Homeschool groups
Check out our field trips, tours and activities for homeschooled students!
Cave of the Winds Mountain Park will customize several different tours to best fit the diverse needs of your homeschool group. Our tours provide a wild mixture of education and adventure, promising unforgettable moments that will have your kiddos wanting to return soon!
Tours are available September – May only, with varying prices and options.
Program length
Tour time lengths are approximate and fluctuates according to the tour requested.
Minimum group size
Groups must be 15 or more. Groups of less than 15 may pay a flat fee to participate in this program.
Maximum group size
Please call 685-5444 Ext 5056 for group size limits. The maximum and minimum group size will vary depending on which tour you choose.
Please Note: Group discounts will not be available during Spring Break in March, between June 15th – August 15th, Memorial Day Weekend, and Labor Day Weekend due to large crowds.
Find the best fit
Homeschool options
Learn about caves and cave systems, bats and their habitats, how fire affects our environment, what cavers do to explore caves, different kinds of rocks, and more. We have a variety of educational tours for specific ages which include a bat presentation workshop and/or a geology lab held in our underground lab, and an age-appropriate cave tour. You can also include one or more add-ons and add Gemstone Panning, and/or the Above Ground Attractions.
Because our add-ons are designed for specific ages, it is a good idea to visit Cave of the Winds Mountain Park with children who are the same age for the age specific tours. However, if that is not possible, we can still accommodate mixed age groups with a basic tour that will fit your group’s needs. The choice is up to you! Any option that you choose in this program is designed to help homeschool groups study caves and cave life.
All ages
Discovery tour
Our Discovery Tour is available year-round and goes into the parts of the cave lit with electric lighting. On this tour your guide will tell you about the discovery of the cave, the history of the cave, and about the formations in the cave. Depending on the season, this tour can be upgraded to include Gemstone Panning and other activities.
- Available September - May
- Program Length: Approximately 1 Hour (tour only), please allow up to 2.5 – 3 hours if all add-ons are chosen.
- PreK - 8th Grade Groups of less than 15 may pay a flat fee of $157 to participate (tour only).
- 9th -12th Grade Groups of less than 15 may pay a flat fee of $255 to participate (tour only).
Tour Pricing:
| Teachers/chaperones, 9th-12 grade students. (One teacher or chaperone will be free with every 15 paid students.) | $17.00 |
| Birth – 5 Years | $10.00 |
| Pre-K - 8th grade | $10.00 |
| Gemstone Panning | $5.00 per student |
*Between November-February: Please call us to book your tour. This program is discounted to $14 per Chaperone and 9th-12th grade student, and $7 per students ages 6-12 on the tour only or a flat fee of $112 for groups of less than 15 (tour only).
Pre-K – 1st Grade
Introduction to Bats & Caves
In this introductory program, young children will explore underground ecosystem! This exciting program includes a bat presentation workshop, geology lab held in our underground lab, and an age-appropriate tour of the cave. You can also add-on our Gemstone Panning and other activities.
- Available March – May & September – October
- Program Length: Approximately 1 hour, 30 minutes (tour only), please allow up to 2.5 – 3 hours if all add-ons are chosen.
- Groups of less than 15 may pay a flat fee of $113 to participate (tour only).
Tour Pricing:
| Teachers/chaperones (One teacher or chaperone will be free with every 15 paid students.) | $15.00 |
| Birth – 5 Years | $7.00 |
| Pre-K - 1st grade | $7.00 |
| Gemstone Panning | $3.00 per student |
*Between November-February: Please call us to book your tour. This program is discounted to $13 per Chaperone and 9th-12th grade student, and $5 per students ages 6-12 on the tour only or a flat fee of $83 for groups of less than 15 (tour only).
Grades Preschool – 4th
Bats & Caves
Bats & Caves is designed to help early learners understand caves and cave systems and includes a “Bats and Cave Creatures” presentation workshop, a geology lab held in our underground lab, and an age-appropriate cave tour. You can also add-on our Gemstone Panning and other activities for even more fun and learning.
- Available September – May
- Program Length: Approximately 1 hour, 30 minutes (tour only), please allow up to 2.5 – 3 hours if all add-ons are chosen.
- Groups of less than 15 may pay a flat fee of $218 to participate (tour only).
Tour Pricing:
| Teachers/chaperones (One teacher or chaperone will be free with every 15 paid students.) | $22.00 |
| Birth – 5 Years | $14.00 |
| 2nd – 4th grade | $14.00 |
| Gemstone Panning | $5.00 per student |
*Between November-February: Please call us to book your tour. This program is discounted to $13 per Chaperone and 9th-12th grade student, and $6 per students ages 6-12 on the tour only or a flat fee of $97 for groups of less than 15 (tour only).
Grades 5 – 8
Geo 101: Underground Adventure
Specially designed to challenge middle school students, this field experience features an extended cave tour and a geology lab. Students will learn about Colorado geology in our cave classroom before investigating cave formations during a tour of Cave of the Winds. Students will need to bring a flashlight for the highlight of the program in the Manitou Grand Caverns, the location of some of the most active passages of the cave. Expect clothing to get slightly dirty. Depending on the season, this tour can be upgraded to include Gemstone Panning and other activities. Restrictions for the Outdoor Attractions: Participant must be at least 48” tall and not weigh more than 300 lbs.
- Available September – May
- Program Length: Approximately 1 hour, 30 minutes (tour only), please allow up to 2.5 – 3 hours if all add-ons are chosen.
- Groups of less than 15 may pay a flat fee of $155 to participate (tour only).
Tour Pricing:
| Teachers/chaperones, 9th-12 grade students. (One teacher or chaperone will be free with every 15 paid students.) | $15.00 |
| Birth – 5 Years | $10.00 |
| 5th – 8th grade | $10.00 |
| Gemstone Panning | $3.00 per student |
*Between November-February: Please call us to book your tour. This program is discounted to $13 per Chaperone and 9th-12th grade student, and $8 per students ages 6-12 on the tour only or a flat fee of $125 for groups of less than 15 (tour only).
Grades 8 – 12
Lantern tour
The Lantern Tour (with only a lantern to light the way) is an adventure in to the deeper parts of the cave that are not lit with electric lighting. Learn about the folklore of the cave, cave history, and hear some mysterious stories about the cave’s past. Depending on the season, this tour can be upgraded to include Gemstone Panning and other activities.
- Available September – May
- Program Length: Approximately 1 hour, 30 minutes (tour only), please allow up to 3 – 3.5 hours if all add-ons are chosen.
- Groups with ages 8-12 of less than 15 may pay a flat fee of $305 to participate (tour only).
- Groups with ages 13+ of less than 15 may pay a flat fee of $375 to participate (tour only).
- Groups of 15 people or more are required for a group reservations. Groups of less than 15 may pay for a total of 15 people to book a reservation.
- Participants must be at least 8 years old.
- In June, July, and August - Before 10:00am or after 5:00pm: Please call for reservations (Call 685-5444, Ext: 5056).
Tour Pricing:
| Teachers/chaperones, 9th-12 grade students. | $20.00 |
| Ages 8-12 | $25.00 |
| Gemstone Panning | $3.00 per student |
*Between November-February: Please call us to book your tour. This program is discounted to $18 per Chaperone and 9th-12th grade student, and $13 per students ages 8-12 on the tour only or a flat fee of $200 for groups of less than 15 (tour only).
Grades 9 – 12
Caving 101: Introduction to Caving
Take your high school students or youth groups on an exciting caving trek through the underground! Students will explore undeveloped sections of the Manitou Grand Caverns, while climbing and crawling through passageways by flashlight. Knowledgeable guides provide groups with 2 hours of good clean, yet muddy fun underground! All participants must bring a flashlight and a change of clothes – crawling is required and the cave is often muddy. The cave is 54 degrees year round with possible humid areas. Depending on the season, this tour can be upgraded to include the Gemstone Panning and other activities.
- Available Most Weekdays, September – May
- Program Length: Approximately 2 hours (tour only), please allow up to 3 – 3.5 hours if all add-ons are chosen.
- Available for participants 9th Grade & older
- Groups of fewer than 15 may pay a flat fee of $405 to participate (tour only).
- In June, July, and August - before 9am only: Must call for reservation (Call 685-5444, Ext: 5).
Tour Pricing:
| Teachers/chaperones, 9th-12 grade students. | $27.00 |
| Gemstone Panning | $5.00 per student |
*Between November-February: Please call us to book your tour. This program is discounted to $20 or a flat fee of $300 for groups of fewer than 15 (tour only).
Avilable Add-Ons
Gemstone panning: $5 per person
Your students can pan for their very own gemstone collection on our Sluice just like the miner used to during the gold rush. Everyone is guaranteed to find some gemstones and we will even give them a souvenir bag to take their collection home in.
Wind Walker Challenge Course & Bat-a-Pult Zip Line: $10 per person
For more physical challenges, dare to climb onto our Wind Walker Challenge Course and test your balance and skills with looped ropes, tight ropes, and suspended steps and more all at levels of 15, 30, and 600 feet above Williams Canyon.
On the Bat-a-Pult zip-line, students will experience flight and survey the terrain from a bats-eye view as they soar down into Williams Canyon before boomeranging back to the start.
Pioneer Package: $15 per person
The Pioneer Package includes the Wind Walker Challenge Course, Bat-a-Pult Zip Line, Cliff Hanger Climbing Wall, and Geronimo's Leap.
Caver’s Crawl: FREE
Kids will learn about what it takes to go caving and the skills it requires. Then they will have an incredible hands-on simulated caving experience in the Caver’s Crawl Challenge.
Forces of Nature: Free
In this program the students will learn about wild fires (with focus on the Waldo Canyon Fire), flash floods, and lightning and their effects on nature.