Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park

Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park

Previously known as Glenwood Caverns (1999-2002)
Interactive map of Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park
Location	Glenwood Springs, Colorado, United States
Coordinates	39°33′38″N 107°19′13″W / 39.56056°N 107.32028°W / 39.56056; -107.32028
Status	Operating
Opened	1999
Owner	Steve and Jeanne Beckley
Slogan	America's only mountain-top theme park!
Operating season	Year-round
Attractions
Total	16 (as of 2025)
Roller coasters	3
Website	https://www.glenwoodcaverns.com/

Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park is a summer-themed adventure park located near Glenwood Springs, Colorado. It lies approximately 160 miles (260 km) west of Denver at an altitude of 7,132 ft (2,174 m), and is within the Mountain Standard Time Zone (GMT+7).^[1]

In December 2023, Interior Secretary Deb Haaland designated Glenwood Caverns and Iron Mountain Hot Springs a national landmark.^[2][3]

While hiking on Iron Mountain in the late 1800s, Charles W. Darrow heard what sounded like a "whistle" coming from the mountain, which led him to discover a cave system. The source of the sound was the cave mouth, and in 1895, Darrow opened the caves to the public.^[4] The cave was originally only accessible by foot or horseback. In 1897, Darrow installed electric lights in 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 that was named Exclamation Point. In 1917, coinciding with the onset of World War I, the caves were closed to the public.^[5]

In 1999, Steve and Jeanne Beckley, who currently own the land on which the cave is located, reopened it to the public after restoration work. The caverns were accessible by bus via a station next to the Hotel Colorado. In 2002, the Beckleys gained approval to expand the park. The primary additions were a pulse gondola that was built by Poma and a visitor center located at the top of the mountain with a restaurant. An aerial tramway, which would allow year-round access to the caverns, a large sluice box, and a gift shop were also constructed.^[6][7][8]

With the addition of the aerial tramway, making the caves more easily accessible, the wait time for the cave tours increased. Attractions were added to the park to provide patrons with entertainment while they were waiting for the cave tours. Major additions included North America's first alpine coaster, a zip ride, a swing-style attraction, and a climbing wall.^[9] All attractions opened for the summer season in May 2005 and many of them were named by locals.^[8] 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 theatre—the first in Colorado—and other temporary features. The next major attraction came in 2010 in the form of the Giant Canyon Swing, a Screamin' Swing designed by S&S - Sansei Technologies. Around this time, the zip ride was relocated, sharing a joint tower structure with a bungee jump.

In 2012, the park undertook its largest expansion since 2005 with the addition of three rides. These included a Zierer children’s roller coaster and an SBF-Visa Ferris wheel, both relocated from Wild Zone Adventures in Canada. The primary addition was the Cliffhanger roller coaster, relocated from the former Celebration City amusement park in Branson, Missouri. The coaster opened in June 2012. It is the highest-elevation full-sized roller coaster in the United States, operating at an elevation of 7,160 feet (2,180 m) above sea level.^[10][11]

In 2013, the park expanded the upper portion of its cave system. As part of this project, the original single cave tour was divided into two separate tours, both being approximately 40 minutes, which increased visitor capacity. That same year, the aerial tramway was expanded by adding two additional pulse sequences, bringing the total to six pulses and eighteen cabins.

In 2014, the park added the Glenwood Canyon Flyer, a custom SBF-Visa swing ride installed as a less intense alternative to the Giant Canyon Swing. The ride was later featured on the television program Thrill Factor in 2015, in the episode "Kari Has No Sense."^[12]

In early 2017, the park announced the addition of the Haunted Mine Drop, later renamed Crystal Tower. The ride opened in the summer of 2017. It is a drop tower that descends underground and features themed elements in addition to a 110-foot (34 m) vertical drop.^[13]

On the evening of September 5, 2021, six-year-old Wongel Estifanos died while riding the Haunted Mine Drop attraction after being separated from her seat and falling 10 ft (3.0 m). Investigators determined that Estifanos had been seated on top of the safety restraint rather than secured beneath it. A forensic pathologist identified the cause of death as blunt-force trauma. An official investigation by the Colorado Division of Oil and Public Safety cited inadequate procedures and insufficient training of two ride operators, who failed to ensure that Estifanos was properly restrained before the ride began.^[15][16]The Estifanos family was represented by attorney Dan Caplis in a subsequent civil lawsuit against the park, which resulted in a landmark jury verdict awarding $205 million in damages for the wrongful death of Wongel Estifanos.^[17]

Prior to the incident, the Haunted Mine Drop had undergone four annual safety inspections in accordance with Colorado Amusement Rides and Devices Regulations (7 CCR 1101–12) and had been certified as compliant, with prior issues reported as corrected.^[16] Following the fatal accident, Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park temporarily closed.^[18]

Under Colorado law, specifically Colorado Senate Bill 03-253, parents may waive a minor's right to sue for negligence, limiting legal options available to families in cases involving recreational activities.^[19][20] The Haunted Mine Drop remained closed until 2023, when it reopened as Crystal Tower.

Following this incident, the park filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on February 10, 2026, a year after an $116 million wrongful death judgment was tied against the company.^[21]

Several injuries have also been reported on the Alpine Coaster attraction. In 2007, a parent and child were hospitalized after being thrown from the ride into a fence. In 2010, a 10-year-old child was ejected from the coaster and landed on rocks, sustaining facial injuries. In 2011, a woman suffered a broken back after the car she was riding in failed to brake for a series of stalled cars on the track. A lawsuit filed in connection with the incident was later dismissed.^[22]

On October 28, 2023, prior to the park opening for the day, a 20-year-old Colorado man, identified as Diego Barajas Medina, was found dead inside the park from an apparent suicide. Medina was wearing tactical gear and was armed with improvised explosive devices and two privately made firearms, including a semi-automatic rifle and a handgun. Officials with the Garfield County Sheriff's Office stated that the weapons and equipment could have enabled a mass-casualty attack. A note discovered near Medina’s body, written on the wall of a women’s restroom stall, read, "I am not a killer. I just wanted to get into the caves."^[23]

• Glenwood Caverns website Archived 2006-08-03 at the Wayback Machine