Photo: Daniel Forster on Unsplash
Each place checked against its official site in November 2026
Parks and outdoors
Garden of the Gods Park
A free 1,367-acre city park and National Natural Landmark of red rock formations, deeded to the city in 1909 on the condition that it remain forever free. It has about 15 miles of trails, including the paved 1.5-mile Perkins Central Garden Trail, plus rock climbing with a free registration.
- Best for:
- Everyone, and early mornings to beat the crowds
- When:
- Open daily from 5 AM, closing at 9 PM November through April and 10 PM May through October. Visitor & Nature Center 9 AM to 5 PM, closed Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day.
- Where:
- 1805 N. 30th Street, Colorado Springs
The Broadmoor Seven Falls
A series of waterfalls in a 1,250-foot-walled box canyon, with 224 steps to the hiking trails above. Timed online tickets are $25 for adults and $19 for children 2 to 12 for morning entries, and $21 and $15 from 2 PM. Visitors park at the Norris Penrose Event Center and take a free shuttle.
- Best for:
- A short scenic outing with a walk and a restaurant
- When:
- Open Friday through Sunday, 9 AM to 5 PM, October 23 to November 29, 2026, plus November 26 and 27.
- Where:
- 1045 Lower Gold Camp Rd, Colorado Springs
The Broadmoor Soaring Adventure
Guided zip line tours in South Cheyenne Canyon that include Seven Falls admission. The Signature Fins Course has five lines, suspension bridges and a 180-foot rappel over three hours. The Ultimate course has eight lines up to 1,800 feet over four hours.
- Best for:
- Thrill seekers and active groups
- When:
- Tours depart every 30 minutes from 9 AM to 3 PM.
- Where:
- Seven Falls, 1045 Lower Gold Camp Rd, Colorado Springs
Red Rock Canyon Open Space
City open space bought in 2003, on land with an old quarrying past, with dirt trails for walkers, bikes, horses and leashed dogs, plus upper and lower off-leash dog loops and the Quarry and Hogback trails. Portable toilets are at both main lots.
- Best for:
- Dog owners and anyone who wants open trails off Highway 24
- Where:
- Off Highway 24 at Ridge Road, Colorado Springs
North Cheyenne Canon Park
A forested canyon park with biking, hiking and equestrian trails, a nature center, picnic tables and guided hikes. Helen Hunt Falls and its visitor center share the park's address, with a large trailhead and a view back over the city from the top.
- Best for:
- A shady hike or an easy waterfall stop
- Where:
- 3440 N Cheyenne Canon Rd, Colorado Springs
Pikes Peak
Pikes Peak Highway
A 38-mile round trip drive to the 14,115-foot summit of Pikes Peak that takes at least two hours, with a Summit Visitor Center, cafe and exhibits at the top. Admission from May 1 to November 30 is $18 per adult, $8 per child 6 to 15, or $65 per carload of up to 5.
- Best for:
- Drivers who want a Fourteener summit without the hike
- When:
- Open year-round, weather permitting. From October 1 to May 27, gates open at 9 AM with last entry at 3 PM. Closed Thanksgiving, Christmas and the third Sunday in June.
- Where:
- Pikes Peak Highway, Pikes Peak
The Broadmoor Manitou & Pikes Peak Cog Railway
The self-described world's highest cog railway, climbing since 1891 on a 9-mile route to the summit of Pikes Peak. A round trip takes about three to three and a half hours. Adult reserved seats start at $67 online and child seats at $57, with Engineer's View seats from $96.
- Best for:
- Anyone who wants the summit without driving the road
- When:
- Departures vary by season. Check the schedule on its site.
- Where:
- 515 Ruxton Ave, Manitou Springs
Manitou Incline
A former cable car track that gains 2,000 feet in less than a mile over 2,768 steep steps. A free online reservation and signed waiver are required, and the 30-minute slot is an arrival window with no climb time limit.
- Best for:
- Fit hikers who want a hard, short workout
- When:
- Winter hours November 1 to April 30 are 6 AM to 3 PM; summer hours May 1 to October 31 are 6 AM to 6 PM.
- Where:
- Parking at Dillon Mobility Hub, 134 Manitou Ave, Manitou Springs
Museums and attractions
Cheyenne Mountain Zoo
A mountainside zoo founded in 1926 by Spencer Penrose, billing itself as America's only mountain zoo. You can feed giraffes at the Giraffe Center for $3 a lettuce bundle and ride the Mountaineer Sky Ride. Advance tickets are required for everyone.
- Best for:
- Families, and anyone who wants to hand-feed a giraffe
- When:
- Open daily 9 AM to 5 PM. Electric Safari runs December 4, 2026 to January 1, 2027, closed December 24.
- Where:
- 4250 Cheyenne Mountain Zoo Rd., Colorado Springs
U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Museum
A downtown museum of Team USA history with interactive galleries, a Hall of Fame and accessibility built into its design. The adjacent private lot costs $7.50 a day until 4 PM, and metered street parking is nearby.
- Best for:
- Sports fans and families on a weather day
- When:
- Open Thursday through Monday, 10 AM to 5 PM. Closed Tuesday and Wednesday.
- Where:
- 200 S. Sierra Madre Street, Colorado Springs
Colorado Springs Pioneers Museum
A free regional history museum in the 1903 El Paso County Courthouse, with exhibits and programs on the Pikes Peak region's cultural history.
- Best for:
- A free hour of local history downtown
- When:
- Open Tuesday through Saturday, 10 AM to 5 PM.
- Where:
- 215 S. Tejon St., Colorado Springs
U.S. Air Force Academy Hosmer Visitor Center
The Academy's new visitor center sits outside the North Gate with no base entry required. Going onto the base requires a visitor pass in advance. The Cadet Chapel, known for its 17 spires, is closed for repairs with completion estimated for 2028.
- Best for:
- Military history fans, and anyone passing on I-25
- When:
- Open daily 9 AM to 5 PM. Closed federal holidays, Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve.
- Where:
- Just outside the North Gate, I-25 Exit 156, Colorado Springs
Cave of the Winds Mountain Park
A cave and adventure park off Highway 24, with a Discovery Cave Tour at $30 for 45 to 60 minutes and above-ground rides such as the Terror-Dactyl canyon launch. Parking is free.
- Best for:
- Families who want a cave tour on any weather day
- When:
- Open year-round 10 AM to 5 PM except Thanksgiving and Christmas Day. Above-ground attractions run shorter seasonal hours.
- Where:
- 100 Cave of the Winds Rd, Manitou Springs
Manitou Cliff Dwellings
A preserve of Ancestral Puebloan stonework rescued from McElmo Canyon near Dolores in the early 1900s, when the ruins were slated to be cleared for farmland. Admission is $12.75 plus tax for adults and $8 plus tax for children 4 to 11.
- Best for:
- Curious families, as a compact stop near Manitou
- When:
- November 9 AM to 4 PM; December through February 10 AM to 4 PM, weather permitting. Longer hours the rest of the year. Closed Thanksgiving and Christmas Day.
- Where:
- 10 Cliff Rd, Manitou Springs
Ghost Town Museum
Created in 1954, this indoor museum preserves buildings and artifacts rescued from around the Pikes Peak region, with a butter churn, a shooting gallery, antique arcade games and summer gold panning. Admission is $9.50 for adults and $5.50 for children 6 to 16.
- Best for:
- Families with kids on a cold or rainy day
- When:
- September through May daily 10 AM to 5 PM; June through August daily 10 AM to 6 PM. Closed New Year's Day, Easter, Thanksgiving and Christmas.
- Where:
- 400 S 21st St, Colorado Springs
Western Museum of Mining & Industry
Open since 1970, with working machinery, a model mining drift and gold panning stations in a 12,200 square foot exhibit hall on a 27-acre campus. The Yellow Jacket II Stamp Mill opens seasonally, and the mid-1890s Reynolds House offers 30-minute tours.
- Best for:
- Mining and machinery fans
- When:
- The stamp mill opens in warmer months. Contact the museum for schedules.
- Where:
- 225 North Gate Blvd, Colorado Springs
Flying W Ranch
A Western entertainment ranch dating to 1953, known for its chuckwagon dinner show: a cowboy-style barbecue on tin plates, the Flying W Wranglers on stage, and Western grounds to wander first.
- Best for:
- Families and groups who want one big Western night
- When:
- Performances run nightly May through October. Tickets go on sale in February.
- Where:
- 3330 Chuckwagon Rd, Colorado Springs
Town and history
Old Colorado City
A National Historic District on the site of Colorado City, settled in 1859 as the first permanent town in the Pikes Peak region and once infamous for its saloons and brothels. It now has shops, galleries, restaurants and monthly events, including a First Friday ArtWalk.
- Best for:
- An easy afternoon of walking, shopping and eating
- When:
- Territory Days runs May 29 to 31, 2027.
- Where:
- Colorado Ave, West of I-25 to 28th St, Colorado Springs
Rock Ledge Ranch Historic Site
A living history site next to Garden of the Gods with homes from several periods of the region's past, including the Galloway Homestead Cabin and Rock Ledge House. Admission is $8 for adults, $5 for military and seniors, and $4 for ages 3 to 17 when programs run.
- Best for:
- Families and history fans
- When:
- The living history program runs from the beginning of June through the middle of August, Wednesday through Saturday 10 AM to 5 PM and Sunday 1 to 5 PM, plus special events.
- Where:
- 3105 Gateway Road, Colorado Springs
Day trips
Paint Mines Interpretive Park
A 750-acre park with 4 miles of trails through hoodoos, colored clay and sandstone-capped spires that Native American communities used to make paint. Climbing on the formations is not permitted, since the site is protected.
- Best for:
- Photographers and hikers looking for an unusual landscape
- Where:
- 29950 Paint Mine Rd., Calhan
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