Cave of the Winds is in a beautiful area west of Colorado Springs. Although the reason to go into the cave is to see the beautiful formations underground, don’t miss the beautiful scenery above ground.
The canyon is truly breathtaking.
Cave of the Winds offers three different tours: Discovery Tour, Lantern Tour, and Caving 101. Those are listed in order of increasing difficulty. Caving 101 would have been great fun for my two teenagers, but crawling through muddy passages is not my idea of fun. This tour requires you to bring a change of clothes and shoes, and children 12 and under are not permitted. The 1.5-hour Lantern Tour is a bit tamer, but still for adventurous people who want to explore the cave with handheld lanterns. This one is for ages 6 and up. The tamest and most popular tour is the Discovery Tour. This 45-minute tour is ideal for families with younger children. Not only can the 5 & under crowd take part in this tour; their admission is free. We were offered complimentary tickets to this tour so that I could write about it here.
The cave had many interesting features that our guide pointed out to the group.
One of the things that makes this tour family-friendly is that the floor is better paved than many of the caves we’ve been in. There are steps to climb, but only a few flights at a time. That makes it easier to focus on the features of the cave.
We enjoyed the variety of formations.
We thought it was a very pretty cave and a nice tour–long enough to get a feel for the cave’s features, but short enough so that younger kids won’t get tired out.
Cave of the Winds also offers some recreational activities above ground, but we were pressed for time and didn’t get a chance to check them out. The Wind Walker Challenge Course is a ropes course that looks fun for kids.
A couple of thrill rides take advantage of the location atop a canyon. The TERROR-dactyl is an aerial dive ride. The Bat-a-pult is similar to a zipline, but you sit in a seat while riding. The rides looked fun, but be aware that the prices start at $20 per person.
Ready to visit?
Cave of the Winds
100 Cave of the Winds Road
Manitou Springs, CO 80829
(719) 685-5444
Memorial Day – Labor Day: 9 a.m. – 9 p.m.
September – May: 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.
This attraction appears in my e-book, How to Visit All 50 States in 12 Trips.
Many thanks to the Colorado Springs Convention and Visitors Bureau for coordinating our trip.
