Chelsea Self / Post Independent
All three of Glenwood Springs’ biggest attractions will reopen Monday.
Gov. Jared Polis gave the OK for the Glenwood Hot Springs Resort Pool, Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park and Iron Mountain Hot Springs to reopen after both attractions were closed for nearly three months because of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
In an announcement on their website Friday, Glenwood Hot Springs said they would reopen at 9 a.m. Monday with a social distancing plan in place. Details on that plan and what people can expect can be found here.
An FAQ and details on Iron Mountain Hot Springs and Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park’s reopening plans would be available later Friday afternoon.
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Iron Mountain Hot Springs and Adventure Park Owner Steve Beckley said the news made for the best day he’s had in a while.
“It’s a big sigh of relief,” he said after receiving the news Friday. “But we’re also still a little stressed. What’s going to change travel-wise (for people)?”
Current events mean uncertainty persists about how far people might be willing to travel for summer vacations, but Beckley sees cause for optimism both for his businesses and for the greater Glenwood Springs business community in the ability to reach and attract visitors closer to home.
“We believe people are going to stick close to home and want to get out into the open air,” he said. “At the adventure park, each visitor will have 500 square feet of social distancing, so we think people are going to be excited to visit — we’re way excited about it.”
With a lower ceiling for the maximum allowable number of visitors, the summer likely won’t be the best season for the adventure park or Iron Mountain, but Beckley said an early June opening puts the park and hot spring in a good position to rebuild reserves and prepare for a true back to normal come next year.
“I’m still bullish (about the 2020 summer tourism season),” he said. “People love Glenwood, and this town’s still safe.”
Reopening wouldn’t have been possible without two critical partners, Beckley said: Garfield County officials and his employees.
“The county has really stepped up and gone to bat for us,” he said. “Tom Jankovsky has done a phenomenal job. … And the health department has been instrumental.”
Beckley offered considerable praise to his employees. They were paid through the shutdown both with government assistance but also with reserves from the park.
“We have some really loyal employees who have been of great benefit to us while we’ve been closed,” he said.
