Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park, Mountain theme park and cave system in Glenwood Springs, Colorado.
Glenwood Caverns is an amusement park and cave system located atop Iron Mountain in Colorado, combining natural underground chambers with mechanical rides. The site sits at about 7,100 feet elevation and overlooks the Colorado River valley below.
Charles W. Darrow discovered the cave entrance on Iron Mountain by following a whistling air current and opened the caves to the public in 1895, installing electric lights with the city hydro-electric plant. The caves closed in 1917 during World War I. Steve and Jeanne Beckley acquired the land in 1998 and reopened the caverns in 1999 after restoration; the Cliffhanger coaster opened in June 2012.
The park maintains the King's Row chamber, recognized as Colorado's most decorated cave room with formations of calcite and aragonite minerals.
A gondola system carries visitors to the summit year-round, with different operating schedules depending on the season. Both the cave areas and ride zones offer designated pathways and shelter facilities to help you navigate the site safely.
The Cliffhanger coaster, relocated from Celebration City in Branson, Missouri, opened here in June 2012. At 7,160 feet above sea level it ranks as the highest-elevation roller coaster in the United States. The separate Haunted Mine Drop, renamed Crystal Tower in 2023, drops 110 feet (34 m) underground.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 93,778 contributors worldwide.
