Should You Go to the Garden Of The Gods?
Are you planning a trip to Colorado and wondering if making the stop to Colorado Springs to see if Garden of the Gods is worth it? Well I’m here to share my experience and help you decide if you should go!
Where is it?
First of all, where the heck is it, and is it on the way to my final destination? Garden of the Gods is about a hour and a half drive south from the Denver international airport (DEN) and a fifteen minute drive north west of downtown Colorado Springs.
1805 N. 30th Street, Colorado Springs CO, 80904
What is it?
Garden of the Gods is a FREE public park wich is made of ancient sedimentary beds of deep red sandstone conglomerates and limestone. It is a great park for hiking (21 miles of trails), technical rock climbing, and mountain biking! It really is a great park for all levels of activity. The main trail in the park is paved and wheelchair accessible.
What to Do?
There are so many free activities you can do here, but there are some paid activities as well. You can make a reservation to go on a guided tour with one of the park interpreters for only $5. There is also a theatre in the visitor center where you can learn more about the history of the area.
But there are even more free things to do, here are some of the trails you can hike:
Perkins Central Garden Trail: 1.5m roundtrip paved path, heart of the park (easy)
Ridge Trail: .5m loop, 100ft elevation (moderate)
Siamese twins Trail: 1m roundtrip with unique views of Pikes Peak and a natural window of the twins, 150ft elevation (easy)
Chambers/Bretag/Palmer Trail: 3m hike that nearly circles the entire park, 250ft elevation (easy)
If you are an avid rock climber, there are a few places you can do that here as well, just make sure you get a permit beforehand.
And lastly you can’t leave the park with out taking the Garden of the Gods Scenic Drive. It has the most amazing views of the park.
Fun Facts/Need to Know
Good news! Your 4 legged best friend are allowed in the park! Just make sure they are on a 6ft leash and you are responsible for cleaning up in ALL areas. There is one designated off leash area .5m off Gateway road W and 30st E. at the Rock Ledge Ranch historic site.
This park was made a national landmark in 1971. It got its name from two surveyors, M.S. Beach said that it would be a “capital place for a beer garden”, his friend Rufus Cable was so amazed by the giant, magnificent rock formations exclaimed “Beer garden! Why, it is a fit place for the gods to assemble.” And thus Garden of the Gods was born.
Operating hours: Mon-Sun the park is open 5a-10p and the visitor center is open 9a -5p
You might even get lucky and see some wild life. We saw a huge flock of big horn sheep while we were there!
Final thoughts?
So, have I piqued your interest at all? You can really spend as much or as little time as you would like here. And it is completely free to enter! The giant red rock formations are incredibly impressive, and the variety of trails from easy and paved to moderate and slightly rocky are great for beginners and more seasoned hikers alike. I would highly recommend making a stop here even just to take the scenic drive!
If you wanna see exactly how I spent my time in the park you can watch my vlog here:
