Glenwood Springs
Glenwood Springs is an exciting mountain town offering beautiful landscapes and fun activities for visitors.
Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park
This is a theme park located on top of a mountain. Yes, on top of a mountain. See that orange gondola behind your hotel? That is how you get there! This park offers fun for all ages with rides, caves, food, adult bevies, and breathtaking views. I can tell you first hand, its worth a visit! You can do it all in about 2-3 hours.
Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park
Glenwood Hot Springs
This is the world's largest hot spring pool complete with a waterslide and diving board. The pool is separated into three sections, hot to warm. The natural minerals in the water re-new tiered muscles and energize tiered humans. This is the perfect activity for a cool summer night.
Rifle Falls State Park
This park is located about 15 mins from the wedding venue and 40 mins from Glenwood Springs. We highly recommend going here to check out the waterfall. It is a MUST SEE. Once you park, you can hear the waterfall and it is about a 5 min walk from the parking lot. PRO TIPS: bring cash and a pen (to fill out your pass envelope). Vehicle day passes are $9.00. Take the path to the right of the falls (when facing the falls) for an easy hike that gets you on top of the waterfall. Don't forget your camera!
Maroon Bells
Maroon Bells is the most photographed mountain peak in the U.S. It is beautiful! The park is about an hour away from Glenwood Springs. I recommend reserving a shuttle pass far in advance. Once you are there, I recommend hiking to Crater Lake. Keep an eye out for moose! Plan to spend at least 1/2 day here.
The drive from Denver to Glenwood Springs is a beautiful mountain drive so we recommend renting a car to enjoy the scenery (see "road trip tips"). If the mountain drive is not your thing, check out the other options below to pick what works best for you.
Epic Mountain Express
The Epic Mountain Express offers shuttles from the Denver airport to mountain towns such as Glenwood Springs.
Amtrak
There is a train from Union Station in Denver to Glenwood Springs but it only runs once daily. The train leaves at 8:05am and arrives at 1:46pm. This would likely require you to stay overnight in Denver on Thursday in order to catch this train on Friday morning.
Flights to Aspen, Eagle, or Grand Junction
If you are not up for the scenic drive from Denver, there are airports in Aspen, Eagle and Grand Junction. You can catch buses, rent cars, or Uber from these locations to Glenwood Springs or Rifle.
What is the weather like?
Glenwood Springs is in the mountains so it's generally cooler. Pack for warm days (85 deg.) and cool nights (65 deg.). Don't forget a swim suit for the hot springs!
Should I rent a car?
Yes. You will need a rental car to get to and from the airport as well as the cookout. This is a pretty walkable town if you are up for walking a mile or 2. There will be shuttles to transport guests to and from the wedding. There is a place to rent E-bikes right across from the hotels so, that is an option too.
Where can I get hair and make up done?
shoot me a text!
How many days should I stay?
We plan to arrive on Tuesday and spend time with any guests who are also there early. There are plenty of activities to do and sights to see, so we suggest 3-4 days for the best experience.
How far is Glenwood Springs from Denver?
It is about a 3 hour drive. A beautiful, beautiful drive.
Interstate 70 Drive to Glenwood Springs, 160 miles west of Denver
Exit 259 – Will take you to the world-famous Red Rocks Amphitheater where artists of every genre of music have enjoyed playing for concert goers. Red Rocks is open daily for hikes in and around the amphitheater and the museum includes photographs of musicians
from its opening in 1941.
Exit 256 – Buffalo Bill Museum on Lookout Mountain – The museum overlooks Denver and includes exhibits about his life and times from the late 1800’s until his death in 1917. He became famous for his traveling show “Wild West” starring real cowboys and cowgirls
recruited from ranches in the west.
Exit 254 – Genesse Buffalo Herd Lookout - The City of Denver maintains a herd of buffalo that are direct descendants of the last wild buffalo herd in America. See and photograph live buffalo up close, if they are on that side of the interstate when you stop. The herd has a
tunnel under the interstate where they can cross to other field and barn.
Exit 241 – Town of Idaho Springs “where the gold rush began” and the Argo Gold Mill and tunnel was built in 1893. It is an attraction now where you can “pan for gold” and tour the mill. The mill employed workers for 50 years and nearly 3 trillion dollars worth (in 2017
gold value) of gold came from this mill. The town is also home to the Tommy Knocker Brewery and other interesting restaurants and stores in its historic downtown area.
Exit 243 – Central City Parkway is a scenic mountain road that takes you to the historic mining towns of Central City and Blackhawk, two out of three towns with casinos in
Colorado.
Exit 238 – Fall River Road leads you to St. Mary’s Glacier. This is a 1.5 mile easy to moderate hike with stunning views of the Rocky Mountains, a beautiful lake and the glacier.
Exit 235 – Colorado Adventure Park – includes a zipline and aerial adventure course for all ages and abilities.
Exit 232 – If you have an extra day and want to see Rocky Mountain National Park, take this exit. You will drive through the ski resort town of Winter Park and at the gateway to the National Park you will find the historic town of Grand Lake on the shores of the largest natural lake in Colorado. Here you can rent kayaks or a pontoon boat. This is a great place to stay overnight, if you have the time.
Exit 228 – Georgetown wildlife viewing area for the Bighorn Sheep living in the area. Look closely at the rocks, they blend in easily with their surroundings.
Mile marker 216 - Eisenhower Tunnel is one of the highest tunnels in the world built for vehicles. The elevation is 11,158 ft above sea level and is the highest elevation you will
reach on your drive.
Exit 205 – Silverthorne, CO was also a mining town and more recently a home to the workers who built the Dillon Lake Dam in 1960’s. You will find the Dam Brewery and a 70-store outlet mall at this exit. Just pass this exit is a designated scenic place to stop and take
in the view of Dillon Lake.
Mile Markers 133-116 – You are in the home stretch for your final destination in Glenwood Springs at exit 116. The Glenwood Springs Canyon 12 mile drive along I-70 is spectacular.