Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park Opens New Defiance Roller Coaster

© Glenwood Caverns

Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park, located way up high on a mountain in Glenwood Springs, Colorado, has opened their new roller coaster, Defiance, to anxious park guests.  The Gerstlauer designed Euro-Fighter sits at 7,132 feet above sea level, making it the "highest" (in elevation) roller coaster in the U.S.  As with most Euro-Fighter designs Defiance starts with a 75 foot vertical lift hill, but then riders - who are no doubt in complete awe at the view from up there - are faced with a way beyond vertical 110 foot first drop at 102.3 degrees.

© Glenwood Caverns

The layout of Defiance is short but packs quite a punch.  After the first drop the individual cars encounter a unique element called a twisted top hat switch, standing 98 feet tall.  Immediately after that there is a 111 foot tall banana roll, then an upward zero-g heartline roll that takes riders into the final brakes.  Needless to say the coaster is thrilling, but that view is unbeatable!

Here is some footage from Coaster101.com of the ride in action, along with a point of view ride on Defiance!

Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park to Add Defiance Coaster in 2022

© Glenwood Caverns / Gerstlauer

Back in April we heard from Gerstlauer that they had secured a contract to build a record breaking new roller coaster at a park in the U.S. that would open in May of 2022.  Flash forward to last week when Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park gave USA Today the exclusive story of their announcement of Defiance, a brand new mountain top custom-designed Euro-Fighter roller coaster.

The ride is a major addition for Glenwood Caverns, which does already feature several thrill rides but is not at all a typical amusement park.  They have some very unique rides, such as the S&S swing ride that goes out over a canyon, and the drop ride dug into a hole on the side of the mountain.

© Glenwood Caverns / Gerstlauer

Defiance will start as most Euro-Fighters do, with a vertical lift that takes passengers up to 75 feet.  Granted that's 75 feet from the start of the lift, but since we're talking on top of a mountain here, who knows how high up you'll really be!  After a brief pause trains will roll down the 110 foot first drop at 102.3 degrees, well beyond vertical, hitting a top speed of 56 miles per hour.

The ride's layout after that is somewhat short, but is sure to pack a punch.  The trains will head up into a twisted top hat element, then fall down and up into a banana roll.  After that comes an upward zero g roll that straightens out into the final brake run.  There will be a total of three inversions.

One of the best aspects of Defiance is that it will feature only lap bars, allowing unobstructed views of the area around the ride, which are sure to be beyond priceless.

Glenwood Caverns Opens Unique New Underground Free Fall Ride

© Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park

One of the most unique thrill rides of 2017 has finally opened, and that's the Haunted Mine Drop at Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park in Glenwood Springs, Colorado.  The attraction is being billed as the first ever to drop riders underground.

The park has created a highly themed free fall experience perched at the edge of Iron Mountain, offering great views before guests enter the spooky formerly-abandoned mine.  The attraction's story line has riders entering the mine for their first day on the job at the Glenwood Mining Corporation, which is now open again after a mine accident that took place more than a century ago.

The queue contains plenty of authentic props, signage and special effects like a Pepper's ghost illusion that tells the true story of the mine.  After boarding the mine vehicle riders drop 110 feet down, in darkness, through a real mine shaft that the park dug.

Glenwood Caverns hired Stan Checketts, a well known creator of many thrilling rides, to design the free fall hardware for the attraction.  Creative Visions, based in St. Louis, created the storyline and special effects.

For more views of the Haunted Mine Drop, check out this news story along with this piece from Theme Park Insider.  Congratulations to the park on opening such a unique ride!

Colorado Park Opening 120 Foot Underground Freefall This Summer

This sounds really cool.  Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park, located in Glenwood Caverns, Colorado, is adding the Haunted Mine Drop this summer, which will plunge riders down a 120 foot mine shaft underground.

The ride is being designed by Stan Checketts, formerly of S&S Worldwide, who is knows for his wild ride concepts.  The Haunted Mine Drop will include a complete theme, including ghostly figures and an elaborate backstory.

© Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park

This concept art shows the structure that will greet visitors when they arrive at the attraction.  The park is creating a full ghost story for the attraction, where riders come to work at the mine but get their orientation from ghosts.  That should set the tone for the whole experience, which eventually includes a dark plunge down 120 feet underground.  According to this news story, park is working with Creative Visions on the theming for the attraction including the ghostly apparitions.  The above-linked story also has photos of the hole that the park is digging for the drop, and other progress photos.

Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park already features a roller coaster, swing rides over the edge of the mountain, an alpine coaster and zip line.  The new Haunted Mine Drop ride is the park's first attempt at theming - one I sure hope will be a huge success!