Colorado Springs, colorado
Attractions Guide

There are many great things to do around the scenic Colorado Springs and Manitou Springs area, with the most famous attractions being the Garden of the Gods and Pikes Peak.

Downtown Colorado Springs is a lovely historic area hosting many great restaurants and bars. In Downtown you'll also find the popular Colorado Spring Pioneers Museum, which is free to visit and features various rotating exhibits.

The iconic Garden of the Gods is the most popular attraction around Colorado Springs, featuring striking steep red rock formations that you can walk amongst.

The most popular trails here include the 0.5 mile (0.8 km) round-trip Siamese Twins Loop Trail, the 1.1 mile (1.8 km) round-trip Perkins Central Garden Trail, and the 3.7 mile (6 km) Garden of the Gods Loop Trail which outlines most of the area allowing you to view many formations.

You can also drive around Juniper Way Loop, parking at the various viewpoints and taking short walks to admire many of the stunning formations. This street encircles the most massive and interesting structures in the Garden of the Gods.

Just across the highway from the Garden of the Gods is Red Rock Canyon, which hosts some excellent hiking trails that venture through breathtaking scenery. Red Rock Canyon contains a network of many overlapping trails, so the bets way to see the area is to zig-zag through the park from north to south starting from the northern side of the park which will take you on a journey of approximately 5.4 miles (8.7 km).

Balanced Rock

Also nearby Red Rock Canyon and the Garden of the Gods is the seemingly gravity-defying Balanced Rock formation. Balanced Rock is located just off the highway near the western entrance to Garden of the Gods.

Broadmoor Hotel & Seven Falls Trail

In the southern part of Colorado Spring is the elegant Broadmoor Hotel, featuring a pretty lake and offering free shuttles to the Broadmoor Seven Falls Trail, which takes you up to a majestic forested canyon where you'll see multiple incredible waterfalls. There is no parking allowed at the trailhead so the shuttle is highly recommended for this beautiful hike.

Zoo & Will Rogers Shrine of the Sun

Nearby the hotel is the highly rated Cheyenne Mountain Zoo and the castle-tower-like Will Rogers Shrine of the Sun from which you can take in exceptional views over the city.

Seven Bridges Trail

Located nearby to the west, the Seven Bridges Trail in North Cheyenne Canon Park takes you on a 3.8 mile (6.1 km) journey through a scenic wilderness area featuring waterfalls, red rock forests, and seven bridges over the creek.

To the west of Colorado Springs you'll find famous Pikes Peak Cog Railway, which takes you all the way to the top of Pikes Peak mountain for incredible views. Unfortunately the Cog Railway isn't set to re-open until 2021, however you can take a long scenic drive up to the top, from which you can enjoy gorgeous panoramic views.

To the west of Colorado Springs in the suburb of Manitou Springs are several more amazing attractions (in addition to the Pikes Peak Cog Railway). Manitou Springs hosts the popular Cave of the Winds, which offers tours of the cave as well as outdoor zip-lining and other activities.

Also in this suburb you'll find the fascinating recreated Manitou Cliff Dwellings which are modeled after 800 year old Native American ruins. You might also consider visiting Manitou Springs's beautiful Miramont Castle, which you should stop to admire from outside.