Colorado Springs

Colorado Springs sits on the eastern edge of the Rocky Mountains, with Pikes Peak rising directly behind the city. The setting is the main reason to come. Red rock formations, mountain trails and wide views are a short drive from downtown, and the air is dry and clear on most days. The city is a major base for the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic movement and for the U.S. Air Force Academy, which gives it an athletic, orderly feel. It sits at high elevation, so the first day is best taken at an easy pace. Most visitors come for the outdoors and stay for a mix of easy sightseeing, good food and mountain-town charm in nearby Manitou Springs.

Garden of the Gods is the first stop, a public park of towering red sandstone fins with short walks, a visitor center and views of Pikes Peak. Pikes Peak itself can be reached by the Pikes Peak Highway or by cog railway from Manitou Springs. Manitou Springs has mineral springs, small shops, the Manitou Incline and Cave of the Winds Mountain Park. The U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Museum is downtown, and the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo climbs the mountainside above the city. Seven Falls, Red Rock Canyon Open Space and the Cadet Chapel at the U.S. Air Force Academy fill out the list. The Colorado Springs Pioneers Museum covers local history in a courthouse downtown.

Colorado Springs has a strong craft beer scene, with breweries and taprooms in downtown, Old Colorado City and the Ivywild neighborhood, where a former school now holds a brewery and other food and drink. Menus lean toward Western comfort food, Mexican, Italian and farm-to-table cooking, and many restaurants have patios for the long sunny evenings. Manitou Avenue in Manitou Springs has casual restaurants, ice cream and candy shops. Downtown fills with diners and drinkers on weekend nights, and the Pikes Peak Center brings in touring concerts and shows. The Broadmoor, a long-established resort hotel on the south side, sits beside a lake and is a classic spot for a special dinner.

Downtown puts you near restaurants, breweries, parks and the Olympic museum. Old Colorado City is a historic district west of downtown with shops and galleries, and it sits close to Garden of the Gods. Manitou Springs is a small town at the foot of Pikes Peak with inns, cabins and easy access to the mountain. The Broadmoor area suits a resort stay near the zoo, and chain hotels line Interstate 25 for easy parking. The city is spread out, and a car is the most practical way to get around. Mountain Metropolitan Transit runs local buses. Downtown, Old Colorado City and Manitou Springs are each pleasant to walk once you arrive.

Summer is the main season, with warm sunny days, cool evenings and afternoon thunderstorms over the mountains. Autumn is dry and clear, with gold aspens higher up. Winter brings cold snaps and snow, but sunshine returns quickly and the city is often clear when the peaks are white. Spring is changeable and can bring late snow. Conditions at the top of Pikes Peak are always colder and windier than in town, so bring layers. Two days cover Garden of the Gods, Manitou Springs and a downtown evening. A third day adds Pikes Peak, the zoo or the Air Force Academy, and a fourth leaves time for the Royal Gorge or Cripple Creek.

Colorado Springs sits on Interstate 25, which runs north to Denver and south through Pueblo toward Santa Fe and New Mexico. US 24 leads west through Manitou Springs and Woodland Park to Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument and the high valleys of central Colorado. US 50 heads west to Cañon City, the Royal Gorge and Salida. Great Sand Dunes National Park is a longer day trip to the southwest. There is no Amtrak service, so the city suits drivers, with Denver the nearest big rail and air hub. A night or two here pairs well with Denver and Rocky Mountain National Park to the north, or with a loop through the southern Rockies.