The Flat Tops above Glenwood hide a rare karst world of caves

Above Glenwood Springs and the Colorado River, the high meadows of the Flat Tops hold a rare kind of landscape geologists call karst. It forms where water slowly dissolves limestone over ages, and on the White River Plateau the rock is laced with deep fissures, sinkholes, and cave systems, many in an old layer called the Leadville Limestone. There are not many places in Colorado quite like it.

The Deep Creek area is the best window into this country. It is reached up Coffee Pot Springs Road, off the Colorado River Road near Dotsero, and there is an observation site where Deep Creek’s canyon opens up in front of you. Some of the sinkholes nearby drop tens of feet, and a few connect to caves that keep going sideways underground, which is part of what makes the spot so memorable.

The surface is the part to savor, and it pays to know the ground before you wander. A sinkhole can be tucked in brush, so it is worth watching your footing and keeping kids and dogs close near the edges. The caves themselves are for trained cavers with light, a partner, and the right gear, since cold air, loose rock, water, and the chance of a fall are all real down there. They also shelter bats, which do best left undisturbed.

So the friendly plan is simple: enjoy the views and the strange beauty of the surface, respect what lies below it, and leave caves and sinkhole edges to those with the skills for them.

For the geology and access details, see the U.S. Forest Service materials on the White River Plateau karst and the Deep Creek area.