Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park
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| Slogan | America's only mountain top theme park! |
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| Location | Glenwood Springs, Colorado, United States of America |
| Coordinates | 39°33′38″N 107°19′13″W |
| Owner | Family Owned |
| Opened | 1999 |
| Previous names | Glenwood Caverns (1999-2002) |
| Operating season | Year Round |
| Rides | |
| Total | 12 (as of 2017) |
| Roller coasters | 3 |
| Website | http://www.glenwoodcaverns.com/ |
Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park is an adventure park located above Glenwood Springs, Colorado, about 160 miles west of Denver. Prior to 2003, only cave tours were available until a major expansion took place. The park is unique because it sits at an altitude of 7,100 feet on a mountain above Glenwood. Today, the park features numerous attractions in addition to the cave tours.
Discovery
In the late 1800s, Charles W. Darrow discovered a cave system on Iron Mountain after hearing the mountain "whistle". The source was the cave mouth and in 1895 Darrow opened up the caves to the public. Methods of getting to the caves included horseback to walking. In 1897, Darrow was able to bring electric lights to the cave with the help of the city's hydro-electric plant becoming one of the first caves to do so. In the same year a tunnel was blasted out to Glenwood Canyon with an observation deck named Exclamation Point. With the onset of World War I, the caves were closed to the public in 1917.
New Ownership
In 1999, Steve and Jeanne Beckley, who own the land the cave is on, opened the cave back to public after restoration work. The caverns were accessed by bus using a small building next to the Hotel Colorado as a base. In 2002 the Beckley's gain approval to build a massive expansion. The centerpiece would be a pulse gondola built by Poma and a visitor center at the top of the mountain including a restaurant. The tramway would allow year round access to the caverns. A large sluice box and gift shop were also available to the public. The expansion proved to be a massive success attracting 150,000 people before the one-year anniversary.
Development into Adventure Park
Due to the tramway increasing uphill capacity, lines for the cave tours became increasingly long. In order to provide something to do while waiting for the cave tours, the park decided to add attractions. Major additions included North America's first alpine coaster, a zip ride, a swing style attraction, and a climbing wall. All attractions opened for the Summer season in May of 2005. Many of the attractions were named by locals. In order to satisfy the increased demand, each pulse on the gondola received another cabin as well. From 2005 to 2010 various attractions were added such as a 4-D theater, the first in Colorado, and other temporary features. The next major attraction came in 2010 in the form of a S&S Power Screamin' Swing. The swing has since gone on to attract notability throughout the theme park world including being on numerous television shows. The zip ride moved in this time frame sharing a joint tower structure with a bungee jump.
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