United Kingdom
United States
Asia Pacific
Glenwood Springs hails National Natural Landmark designations
There is yet another reason to put Glenwood Springs, Colorado on your next adventure bucket list.
U.S. Secretary of the Interior Debra Haaland announced Glenwood Caverns and Iron Mountain Hot Springs have together been designated a National Natural Landmark.
The designation cites the millions of years of geologic history in the location and their unique cave ecosystems.
“Glenwood’s caverns and hot springs are iconic Colorado treasures,” said U.S. Senator Michael F. Bennet.
“I am pleased to see them recognized as a National Natural Landmark and appreciate the Beckleys’ ongoing efforts to preserve these valuable resources for future generations.”
The National Natural Landmarks (NNL) Program was created in 1962 to recognize and support the conservation of sites that represent natural heritage.
The program now includes more than 600 designated sites that contain outstanding examples of biological or geological features.
Landmark sites are deemed nationally significant based on their condition, illustrative character, rarity, diversity and their value to science and education.
In 1999, Steve and Jeanne Beckley purchased the property and vowed to conserve and preserve the caverns.
“We are honored by the National Natural Landmark designation and so happy to continue to offer guests the opportunity to experience these natural wonders,” said founder and owner Steve Beckley.
The Beckleys applied for the NNL designation ten years ago, not yet understanding the full extent of how the site’s karstic components relate to each other.
Through the NNL program process it was discovered that the downcutting of the Colorado River into the Leadville Limestone created unique ecosystems within Iron Mountain.
Both the Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park caves and Iron Mountain Hot Springs are habitats for species adapted to live in the extreme environments of the hot springs.
These includes eight native troglobites (fully cave-adapted species) and a diversity of microbes and 38 unique types of bacteria.
The National Park Service works in partnership with landmark to recognize and support conservation of nationally significant sites.
Iron Mountain Hot Springs has 32 different pools, two cafes and a newly added 21+ adults only section called WorldSprings.
It features a cold plunge pool, a Dead Sea Pool and a waterfall freshwater pool.
TravelMole Editorial Team
Editor for TravelMole North America and Asia pacific regions. Ray is a highly experienced (15+ years) skilled journalist and editor predominantly in travel, hospitality and lifestyle working with a huge number of major market-leading brands. He has also cover in-depth news, interviews and features in general business, finance, tech and geopolitical issues for a select few major news outlets and publishers.
Lebua Hotel & Resorts: Rajan Khurana on Hospitality and Bangkok’s Charms
Sustainable Tourism and Growth: Insights from Chiravadee Khunsub from Tourism Authority of Thailand
Revolutionizing Travel: SmartSIM USA’s Dale Takio Unveils the Power of E Sims
TravelMole Interview with Hishan Singhawansa, Deputy CEO of Cinnamon Hotels & Resorts, Sri Lanka
Unveiling the Essence of Magari Tours: A Dive into Authentic Italian Experiences
Florida’s Tourism Boom: Dana Young Analyzes Surge in UK Visitors
Elliott Ferguson’s Vision: Elevating Washington DC’s Global Appeal
Empowering Travel Agents and Tour Operators: A Conversation with Go Nexus Group President
Expedia TAAP incorporates AI for their 100,000 registered agents
Travefy CEO & Founder Talks About Their Itinerary Management For Travel Professionals
MMGY’s Jonathan Sloan: A Tale of Triumph Amidst Adversity
Unlocking Opportunities: Viator Empowers Travel Agents with Innovative Tools and Expansive Offerings
BA flight attendant taken off duty after boozy altercation
Passenger attempts suicide on Bangkok-London flight
Virgin Voyages cracks down on agents’ shady sales tactics
Ship crew member arrested after stabbing attack
Report: Viking Sky outage could have been ‘one of the worst disasters at sea’