Summary

Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park: A Thrilling Destination in the Rocky Mountains

Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park, situated at 7,100 feet above sea level in the Rocky Mountains, is the highest elevation amusement park in America. The park offers a range of thrill rides, attractions, and cave tours, making it a unique and exciting destination for visitors.

A Brief History of the Park

The park’s history began with Charles Darrow, who discovered the caves in the late 1800s and opened them to visitors in 1896. However, the caves closed due to economic downturn. The caves were reopened in 1999 by Steve and Jean Beckley, who were drawn to the site on a date and saw its potential. The initial success led to the installation of a tramway in 2003, which increased attendance by 50%, but also created long wait times.

Expansion and Development

To address the issue of long wait times, the Beckleys invested $1.5 million in a master plan, adding activities such as a rock climbing wall and the country’s first Alpine Coaster. This allowed guests to enjoy the park while waiting for cave tours. The park has since transformed from a modest park to a full-fledged amusement park with the addition of various attractions, including a zipline, theater, and giant canyon swing.

The Cliffhanger Roller Coaster

The final piece of the park’s expansion was the addition of a roller coaster. The Cliffhanger, a 1,430-foot twisted steel roller coaster, was purchased secondhand for $375,000 and installed at a total cost of $800,000. It became the country’s highest altitude roller coaster, offering a thrilling but not intimidating experience. The ride fills a niche in the park’s lineup, appealing to visitors who want a fun and exciting experience without being overwhelmed.

Other Attractions and Rides

The park offers a range of other rides and attractions, including the Giant Canyon Flyer, a tree swing providing high suspended thrills, and a zip line that takes advantage of the park’s unique vantage point, offering mountain views. The Crystal Tower, an underground drop tower, is a unique ride that loads from the top and plummets into the ground, attracting press and social media attention.

Defiance: The New Roller Coaster

In 2022, the park debuted a new record-breaking roller coaster, Defiance, featuring a customized Euro Fighter coaster with a 109° drop, making it the steepest roller coaster west of the Mississippi. Reviews have been overwhelmingly positive, with riders praising its dramatic views and hair-raising flips. The ride’s design includes a mix of hills, inversions, and break runs, with features like the Twisted Top Hat and a banana roll, which flips riders upside down twice.

Safety Features and Protocols

The park has a comprehensive safety protocol in place to address potential risks such as lightning strikes and wildfires. In the event of lightning within 5 miles, all rides and the gondola shut down, and they reopen after 10 minutes without a strike. The park also has a radar system to monitor storm cells and can evacuate guests via the gondola and buses if needed. In the case of a wildfire, the park can evacuate guests, but its remote location means evacuation may be slower. As a last resort, the park can shelter guests in its caves, which have been proven to remain smoke-free even during intense fires, and have pre-positioned emergency supplies to sustain guests until help arrives.

Providing a Safe and Valuable Experience

Running an amusement park is challenging because it requires providing a good, safe, and valuable experience to thousands of guests every day, with each guest having a unique experience through various elements of the park. The employees of Glenwood Caverns, like those of any amusement park, strive to perfect this experience daily.

Supporting the Cause

The park was also the filming location for the finale of the show “The Getaway”, which received great audience feedback, and was made possible by the support of Nebula subscribers. Nebula is a creator-founded streaming service that fosters innovative shows and movies, offering a range of original content, including “The Getaway”, as well as ad-free videos from top creators, with a high retention rate of subscribers due to its worthwhile content. To ensure support for the cause, it is crucial to utilize the provided link, as this helps to track and acknowledge the contributions made through the associated referrals, ultimately contributing to the overall goal.

Key Vocabulary

Term	Definition	Example Usage
Amusement Park	A park that features various attractions, rides, and entertainment options for visitors.	Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park is a popular amusement park in the Rocky Mountains.
Alpine Coaster	A type of roller coaster that features a winding track and is often found in mountainous regions.	The park’s Alpine Coaster is a favorite among visitors, offering breathtaking views of the surrounding mountains.
Tramway	A transportation system that uses cables and cars to move people up and down steep slopes.	The park’s tramway was installed in 2003 to improve accessibility and reduce wait times.
Roller Coaster	A type of amusement park ride that features a series of hills, drops, and turns.	The Cliffhanger is a popular roller coaster at the park, offering a thrilling but not intimidating experience.
Zip Line	A type of attraction that allows visitors to ride a cable suspended high above the ground.	The park’s zip line offers stunning views of the surrounding mountains and is a favorite among adventure-seekers.
Drop Tower	A type of amusement park ride that features a sudden drop from a great height.	The Crystal Tower is a unique drop tower that loads from the top and plummets into the ground, attracting press and social media attention.
Europa Fighter Coaster	A type of roller coaster that features a customized design with steep drops and sharp turns.	The park’s Defiance roller coaster features a customized Euro Fighter coaster with a 109° drop, making it the steepest roller coaster west of the Mississippi.
Lightning Strike Protocol	A set of procedures in place to ensure visitor safety in the event of a lightning strike.	The park has a comprehensive lightning strike protocol in place, which includes shutting down all rides and the gondola in the event of a lightning strike within 5 miles.
Wildfire Evacuation Plan	A set of procedures in place to ensure visitor safety in the event of a wildfire.	The park has a wildfire evacuation plan in place, which includes evacuating guests via the gondola and buses, and providing shelter in the caves if necessary.
Radar System	A system used to monitor and track weather patterns, including storm cells.	The park uses a radar system to monitor storm cells and predict potential weather hazards, allowing for timely evacuations and safety protocols.
Creator-Founded Streaming Service	A type of streaming service that is founded and operated by content creators.	Nebula is a creator-founded streaming service that offers a range of original content, including the show “The Getaway”, which was filmed at the park.

Watch The Video

How an Amusement Park Works

Vocabulary Quiz

1. Which word means ‘a steep slope or incline, especially at the edge of a mountain or cliff’ in the context of the park’s location and rides?

A) Altitude
B) Canyon
C) Inversion
D) Cliff

2. What is the term for ‘a type of roller coaster with a sharp drop, such as the one featured in Defiance’?

A) Twisted Top Hat
B) Banana Roll
C) Euro Fighter
D) Free Fall

3. Which phrase describes ‘the process of removing people from a dangerous area, such as in the case of a wildfire’?

A) Safety Protocol
B) Emergency Supplies
C) Evacuation
D) Radar System

4. What is the term for ‘a system or set of procedures in place to prevent or respond to potential risks, such as lightning strikes or wildfires’?

A) Comprehensive Plan
B) Safety Features
C) Emergency Response
D) Safety Protocol

5. Which word means ‘a person who creates content, such as videos or shows, and is supported by a streaming service like Nebula’?

A) Subscriber
B) Creator
C) Producer
D) Founder

Answer Key:

1. D
2. C
3. C
4. D
5. B

Grammar Focus

Grammar Focus: The Use of the Passive Voice

The passive voice is a grammatical construction where the subject of a sentence receives the action described by the verb. It is often used to emphasize the action rather than the doer of the action, or when the doer is unknown or unimportant. In the context of the provided text, the passive voice is used in sentences such as “The caves were reopened in 1999” and “The park has been transformed.” The passive voice can be formed using the verb “to be” in combination with the past participle of the main verb, as in “was reopened” or “has been transformed.” This grammatical structure is useful for describing processes, events, or changes without specifying who or what is responsible for them. For example: “The roller coaster was installed at a total cost of $800,000” or “The park’s unique vantage point is taken advantage of by the zip line.”