01-05-2025
7 Unique Theme Parks In Colorado To Check Out This Summer
The giant canyon swing swooping over the cliffside at Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park in Glenwood Springs, Colorado.
Amusement parks in Colorado have the classics covered, like high-speed rollercoasters and giant cartoon-colored waterslides. But the state is also home to some wildly unique attractions, too, like scenic alpine coasters that glide through the trees letting you feel the fresh air and cliffside swings that swoop over a mountain's edge and aren't for the faint-hearted.
From a historic theme park with neon signs in Denver to a mountaintop amusement park in a hot springs town, here's 10 amusement parks to explore in Colorado this summer for some thrills after the snow has melted and the chairlifts have stopped running.
The Mind Eraser rider at Elitch Gardens and Theme Park in downtown Denver.
With a technicolor ferris wheel that lights up the Mile High City's skyline, this behemoth downtown Denver amusement park beckons roller coaster enthusiasts and waterpark fans alike.
Adrenaline-pumping thrill rides include the Brain Drain that circles riders upside down on a seven-story wheel, the Mind Eraser rollercoaster that zooms through double corkscrews at highway speeds and the Tower of Doom, which provides some of the best views of Denver before it plunges 200 feet from the sky.
Elitch's also has plenty of family rides, like a carousel and tea cups. In the water park section of the park, cool down on slides, raft rides or in the wave pool. Elitch Gardens Theme and Water Park is open April through October, but has holiday-specific attractions that open during Halloween and the winter holiday season, too.
An animatronic dinosaur inside The Voyage to the Center of the Earth ride at Water World, a large water park outside of Denver.
With more than 50 rides spread out over 70 acres, waterpark lovers might want to spend a couple of days at Water World. When the park opens, make a beeline to the Voyage to the Center of the Earth (or 'The Indiana Jones' ride as locals call it) which features a tube ride through a cave with animatronic dinosaurs and the Mile High Flyer water rollercoaster; both are among the most popular attractions at this water park that turns 40 this summer.
The park also has a massive wave pool, a smaller pool for boogie boarding, and a surf simulator as well as several splash zones for kids. Guests can bring coolers to the park for picnic lunches, and there's lots of snack shacks, too, serving theme park fare like pizza, chicken tenders, funnel cakes, and soft-serve ice cream.
Lakeside Amusement Park is a time capsule with mid-century flair and neon signs. (Photo By Karl Gehring/The Denver Post via Getty Images)
This historic amusement park that's perched on a lake feels like a time warp with its neon signs, Art Deco remnants, wooden rollercoaster, and boardwalk-style games.
One of the park's most iconic rides is the Wild Chipmunk which has carts moving along 'mouse tracks,' creating the illusion that you're about to careen off the path before they make sharp, skull-rattling turns. Lakeside Amusement Park also has several rides for children in Kiddieland and some cute names for its bumper rides (Auto Skooter and Skoota Boat).
Lakeside, which originally opened in 1908, is more affordable than other amusement parks and sells a 'spectator-only' admission for $5. Bring cash for arcade games and snacks like churros and Icees.
The Defiance coaster at Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park in Glenwood Springs.
Billed as America's only mountaintop theme park, Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park debuted a shiny new rollercoaster called Defiance in 2022 that twists through the sky at 7,132 feet above sea level.
The park also has a Giant Canyon Swing that swings like a pendulum over a cliff top as well as a classic chair swing ride—but this one dangles riders 1,300 feet over the Colorado River. The park also has a lengthy mountain coaster that cruises through fields of wildflowers in the summer months. Kids can take a spin on the Mine Wheel (a mini Ferris wheel) and play laser tag, and, new for 2025, is Little Feet Playland, a nature-inspired playground for little ones.
After all that adventure, soak in some of the area's hot springs. Iron Mountain Hot Springs has pools perched on the banks of the Colorado River, including an adults-only section, or soak in Glenwood Hot Springs Resort's steamy outdoor pool.
The Skycoaster swings out over the Arkansas River, with riders dangling 1,200 feet over the edge of the Royal Gorge.
Suspended above the Arkansas River, the Royal Gorge Bridge was built in 1929 as a way for visitors to take in views of the earthy red canyon. But walking across the bridge's planks is a bit of a thrill in and of itself, and the park, in recent years, added theme park attractions.
The Royal Rush Skycoaster sends harnessed riders soaring like Superman 1,200 feet above the river at 50 miles per hour. There's also a Cloudscraper Zip Line, a via ferrata route, aerial gondolas and the Tommyknocker Playland with a carousel, play structures and gold panning stations.
Make a weekend out of the trip by going white water rafting along the rapids rumbling along the Arkansas River and staying in a cabin or glamping tent at the Royal Gorge Cabins at Echo Canyon.
The Forest Flyer mountain coaster at the Epic Discovery at Vail's Epic Discovery park. (Photo by RJ Sangosti/The Denver Post via Getty Images)
To attract visitors after the lifts stop running for the season, mountain towns throughout Colorado have been adding attractions like zip lines and alpine coasters. In Vail, Epic Discovery is an adventure park at the summit of Eagle Bahn Gondola with an array of high-altitude attractions.
Control the Forest Flyer Mountain Coaster with a foot brake, slowing down to take in the forest and mountain views or speeding up to careen around the corners. Kids can bounce and flip on the Bungee Trampoline and there's also zip lining, a rock climbing wall, and plastic-mat tubing runs.
Sign for North Pole Santas Workshop entrance in Cascade, Colorado.
With a striped, kid-friendly candy cane roller coaster and a carousel with cute reindeers joining the herd, the North Pole Home of Santa's Workshop is a holiday-themed park at the base of Pikes Peak foothills in Southern Colorado.
The vintage park has two dozen rides and a red-and-white Peppermint Slide that kids can zip down with the help of a burlap sack. Plus, there's magic shows and a 'North Pole' post office to send letters from. Shops in Santa Village sell ornaments, snow globes, candy, fudge, and toys and kids can take pictures with Santa Claus in a cozy cabin.
The park is typically open mid-May through Christmas Eve.
