Best New Attraction in Glenwood Springs, CO: Bungee Jump at Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park

Here at The Vacation Gals we typically write about destinations, hotels and activities we’ve experienced firsthand. But some adventures are even too extreme for me. Yep, I’ll jump out of a plane, scuba dive through caves, but I just can’t bring myself to walk off a platform attached to a big rubber band.

Bungee jumping just freaks me out… but my 11-year-old daughter? A walk in the park.

Colorado’s Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park, just 30 minutes from my home, introduced this latest attraction to its menu of thrill rides a few weeks ago. It costs an additional $10, outside of the best-value Day Pass that includes unlimited rides on such attractions as the Alpine Coaster, Zip Ride and Giant Swing. Those fearless folks who want to pay a bit extra for additional thrills get outfitted in a harness, walk to the top of a 75-foot platform and then get hooked up to the bungee cord.

I watched a few other people jump from the platform — sometimes with a nudge from an employee. Many bear-hugged a giant foam, cylindrical pad and leaped head first into thin air. My daughter gripped the rope at bottom of the pad and went feet first; she never really ended up with her head facing the ground like the others we saw. Still, she shrieked like a banshee when she first stepped off the platform, and again when she first hovered in the air after she ricocheted back up.

After just a few seconds of bouncing up and down, she was lowered into a huge (huge!)  inflatable crash pad. In fact, the blow-up landing area looked so cushy, even if someone accidentally fell from the platform (really impossible, since you’re tied in up there to safety ropes), I think they’d survive just fine.

During this 30-second video of my fearless girl bungee jumping there’s a distinct section that’s muted. That’s where I had to edit out my manic-snort-laugh-giggle that sounded idiotic. Truly, I think I was more nervous for my daughter than she was!

Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park is open year round, with not only the bungee jump and other thrill rides, but also interesting cave tours, a rock-climbing wall, laser tag, gemstone mining, old-time photos, a 4-D theatre, restaurant and more (here’s a recap of my family’s visit to the park last summer). I highly recommend a visit to the Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park on any family vacation to Glenwood Springs, Colorado.