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Colorado Springs – Welcome to the Great Outdoors

Thousands of acres of parkland open the Pikes Peak region to hikers, climbers, cyclists, anglers, and more.

In the Pikes Peak region, “city park” takes on a whole new meaning. Children’s playgrounds welcome to the sit in full view of one of the world’s most famous mountains. Picnic tables perch near the banks of bubbling streams. And walking trails, winding up mountains and past massive rock formations, are shared by the occasional mule deer or black bear.

Colorado Springs boasts 14,000 acres of parkland—151 parks with 160 miles of trails, 47 open-space areas, and 105 miles of urban trails. More public land sprawls just outside the city limits in county parks, a state park, and the more outdoors than 1 million acres of Pike National Forest. A two-hour drive takes skiers to a number of the state’s 22 ski resorts. Drive less than an hour to world-famous rafting and kayaking on the Arkansas River, the most rafted river in the country.

And top it all off with Pikes Peak, one of the world’s most popular destinations, which offers a vast collection of forests, lakes, canyons, and meadows frequented by hikers, campers, and anglers.

“We have a fabulous system and location,” says Dan Cleveland, executive director of the nonprofit Trails and Open Space Coalition. “We have incredibly benign weather that allows us to recreate all year long.”

That makes life enjoyable for Cleveland, a runner who says he seldom has to bundle up for his daily workout, even in the middle of winter.

Here are some favorite parks

Garden of the Gods Park. Visitors are drawn here by the rock formations— vertical fins of sandstone, limestone, and shale that date back 70 million years. Some guests drive through, stopping to photograph the rock walls that glow in the sunlight. Others linger, climbing the
wind-and rain-scarred formations or hiking and exploring the 15 miles of trails that wind through tangles of pinon and juniper trees.

Cheyenne Canyon. Garden of the Gods appeals to sun worshipers; Cheyenne Canyon beckons to those who crave shade. This mountain refuge of shaded streams is criss-crossed with log bridges, remote caches of rare lady’s-slipper orchids, and dense stands of aspen, spruce, and pine. A road through the canyon leads to hiking trails, picnic spots, and waterfalls.

Red Rock Canyon. Sandstone formations shape this area that is a favorite of climbers, hikers, mountain bikers, and runners. This mini-Garden of the Gods has 14 miles of trails, which are also open to horses. The centerpiece is a glassy man-made pond ringed by grasses and frequented by Canada geese and great blue herons.

Stratton Open Space. Bird watchers and dog walkers are equally enamored with this open space that connects to Cheyenne Canyon on the city’s southwest side. Ponderosa pines provide welcome shade, and in the spring and early summer, wildflowers are attention-getters.

Fountain Creek Regional Park. Majestic great blue herons build their nests in cottonwoods that frame the creek; they’re among more than 250 species of birds seen at this park. Built around the creek and a series of spring-fed ponds, the park offers a glimpse of healthy wetlands.

Paint Mines. Clay formations are the centerpiece here. Think natural sculpture garden in candy colors—butterscotch, lemon-drop yellow, bubblegum pink. Clay spires and knobs painted by minerals have been eroded by wind and water to form the canyon, a surprising slash in the
rolling hills.

Cheyenne Mountain State Park. Our newest state park sprawls at the base of its namesake mountain, which is best known for housing the underground headquarters of the North American Aerospace Defense Command. The park is a favorite among hikers and wildlife watchers who
are often rewarded with glimpses of wild turkeys or the frantic activity of a black-tailed prairie dog colony, on alert as a golden eagle soars overhead.

Mueller State Park. Hikers and mountain bikers can spread out on the 50 miles of trails that wind through dense stands of aspen and mixed conifers, including ponderosa pines, Douglas firs, and ancient bristlecone pines. The valleys hold clues to the past—remnants of miners’
cabins, mining glory holes, and homesteads dating from the 1800s.

Rampart Reservoir Recreation Area. Mountain bikers love the loop around Rampart Reservoir. The reservoir is part of the Colorado Springs water storage system, but the land surrounding it offers a playground for cyclists, hikers, campers, and anglers. Locals walk the short Rainbow Gulch trail to the water’s edge, where they can pick up the loop trail to see miles of forested hills and hidden coves, some with views of Pikes Peak.

Pikes Peak. To reach the summit (and not by train or car), a pair of hiking trails offer stunning views and breath-zapping elevation gains. The Barr Trail heads uphill from the town of Manitou Springs, challenging hikers with a 7,400-foot elevation gain over 13 miles. An hour’s drive west on the backside of the mountain, the Devil’s Playground Trail is shorter (8.5 miles with a 4,100-foot gain) but equally spectacular, with alpine wildflowers and marmots standing guard.

More ways to play

The oohs, ahhs, and beeps of digital cameras belie the name, but the Temple of Silence deep inside Cave of the Winds rewards visitors with its limestone stalactites and stalagmites. The caves make a popular attraction, one of dozens that entertain the region’s 6.1 million visitors each year.

Less than an hour’s drive from Colorado Springs, Cripple Creek became famous at the turn of the century with the discovery of gold. Today, 14 casinos lure visitors here. Tourists can travel underground at the Mollie Kathleen Mine, tour the area on the historical Cripple Creek & Victor Narrow Gauge Railroad, and immerse themselves in the region’s history at the new Pikes Peak Heritage Center.

The mix of historical and natural attractions draws visitors to the region, says Terry Sullivan, the president and CEO of Experience Colorado Springs at Pikes Peak, the convention and visitors bureau. About half the visitors may have passed through the region before, thanks to nearby Fort Carson or the Air Force Academy, Sullivan says, and 86 percent of visitors plan to come back. (The academy is an attraction itself, drawing visitors to its distinctive chapel and other campus sites.)

On Pikes Peak, elevation gained and lost makes for much of the excitement. The Pike’s Peak Cog Railway carries passengers up to the summit year-round, but it’s especially popular during two venerable events: the Pikes Peak Marathon and Ascent in August and the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb. The grueling footraces lure the best trail runners in the world. The hill climb is the second-oldest motorsports race in the country. Spectators line Pikes Peak Highway to cheer on their favorite drivers in 11 classes, from motorcycles to 8,000-pound big rigs.

Another favorite, Seven Falls, amazes visitors with a cascading series of waterfalls, viewed best during a walk up 224 metal stairs on the water’s edge. Close by, Cheyenne Mountain Zoo gives its more than 750 residents rooms with a view. Unique to the zoo is its chairlift-style ride with sweeping views of the zoo, mountains, and city below. —Deb Acord

Source: Hemispheresmagazine.com