Colorado Springs, Colorado
The city of Colorado Springs in central Colorado is a city that has many varied things to do. From the Air Force Academy to a train ride up an over 14,000 foot mountain you can see a lot in this high altitude city. Donna and I toured Colorado Springs in September of 2017 during a broader tour of Colorado. Colorado and Colorado Springs are beautiful areas full of mountains, valleys and Western History. You need at least a couple days to see much of the sights in the Colorado Springs area. We spent two days in Colorado Springs before moving up to Northern Colorado on our trip.
Getting to and Transportation in Colorado Springs
There are a few different ways you can get to Colorado Springs. Colorado Springs has its own regional airport you can fly airlines such as Frontier, United, American and Delta into. Another option that will most likely be more affordable (what Donna and I chose) is to fly into Denver International Airport and drive down to Colorado Springs. Its about an hour and a half drive from Denver to Colorado Springs. While in Colorado Springs they do have city bus service but a rental car is what you will need to drive to the various sights around the area. Donna and I flew Frontier on this trip to Denver and then drove our rental car around the state.
Royal Gorge Bridge
On our first day in Colorado Springs we drove about an hour to the Royal Gorge Bridge Park at Canyon City, Colorado. The focal point of the park is one of the highest bridges in world crossing around 1,000 feet above the Arkansas River on the Royal Gorge. You can walk across the bridge and look between the wooden planks all the way to the rushing river. The view is very nice of the Gorge and river as you walk across. The park has more than just the bridge though. We enjoyed an Aerial tram ride across the gorge that gave nice views of the Royal Gorge Bridge. There is also a movie about the bridge and a Merry-Go-Round and other attractions for Children there. A few years back a major wild fire damaged much of the park but they are re-building nicely. We did not do this but you can also ride the Royal Gorge Railroad through the Royal Gorge at the river level. We could see the train snaking its way through the Canyon while on the Bridge. It would be a really interesting train ride. The Royal Gorge Park costs around $30 a person and you also have the optional extra charge to Zip Line across the Gorge.
Pike's Peak Via the Pikes Peak Cogwheel Railway
After touring the Royal Gorge we took the final train up to the top of “America’s Mountain”. Pikes Peak is 14,115 Ft tall and helped inspire the song “America the Beautiful”. The depot for the train is in Manitou Springs. Parking is limited at the depot an costs $5. The Ride takes an hour or so as you wind through the base and then upper areas of the mountain. The pine forest disappears as the rocky peak comes into view. There are signs along the way letting you know the elevation. Once at the top we had about 45 minutes to enjoy the spectacular view that includes multiple states like Kansas and many snow covered mountains. There are also monuments and places you can get your picture. There is also a small gift shop and cafe up at the top. After the 45 minutes we road the train back down the mountain to the depot while the sun was setting. You also can drive up to the top of the mountain and that will take some time as well. Be prepared for the top of the mountain to be much colder than in Manitou Springs. Also you might want to limit your time at the top due to the much thinner oxygen at the top that will start to make you feel dizzy if you are there too long. At the time of this writing the Cogwheel Railway is currently closed as they are looking to refurbish the railway.
Garden of the Gods
A must see place in Colorado Springs is the public free city park called the Garden of the Gods. Its rated as one of the best city parks in the world. There is a nice visitors center with exhibits about the Geological formations that predate the Rocky Mountains, movies and a time machine presentation going over the creation of the rocks. There is a gift shop there as well. In the park there are many stops and trails you can take around the many red rock towers. There are many great picture points and breathtaking views of the Garden of the Gods and the Pikes Peak area. There is a trading post inside the park you can visit to get souvenirs and odd gifts if you would like. Depending on how long you stay and how much hiking you do this park could fill an entire day or a few hours. We spent about half a day at the park.
The US Air Force Academy
Nestled near the Rockies in a picturesque setting sits the US Air Force Academy. You can visit the military facility after going through a military guard post where they check your vehicle and ID’s. There is a small hiking trail with monuments as you get to the visitors center that highlights the cadets journey at the academy and their daily life. The highlight of the tour is visiting the US Air Force Academy Chapel that looks like the nose a of Fighter Jet. Its a beautiful building to view. The US Air Force academy is free and will probably take an hour or so at the most to visit.
Old Colorado City
We visited for a short time the Old Colorado City National Historic District. Its a nice area of unique shops and restaurants that reminds you a little bit of the old west mixed with eclectic shops. From clothing stores, souvenir shops and glassware stores you can find a variety of things to look at. We walked the nice streets and stopped into a few of the shops while there.
Colorado Springs Tips
While Colorado Springs is an outdoors paradise with hiking and wildlife opportunities there are many other museums you can see like the National Museum of WWII Aviation and the Olympic Training Center (we did not have a chance to visit these attractions but we want to come back to see them). Nearby Manitou Springs also has some nice shopping and is an interesting city to visit. There are many attractions and hiking opportunities within a drive from Colorado Springs as well. I recommend flying into Denver when coming to Colorado Springs unless you want to drive to the city. Give yourself at least two days at a minimum to see some of the attractions and if you want to see the majority of the attraction a few days more.