Pressed pennies. It’s an inexpensive keepsake you can tuck in your pocket.
  • Yummy cake mixes packaged in wine and beer bottles. Not only do these travel well, they make great gifts for that special person back home watering your plants and watching your dog.
  • Wooden signs. These fun signs have sayings focused on hiking, camping and Colorado living.
  • Kid-sized caver’s helmets. After the cave tours, encourage their spelunking dreams with child-sized caving gear.
  • Logoed merchandise like t-shirts, coffee mugs and shot glasses. Among the most practical souvenirs, these items can be worn or used again and again.
  • Saw-cut wooden bears. These cute critters like hanging out on fire place mantles and front porches after they leave Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park.
  • A bag full of polished rocks. Let the youngsters mine for their favorite polished rocks to take home in a drawstring bag.
  • Old fashioned toys. Keep kids entertained with retro-toys like popguns, slingshots and boomerangs.
  • Adorn yourself with something pretty and sparkly.
  • Fudge. Even locals and staff members can’t get enough of this treat. It’s made daily from fresh ingredients and comes in a mouthwatering variety of flavors. Top-sellers are Rocky Road, Chocolate Peanut Butter and Mint Chocolate.

Of course, this is just a sampling of what’s in store at the gift shop at Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park, stop in at the General Store to find your own perfect souvenir to take home.

Check Out Our New Interactive Park Map

Use our new interactive map to preview thrill rides and attractions at Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park.

We’ve created a fun, new interactive map and uploaded it to our website at Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park. The interactive map enables guests to visually sample all the Park’s thrill rides and attractions.

Have you ever stood at the tram base wondered what’s up on top of that mountain?  Now you can see all the highlights before you head up the Iron Mountain Tramway to America’s only mountaintop theme park. To get an idea of what you and your family or friends might experience over the course of a day or a few hours at Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park, click on the map’s green plus (+) signs to open video windows. Just 10 – 15 seconds long, the videos give viewers a sense of what they can expect so they can better plan their time at the Park.

The interactive map shows clips of how visitors access the Park via the Iron Mountain Tramway and sneaks a peek at the King’s Row and Historic Fairy Cave tours. Videos of the thrill rides create a sense of anticipation for future park-goers and include: Giant Canyon Swing, Glenwood Canyon Flyer, Cliffside Roller Coaster, Soaring Eagle Zip Ride and Alpine Coaster. The Park’s attractions are also featured—Laser Tag, 4D Theater, Giddy Up Ride, Mine Wheel, Climbing Wall and the Wild West Express.

We hope our new interactive map helps your visualize and plan your next visit to Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park. Find more detailed information about all the Park’s offerings and purchase tickets at glenwoodcavdev.wpengine.com.

Traveling with Teens: Problems Solved at Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park

Cliff Hanger Roller Coaster at Glenwood Caverns

If you’re looking for a family trip where your teenager won’t get bored, try the thrill rides, cave tours, and technology attractions Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park. We’ll provide plenty of adrenaline, interest, and fun for the whole family. 

For the teen who likes living on the edge, nothing surpasses our mountaintop Cliffhanger Roller Coaster, at the highest elevation in North America and 1,450 feet above the Colorado River, or our Giant Canyon Swing that takes you into the void 1,300 feet above the river. If you want to really hang over that empty space, there’s the 625-foot Soaring Eagle Zip Ride. If you’d rather make the dizzying downhill on land, we have America’s first Alpine Coaster that will whip through 3,400 feet, then give you a relaxing ride back up to enjoy the view.

If your teen is into nature, our mountain also offers three cave tours. You can take a guided quarter-mile stroll through the enchanting Fairy Cave, with beautiful formations, tree roots in the ceiling, and a section with replica century-old lighting to recall that this was one of first electrically-illuminated caves ever. Spacious Kings Row, the most highly-decorated cave room in Colorado, has a light show to highlight its striking formations. We also have a challenging special 2-hour guided Wild Cave tour with tight passageways to sights rarely seen.

If your teen is into technology, they’ll love our 4D Motion Theater, the first in Colorado, a thrill-ride-meets-digital animation with moving seats, surround sound, and special effects that make you feel like you’re inside the movie. You can also join an Old West shootout updated with Laser Tag or see some really old technology at our working Blacksmith Shop.

Along with plenty of attractions, activities, shows, and rides for the parents, the younger children, and the whole family together to enjoy, these thrilling and fascinating activities will ensure that everyone, including the teens, goes home with fun and fond memories of this vacation that will last forever.

For notoriously hard-to-please teenagers, plan a Colorado vacation that will give them something to smile about! Visit Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park.

Our Top 10 Tips for a Top-Notch Time

Little things can spoil an otherwise perfect day; these tips will keep the good times rolling all day long at Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park.

  1. Plan for the crowds. Peak season for Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park is from mid-June through mid-August. If avoiding crowds is important to you, plan your visit to fall outside the busiest time of year.
  2. Arrive early at the tram base. In the summer months park hours begin at 9 a.m. If you arrive ahead of that time at the Iron Mountain Tramway you can be among the first to board rides at the mountaintop theme park.
  3. Choose a cave tour upon arrival. Make your first stop the General Store gift shop where you can check the guided cave tour Tours fill up fast and tend to be in higher demand later in the day, so show up a few minutes before the tour is scheduled to begin.
  4. Eat. Avoid hunger pangs and the grumpiness that comes with it. Mountain-top dining choices include the Lookout Grille, the Snack Shack and the Popcorn Wagon. High noon is everyone’s favorite time to eat, so for quicker service grab a bite before or after that time.
  5. Come later in the day. Most days the Park is open until 9 p.m. Consider visiting in the late afternoon. Crowds tend to dissipate by this time of day and temperatures cool off. You might even be able to catch an instagrammable sunset overlooking the Roaring Fork Valley from the viewing deck.
  6. Be ready for summer weather. Inclement weather, especially afternoon thunderstorms are common in Colorado. When storms are in the area, the Park may have to temporarily shut down rides. Fortunately, they typically blow through quickly and don’t last long. We advise waiting it out. Grab a snack or drink, play laser tag or head to the 4D Theater for a short movie. It’s usually not long before the sun is shining again.
  7. Wear sunscreen. Glenwood Caverns Park is located at 7,100 feet in elevation. Even on cloudy days the sun’s rays can burn and damage skin. Don’t panic if you forget your sunscreen, the Park has plenty for guests to use, and it’s free! Other ways to prepare for a day at the park include wearing comfortable shoes, light colored clothing, a hat and bringing along a rain jacket just in case.
  8. Stay hydrated. Dehydration can lead to irritability, headaches, dizziness, nausea and worse, none of which you want to experience on your vacation. Glenwood Caverns has water-bottle-friendly fountains where you can replenish, or you can purchase a drink with a refillable cup at the Lookout Grille and refill it for just $1.
  9. Plan ahead. Our goal is to put a smile on the face of every guest. We never want you to be disappointed if a ride is closed for maintenance or if you wait in line for a ride only to find out that your child doesn’t meet the height or weight requirements. If we have a temporary ride closure we’ll post it on our website, along with the physical requirements for all of rides. We want the only surprises you encounter to be happy ones.
  10. Buy tickets online. Save time by purchasing Park admission tickets online. Funday passes are our best value and include the tram, 2 cave tours, and unlimited access to rides and attractions.
Take a cave tour at Glenwood Caverns for National Caves and Karst Day!
4D Motion Theater at Glenwood Caverns

Take it from us, these 10 simple tips will help ensure your next visit to America’s only mountaintop theme park is an over-the-top experience for everyone in your family or group. Learn more at glenwoodcavdev.wpengine.com.

Stay at Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park Partner Hotels

What’s better than spending the day playing and exploring at Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park? Getting a package rate that bundles Glenwood Springs lodging and Funday passes to America’s only mountaintop theme park!

Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park partners with hotels conveniently located in Glenwood Springs to offer value-packed lodging and activity packages to guests. Choices include a wide variety of comfortable accommodations and of course admission to a Colorado theme park known for its adrenaline-pumping thrill rides and pristine caverns.

Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park is home to the Giant Canyon Swing which launches riders out 1300’ over Glenwood Canyon, the Cliffside Roller Coaster—North America’s highest elevation roller coaster and the Alpine Coaster, the first of its kind in the US and still customer favorite!

The park also features several guided cave tours. Visitors descend via pathways and stairs into cave rooms with marvelous examples of cave formations such as stalactites and stalagmites, cave bacon and cave popcorn, as well stunning light displays that highlight the breathtaking underground landscape.

Offers vary at each hotel. For example, the Hotel Glenwood Springs’ Stay Where You Play package includes discounted lodging and two adult Funday Passes. Some packages like the one at the Caravan Inn feature tram and cave only options, rafting companies offer discounted Park admission after 4 p.m., while others are valid only seasonally. For details, be sure to check directly with the hotel. Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park partners include:

If you’re planning to navigate the rapids in Glenwood Canyon this season, Glenwood Caverns also partners with rafting companies including:

Just passing through? You can still experience all the fun at a great value. Funday Passes to Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park have all the action covered with gondola rides to and from the Park on the Iron Mountain Tramway, two walking cave tours and unlimited turns on all the Park’s rides and attractions.

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!

A Faster Ride to the Top: New Tram Coming to Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park

When you can’t wait for the fun to start, you want to get to where you’re going—fast.  With guest satisfaction in mind, Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park will soon install a speedy new tram that transports visitors to America’s only mountaintop theme park faster than ever before.

It won’t be long before Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park welcomes guests aboard a state-of-the-art new tramway slated for installation later this year. The new tram will double the speed and triple the capacity of the current Iron Mountain Tramway, the main transport system that takes visitors via gondola cars from the floor of the Roaring Fork Valley to the top of Iron Mountain, an elevation gain of 1,300 feet.

The new tramway will be comprised of 44 detachable, six-passenger cabins with a capacity to convey up to 1,000 people per hour. For comparison, the current tram, with 18 cabins, transports 300 visitors per hour. The new tram will cut the travel time in half, from 12-15 minutes to approximately seven minutes, effectively eliminating customer wait times. In addition to its speed, the new tram will be more reliable. The detachable tram is designed to equally distribute the weight of the cabins across all the towers, which will allow it to sustain higher winds without impacting operations. “This system will help us enhance our guests’ experience by reducing wait times and reducing the frequency of weather-related tram closures,” Nancy Heard, general manager of Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park, explained. “It will be more stable in high-wind conditions and will eliminate 80 percent of the shutdowns caused by wind and lightning.”

The reason the new tram will be less susceptible to weather-related closures is twofold. First, operators will have the ability to clear people off the tram in seven minutes rather than 15. Second, the new tram will have lightning arrestors that will dissipate the electricity and minimize the potential damage to the tram. This will allow operators to wait to see if a storm develops before deciding to shut down the tram. Currently, the tram closes as a precaution even though in some cases storms may not materialize. The more resilient new tram will reduce the need to run busses and Adventure Vehicles up and down the mountain during inclement weather.

For guests attending Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park events such as Music on the MountainFriday Afternoon ClubOctoberfest or Winter on the Mountain, the high capacity and more dependable tram will be an asset to event attendees who want to depart at the end of a show, a time when there is a high demand to return to the base.

As for the timeline, Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park will be open as usual during the peak season from spring through Oct. 28, 2018. During the construction of the new tramway, from mid-November through mid-March, 2019, the park will be temporarily closed.

After the new tram is installed, it’s full-speed ahead for fun at Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park!

Scream Time vs. Screen Time

Vaccine is good news for travel industry

A family excursion to Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park could be just what the doctor ordered for digital excess.

Parents, psychologists, and medical and educational professionals are increasingly concerned about the amount of time children are spending on digital media. Studies show that excess screen time can hamper the development of vital life qualities from social interaction and homework preparation to exercise and sleep.

One recent study in the United Kingdom even found a correlation between screen time and mental illness. The American Academy of Pediatrics last year issued new guidelines urging a Family Media Use Plan that puts consistent limits on media use for children older than 6 (younger children should spend at most an hour a day on the screen).

Rules and limits are important to curb the excess, but experts also advise real-life excursions that are irresistibly more enjoyable than all-day web surfing, video gaming, or texting. “Start with fun,” says Dr. Ann Steel, a video game and internet addiction specialist in Bellevue, Washington. “It can be more fun to add new activities into your children’s lives than limiting or taking away their technology. Often kids view their screens as the most pleasurable activity in their life, so we should start by offering healthy yet enticing options.” Also, let’s face it, parents who want to promote more positive behavior in their kids need to watch their own levels of digital interaction. “Your kids aren’t the only ones who need to turn the devices off and stop to smell the roses,” says Anna Hughes, an author at Screen Time Labs.

With our combination of nature features, thrill rides, and other attractions, Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park can immerse your whole family in the real world with plenty of time for curiosity, exploration, conversation, and relaxation without needing a keyboard or screen at your fingertips. It’s a break from the digital, and the shared experience will keep on stimulating social interaction as you remember the beauty and excitement of the great outdoors. You’ll probably want to come back for more!