A gondola ride up Iron Mountain to a cave tour and a small mountaintop park in Glenwood Springs. The cave is cool, a little narrow in places, and one tour goes down 120 stairs and back up.
Know before you go. Glenwood Caverns doesn't list sensory hours or a quiet room. Here's what it does say, so you can plan around the cold, the narrow spots and the loud parts.
Hours
Open year-round; hours change by day and season, so check the park calendar for your date. The gondola ticket window closes 30 minutes before closing. Cave tours start about an hour after opening; the last one is 90 minutes before closing.
51000 Two Rivers Plaza Road, Glenwood Springs 81601 (ticket office at the gondola base)
“The cave is 52 degrees year-round.” Bring a light jacket or sweater.
Fairy Cave is “a 1/4 of a mile underground stroll with occasional narrow passage ways”; King's Row takes you down “120 stairs” and “you'll have to hike your way back up.”
“The maximum number of guests allowed on the Historic Fairy Tour is 20 with 25 allowed on the King's Row Tour.”
The 4D Motion Theater has “moving seats, surround sound, and special effects.” It's not recommended for kids under 3, and small kids can sit on a lap in the non-motion seats.
The add-on Blacklight Cave tour turns the caverns into “a neon-lit wonderland.”
In high wind or lightning “the gondola will slow down and sometimes stop,” and there is “no alternative means of transportation.” Storms usually pass in 45 to 90 minutes.
The cave tours are small and guided, at a steady 52 degrees. The thrill rides and the 4D theater are the loud, fast parts, and they're easy to skip.
Plan for at least half a day. Tickets are good for re-entry the same day, so a break at the car is an option.
The gondola is the only way up and down. Everyone goes through an electronic screening before boarding.
No strollers, backpacks, food or drinks in the cave. Carry small kids or use a front pack, feed everyone before the tour, and use the lockers near the upper cave entrance.
Gondola and one cave tour: $52.99 online ($57.99 at the gate) plus a $1.50 online fee. Gondola only: $32.99 online. Kids 0 to 2 are free. Reservations aren't required.
Louder or brighter
4D Motion Theater (moving seats, surround sound, special effects)not stated
Blacklight Cave tour (add-on) (neon-lit)not stated
Quieter
An adult has to go with kids under 13 or 14 on the cave tour, so plan on going with your kid.
Fairy Cave includes a short stop outside on Exclamation Point, so dress for the weather too.
The Wild Cave Tour (helmets and knee pads, ages 10 and up with an adult) is “Not recommended if you are claustrophobic.”
There's gravel in the plaza and steep paths up top, which makes strollers and wheelchairs harder. Strollers can ride the gondola folded, with your child on your lap or next to you. Wheelchairs and strollers can't go into the caverns.
No outside food or coolers in the park; the Lookout Grille and the Smokehouse sell food. The park is cashless (a kiosk turns cash into a card).
Littlefeet Playland is a play space for ages 2 to 12 at the top.
Everyone signs a waiver; a parent signs for kids under 18.
Free parking at the gondola base, with more at Lot D (202 Centennial St).
