THINGS TO DO AROUND COLORADO SPRINGS

📍 Garden of the Gods

If you’re looking to escape into the mountains without hours of driving through windy roads post-flight, Colorado Springs is a great option. While you can hit the highlights in a long weekend, a week gives your body more time to acclimate to higher altitude and rest between strenuous activities.

📍Mueller State Park

Getting There

Colorado Springs is conveniently located in central Colorado, at the foot of the Rocky Mountains. Colorado Springs has its own municipal airport, but the closest international airport is in Denver, located 70 miles north of the city.

You can easily catch a flight into The Springs, as the locals call it.

📍 Garden of the Gods

Getting Around

Within the downtown area, buses run regularly. We stayed downtown for part of our trip and relied on buses, walking, and Ubers to get around the city. As much of the US though, it is very difficult to get out and about without a car.

Renting a Car

To really get out and about, you’ll need a car. We chose to go sans-car as we were meeting family who drove into town, but wouldn’t have been able to explore without one.

You can rent a car at the airport when you arrive. We always use the Hopper app to book cars, as they have the best prices and you can compare all rental options.

Uber

If you don’t want to rent a car, Ubers and Lyft are plentiful throughout the city, though the further away you get, the longer it’ll take for a return trip.

Things to Do

Garden of the Gods

There are a plethora of outdoor experiences in and around Colorado Springs, but Garden of the Gods is the unique calling card of the city.

Located 15 minutes outside the city center by car, the park is free to visit. The signature red rock outcroppings formed over many years through erosion of sand, gravel, and ocean deposits. Much of the park is paved and easy to navigate with strollers or mobility devices, but there are opportunities to get up into the rocks. We even saw some free climbers during our visit.

Pikes Peak

Pikes Peak is the most famous mountain in the state, inspiring the lyrics of “America the Beautiful” by Kathy Lee Bates. At the southern tip of Colorado’s Front Range, the peak sits at 14,115 feet in elevation.

This mammoth of a mountain, located 30 miles outside the city center, can be reached a few ways. You can drive the 19 miles to the top on Pikes Peak Highway, though you must make a reservation for your vehicle and pay the $2 fee.

You can also choose to take the historic Pikes Peak Cog Railway up. The highest cog railway in the world spans 9 miles of breathtaking views as you climb to the peak. Tickets start at $58.50 and you can expect the overall experience to take 3 hours, with time at the top for visiting the Summit Center and sampling the world famous donuts. We took this route and found it an enjoyable experience, despite the bone chilling zero degree temps on the mountain.

📍 view from Pikes Peak

If you’re up for an adventure -- and have the stamina to match it -- it’s possible to hike to the summit as well. Barr Trail begins in Manitou Springs and winds 13.5 miles up to the top and it’s a very strenuous journey.

No matter which route you choose, make sure to acclimate to the altitude before embarking and come prepared. Advice varies based on your personal health factors, but you should plan to drink an extra liter of water at elevations of 10,000 ft or greater.

Manitou Incline

Another popular hike in the area is the Manitou Incline, conveniently located across the road from the Pikes Peak Cog Railway and near Barr Trail. This steep but short hike climbs over 2,000 feet in elevation in just under a mile, making it a challenge for anyone. It connects with Barr Trail at the top for the descent. Online reservations are free but required to manage trail capacity.

Olympic Center Tour & Museum

Colorado Springs has been coined Olympic City, named for its Olympic & Paralympic Training Center. You can visit the active training center, on a one hour guided tour offered Monday - Saturday. Time is right and you may even get to see Olympic hopefuls in their element. Tickets are $15 per person and your purchase helps support Team USA. 

The city also features the US Olympic & Paralympic Museum, just 2.5 miles west of the Training Center. The museum is open daily and houses Olympic memorabilia throughout Team USA’s history. Tickets can be purchased online for $24.95 per person.

Rocky Mountain Food Tour

Food tours are a great way to learn about the culture of any city and Colorado Springs is no exception. Founded by a mother-daughter duo, Rocky Mountain Food Tours offers several options for food, coffee, cocktail, and beer enthusiasts. Tours are offered almost every day and prices start at $69.

📍 Sunwater Spa

Rocky Mountain Dinosaur Resource Center

Located in Woodland Park, about 30 minutes from downtown Colorado Springs, the Rocky Mountain Dinosaur Resource Center features a wide variety of dinosaur fossils, exhibits, and interactive displays. This small museum is open to the public year round, seven days a week.

After gazing at the dinosaur fossils, you can pop over to BierWerks for a warm pretzel and a cold brew.

Manitou Mineral Springs

While the closest natural hot springs are about an hour away, you can still get the hot springs experience without venturing too far.

Nearby Manitou Springs boasts 8 natural and drilled mineral springs, but the only place to soak is at Sunwater Spa. There, you can enjoy heated spring water while you gaze out upon the mountains. On a cold day, the heated tubs are just what the doctor ordered. 

While I haven’t been to any natural hot springs, I thoroughly enjoyed the spa and would definitely recommend it.

Our Thoughts

📍 Palmer Park Trail

Colorado is like an adult playground, rich with state parks, hikes, and natural activities. And even if you’re not a fan of the great outdoors, the friendly atmosphere and things to do in town will surely keep you busy.

Even though I got altitude sickness and spent the whole week sniffling, we had a blast in Colorado Springs and the surrounding area. Make sure you load up on the electrolytes and drink plenty of water and you’ll be fine.

Save this post for later by pinning with an image below!