5 Things to do in Glenwood Springs with kids

Glenwood Springs is one of my favorite places in Colorado. I am a Colorado native however, before kids I was a flight attendant and filmmaker and have traveled across the world and back again. Now we live just outside of Denver and come up to the mountains on a regular basis. Once I pass Summit County I feel like I’m really on vacation. My family and I visited Glenwood Springs a bunch when I was growing up so naturally I’m taking the boys and recreate memories of our own.

Where To Stay

There are a handful of hotel options in Glenwood Springs however we chose to stay at the Best Western Antlers in Glenwood Springs. What I love about this hotel is their newly renovated rooms, filled with modern furniture, and beautiful walk in shower. The air conditioning is icy and refreshing after a long hot day outdoors. The hotel is located within a couple minute drive of the gondola that takes you up to the Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park. The best part of staying at this hotel is the delicious and extensive breakfast filled with juices, coffee, cereal and our favorite make your own Belgium waffles. The hotel has its own outdoor pool and hot tub perfect for a poolside lunch or dinner.

What To Do in Glenwood Springs with kids

Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park

The Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park is hands down my favorite adventure park in Colorado. It has everything you want in an adventure park and perfect for the boys who are ages 4 and 8. There are rides that are age appropriate for both boys and for the whole family. But I really just come for the food and views. This location is everything. If you do want to avoid the crowds I suggest going before the 4th of July as we have done both. However being in mid July, the lines were not too bad and we were easily able to navigate the park with ease.

The Gondola ride up is an adventure in itself. The gorgeous views and overlook are the best.

Eero (age 4) and Bladen (age 8) rides

Wild West Express
Giddy Up
The Alpine Coaster (Eero rode with me and Bladen is tall enough to ride solo)
The Climbing Wall
The Mine Wheel

It is a hot one visiting in July. We came prepared with sunscreen and an umbrella for immediate shade. I wear a belt bag with the essentials. They do have lockers up front to stow larger bags and items you don’t want take on a ride.

3 things to break up your visit and cool down is to:

Visit the 4D Motion Theater
Fire up a round of laser tag
Go on a Cave Tour

We went on the Kings Row Cave Tour. We loved getting out of the heat and did a self explore tour however their guided tours I’ve heard are awesome. We had limited time and doing the self guided was the quicker option.

Eero wasn’t tall enough for all of the rides but that’s expected with kids his age at any adventure park. You cannot visit The Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park without doing the Giant Canyon Swing. Truly an epic ride if you are of course at least 48″ tall. We also enjoyed the:

Canyon Flyer
Soaring Eagle Zip Ride
Haunted Mine Drop (a mini version of the Hollywood Tower of Terror)

Plenty of Insta worthy photo ops. Make sure you stop by:

Halvor Flowstone for a selfie
Giant Grizzly Bear
#BigMtnChair

The Glenwood Springs Caverns is an unforgettable family fun adventure that comes in at my #1 favorite must do for family friendly activities in Glenwood Springs. From the rides, delicious food, and incredible views, we had the best time and cannot wait to come back. You can just take the Gondola to the top and dine for $21/person. Go up the Gondola and do a Cave Tour for $34/person or do it all for $61/adults or $56/kids.

2. Explore Downtown

I love exploring main streets across the country. The Mainstreet in downtown Glenwood Springs is so cute! We always stop in to get ice cream at Sundae and walk around the shops. I am mostly dairy free and they have some sorbet options! They also have FREE carriage rides around downtown.

3. Glenwood Springs Hot Springs

I don’t think you can visit Glenwood Springs and NOT do the Hot Springs. No matter how hot it is outside I do not personally like cold water. The hot springs were made for people like me! The boys could spend all day here!

4. Dine

Anytime I’m on vacation I’m really traveling for the food. I just love eating and trying new things. If you are looking for some of the best gluten free pizza in Glenwood Springs. I have two incredible options. I love Rocky Mountain Pizza and also ZA Pizza. There is a cute park for the kids to play near ZA Pizza. Pro tip is to call your order ahead for pick up to avoid the dinner rush!

For fine dining look no further than the Riviera Supper Club. I had my first ever Beef Wellington and it did not disappoint. I felt like I was living a Gordon Ramsey moment. I’ve watched every Master Chef and Master Chef junior episodes and when I saw this offered on the menu I knew I had to have it. A life goal of mine is learn how to make it at home!

5. Maroon Bells (The drive (1hr 5 min) is #WORTHIT)

My step sister was married in Glenwood Springs back when Bladen was a year old. The day after the wedding we did a family hike up to Hanging Lake. While it is an incredible hike and world class view. Eero isn’t totally equipped in the heat and making the trek is not totally a reasonable venture for us at this stage of life. Maybe next year 🙂

If I am up in this region there is no way I’m not going to visit the Maroon Bells. You do need to come prepared by having a reservation so you can drive up and park/reserve a spot on the bus that will take you up. Or you can take a bike (preferably an e-bike or you will be TIRED) up anytime with no reservation. From the ticket booth to the lake is about 4.9 miles.

The Maroon Bells in my opinion is one of the most beautiful places on planet earth. This location is so iconic to Colorado and I find so much peace and beauty here. We did go fishing! Spoiler** We did not catch a fish. I will say it was hot and we didn’t fish for more than 30 minutes. The water is crystal clear. The last time we were here was July 2020. The weather this time of year is really warm. Last year it was stormy and pretty chilly. I always recommend wearing pants when hiking anytime of year in Colorado. For mosquitos, sun protection and in case you get brushed by any sticks/pokey plants etc.

I hope you found my recommendations helpful as you plan your next trip to Glenwood Springs. If you have any questions feel free to reach out at anytime! You can find our outfits linked on my @SHOP.ltk

XOXO,

Erin