Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park Opens New Defiance Roller Coaster

© Glenwood Caverns

Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park, located way up high on a mountain in Glenwood Springs, Colorado, has opened their new roller coaster, Defiance, to anxious park guests.  The Gerstlauer designed Euro-Fighter sits at 7,132 feet above sea level, making it the "highest" (in elevation) roller coaster in the U.S.  As with most Euro-Fighter designs Defiance starts with a 75 foot vertical lift hill, but then riders - who are no doubt in complete awe at the view from up there - are faced with a way beyond vertical 110 foot first drop at 102.3 degrees.

© Glenwood Caverns

The layout of Defiance is short but packs quite a punch.  After the first drop the individual cars encounter a unique element called a twisted top hat switch, standing 98 feet tall.  Immediately after that there is a 111 foot tall banana roll, then an upward zero-g heartline roll that takes riders into the final brakes.  Needless to say the coaster is thrilling, but that view is unbeatable!

Here is some footage from Coaster101.com of the ride in action, along with a point of view ride on Defiance!