No trip to the Denver area would be complete without a visit to Pike’s Peak, so I headed on down about 70 miles south to Colorado Springs.
There are quite a few things that anyone visiting Colorado Springs needs to know… unfortunately no one bothered to share this info before I went.
First of all, Pike’s Peak is simply an awesome mountain and is well worth the trip. In fact, I’d say that everyone should get here at least once in their lifetime. But we’ll get back to that in a minute. First, a few things you should know about Colorado Springs.
This is a nice town, but one that has obviously enjoyed the fruits of tourism. From my perspective, the only “real” attraction here is Pike’s Peak – although the brochures would have you believe otherwise.
According to many people I talked to Garden of the Gods is a serious let down. One of those places that looks great in the brochures, so they charge a lot, then you see it and wish you hadn’t come.- The Manitou Cliff Dwellings must be the worst tourist trap I’ve personally ever fallen for. I can’t believe I bought the hype! I was expecting something like the Mesa Verde cliff dwellings, but what I got was… robbed for $8.50 to see a heavily doctored crap hole! Everyone else I talked to felt the same. Here is a picture. Now that you’ve seen it, save your $8.50 and move along.
Royal Gorge Bridge was moderately entertaining. The bridge is actually awesome, and you can walk or drive across it as well as ride an aerial tram parallel to it or even take an inclinator 1,000+ feet to the Arkansas river below and look up at it. They also have a petting zoo, a small wildlife park and one of those bungee things that will swing you out over the gorge if you are crazy.
I say “moderately” entertaining because the drive out there takes over an hour from Colorado Springs (nice scenery though) and it’s $20+ per person to get in. At least the price is all inclusive so you don’t have to pay for anything else when you get there. It was a pretty neat place, and kids would love it, but all around I’d give it a rating of about 6 out of 10. Do this if you need to fill the rest of your day after Pike’s Peak, but don’t be afraid to skip it.
So, getting back to Pike’s Peak. If you’ve never heard of it, it’s probably the tallest point in the US that the average person can access with a car. At 14,110 feet, the summit is officially a “Fourteener” (fourteen thousand feet) by Denverite standards. In the winter it’s brutally cold and snow covered, but in the summer it is just cold, but very accessible.
The 18 mile winding road is a toll road, costing $10 per person up to a maximum of something like $35 per car. If you get motion sick you really need to take your Dramamine. Also, the thin air at the top affects people differently, but personally I was dizzy for the entire 45 minutes I was there. It also caused me a slight headache.
The road takes you through some absolutely stunning scenery, past mountain reservoirs and up through and beyond the Alpine and tree lines.
The long and winding road takes visitors through a beautiful pine forest as it progresses up from the park entrance at around 7,000 feet, until entering the Alpine Zone around 11,000 feet where the scenery changes a bit. The tree line comes at 12,000 feet, and from there on it’s nothing but rock and dirt.
There are almost no guardrails on this path, and the dropoffs… we’ll they’d kill you for sure. So, if you’re afraid of heights – even a little bit – I’d highly recommend the Cog Railway. But buy your tickets online and arrive early. This thing sells out and the lines are long.
Hi. I actually just moved to Colorado Springs about two weeks ago with my husband and children and I agree that it is absolutely beautiful here. It is a good change from the cornfields I’m used to. However I have not yet had the chance to visit Pikes Peak or Garden Of The Gods. The only thing we have gotten to see yet is Seven Falls and wow was it beautiful. It’s a little pricey but well worth it if you have the time and energy to climb the almost 300 stairs to the top of the waterfall. Once you get to the top of the stairs there is a good mile long uphill hike ti something called the lookout I believe and you can see all of Colorado Springs from there. It’s quite beautiful. I highly recommend it. I appreciate the advise. I will know not to see Manitou Springs but I will definitely be making a trip to Pikes Peak and Garden of the Gods soon.
Hi,
As a native to colorado springs. i have to say i think you hit everything right on the head with what was worth it and what was a trap. To the asking if any one gets sick on Pikes Peak, it isnt all that rare for people to come here and get a lil sick due to change in elevation, but its really mild most the time, drink lots of watter on your way here and wile your here and it helps, usually just a head ach and not feeling so well, less air up here then in the costal areas and takes some time to get used to.
Well, you are free to respond all you want, though you have to use a real name next time or I’ll delete your entire comment and not just the spammy link.
As I reported, Manitou Springs sucked. It was not free, nor was it awe inspiring. People I talked to there told me not to bother with Garden of the Gods. Pikes Peak on the other hand completely rocks!
Yes, there are a TON of things to see and do in the area and I LOVE Denver. But the things I reported on were tourist traps plain and simple.
John P.
After reading your post about Garden of the Gods near Manitou Springs, we feel compelled to respond. As Colorado natives, we feel that the awe inspiring geologic features of the area are well worth visiting. Garden of the Gods has enjoyed over 100 years of visitors and is one of the most photographed natural wonders in the Colorado area. Pikes Peak is a stunning backdrop to these 300 ft. sandstone works of art. Not only is there an abundance of things to see and do here, and educational opportunities to learn more about Colorado history, flora & fauna, and geologic development, but as of this date it’s MORE than affordable, in fact it’s FREE to the public and open year round.
Hello,
I am going to Pike’s Peak in June. I am worried about driving up the mountain in a small car. Could you tell me if a larger vehicle is needed?
Thanks!
Jessica,
Thanks for clearing that up for us! I’m glad you shared that. I wonder why all those people were steering me away then?
Next time I’m in the area I’ll go over and check it out now that you recommend it. Take care,
John
I live in Colorado Springs and just wanted to clear up one wrong entry you had. Garden of the Gods does not charge for the park. Admission is free. It’s beautiful and a great drive with plenty of photo ops. We go all the time just to sneak some climbs on the red rocks. Anyway, I didn’t want future visitors to miss the beauty of Garden of the Gods due to price. It’s free!!! I will agree though that the cliff dwellings is a let down and too expensive for what the actual attraction is.
RJ,
I’ve been to pikes peak twice, and I didn’t actually see anyone who was sick there either time. But that doesn’t mean that they don’t get sick. Personally I just got a little dizzy and out of breath.
However, it is a major national park installation with park rangers all over the place and facilities at both the peak and the base. I would guess that they have very adequate medical response in the park.
I didn’t take the cog railway so I don’t know about that, but I do know that when you drive up the rangers are also driving around as well as lots of other cars.
Hope that helps,
John
Planning a trip to Denver Co area in late June. How many people get sick on Pike’s Peak and what are the medical facilities available while on the cog railway or driving up?
Thanks