Colorado Springs, CO

[suzannews]

I lived there 2000-2004 so things may have changed since then, but I drove my car across that suspension bridge as well as walked across it - it's fun but definitely not for anyone afraid of heights.

I drove to top of Pikes Peak 4-5 times, whenever friends would come to town - we'd go inside the snack bar at the top and get some fresh donuts and have a coffee and only spend about 20 minutes up there as the lack of oxygen for those not acclimated makes most say OK I've seen it and got my pics let's start back down.

Have a good time!

Thanks for this info. I was told to wait a few days after arriving in Colorado before driving further up to let ourselves get used to the elevation. We've driven to the top of Mt Washington in NH and the visitor center of Mauna Kea in HI and were fine but I know Pikes Peak is higher. I don't see us staying more than 20-30 minutes at the top!

 

[suzannews]

OP, where are you travelling from? If you are coming from sea level, please be aware that altitude sickness is a real thing so be aware of headaches, nausea, vomiting if you do go to the top of Pikes Peak or Mt Evans.

Also, don't ride a bike up to the top of Mt. Evans. Trust me on that. In one section it took me 2:25 hours to go 18 miles but only 45 minutes to go down (with two stops to take pictures).

Drive Pikes Peak only if you have experience with mountain roads.

If you have younger kids, The North Pole was fun a million years ago when I was a kid.

Colorado City is a nice little town, as is Manitou Springs.

Visit the Broadmoor Hotel. The Golden Bee is a fun place to have a drink.

Cheyenne Mountain Zoo is really nice.

Cave of the Winds

Also note that while someone upthread said it takes an hour to get from Denver to the Springs, that only on a great traffic day. At the end of June our usual 90-minute drive to us 3 hours because of accidents. It took us 2.5 hours to get from the Springs to Mile High Stadium. Plan ahead if you have to drive to DIA, as in add in at least a 2 hours for travel because you never know what to expect with Denver/Colorado Springs traffic.

Thank you so much for this information. We are traveling from central FL. We've been told to take it easy for the first few days to get used to the elevation. I read that traffic can be bad and to add lots of extra time.

 

[luvsvacation]

Mt Evans is FAR superior to Pikes Peak! We have family in Colorado and the first time we went out they took us to Mt Evans, it is incredible! Nothing touristy at all. All that is at the top is a parking lot, tons of mountain goats running and jumping around and incredible views! After going to Mt Evans in a few visits (and loving it each time) we decided to try the cog railway up pikes peak just for the fun of the train ride. I figured once we were at the top it would be similar. Very very wrong. I didn’t see any animals up there and there’s a big store with snacks/gifts, very touristy and the views were not nearly as good. We’ve only done Mt Evans since. It’s our go to place to take friends who have never been to Colorado.

 

[Psymonds]

A little harder? It can be pretty tough. There are certain risks to being up that high due to to low oxygen levels. I wouldn't try to talk anyone out of it, because many do it safely. However, anyone going to Pikes Peak should know what hypoxia is like and be aware of what the symptoms are. If someone is starting to show symptoms, it might be worth taking a break.

Of course it might be helpful if one is already acclimated to the altitude in Colorado Springs or Denver. I think the highest I've ever been was around 10,000 feet. One time I was at sea level (like on Maui or starting at home the day before going to Tahoe) but it was a bit easier when I had spend a few weeks at 4-7K ft altitude (once in Utah after I'd taken an extensive national parks trip).

going from sea level above 10000ft in one day can induce altitude sickness and going to 14k ft is even worse. I'd be concerned about HACE or HAPE with anyone who is coming from lower altitude.

we just did a scouting trip in Philmont (in NM) and Colorado Springs was our adjustment night the night before. We were at 6400 ft then 6700 ft for nights before we did any hiking at altitude and we were only going to 12kft.

 

[NotUrsula]

FWIW, my DH suffered Acute Mountain Sickness on Pike's Peak; luckily I did not, as I was the driver. (Men are more prone to it, we were told. We had come from an area about 500 ft above sea level.) We made it to the top and were about to take the elevator to the deck when he started stumbling and looking green; and asked to leave immediately. I recall that we had to stop 3 or 4 times on the way down so that he could throw up.on the side of the road. He was OK in Colorado Springs proper, but the Peak did him in. I'd say that if you don't know how you respond to high altitude it is best to bring a basin of some kind along on the drive up there, JIC, and have a woman drive if possible.

Last time we were in Colorado Springs was for a skating competition at the Broadmoor Arena in early April of last year. We rented our car in Denver, but 2 other couples we know got small cars at COS and were warned that they did not have adequate power to be driven up Pike's Peak.

If you drive from the Denver Airport to the Springs it is shortest to take the E470 toll road, which I gather is not something locals usually do if they can avoid it. The toll-by-plate charge is pretty high, and transponders from most other states will not work. (Also, it's tricky to stop for gas heading into DEN from the toll road; you have to get off one exit early, at E 64th Ave, then gas up on Tower before rejoining Pena into the airport.)

 

[suzannews]

Mt Evans is FAR superior to Pikes Peak! We have family in Colorado and the first time we went out they took us to Mt Evans, it is incredible! Nothing touristy at all. All that is at the top is a parking lot, tons of mountain goats running and jumping around and incredible views! After going to Mt Evans in a few visits (and loving it each time) we decided to try the cog railway up pikes peak just for the fun of the train ride. I figured once we were at the top it would be similar. Very very wrong. I didn’t see any animals up there and there’s a big store with snacks/gifts, very touristy and the views were not nearly as good. We’ve only done Mt Evans since. It’s our go to place to take friends who have never been to Colorado. View attachment 776685

Love this picture!

 

[suzannews]

FWIW, my DH suffered Acute Mountain Sickness on Pike's Peak; luckily I did not, as I was the driver. (Men are more prone to it, we were told. We had come from an area about 500 ft above sea level.) We made it to the top and were about to take the elevator to the deck when he started stumbling and looking green; and asked to leave immediately. I recall that we had to stop 3 or 4 times on the way down so that he could throw up.on the side of the road. He was OK in Colorado Springs proper, but the Peak did him in. I'd say that if you don't know how you respond to high altitude it is best to bring a basin of some kind along on the drive up there, JIC, and have a woman drive if possible.

Last time we were in Colorado Springs was for a skating competition at the Broadmoor Arena in early April of last year. We rented our car in Denver, but 2 other couples we know got small cars at COS and were warned that they did not have adequate power to be driven up Pike's Peak.

If you drive from the Denver Airport to the Springs it is shortest to take the E470 toll road, which I gather is not something locals usually do if they can avoid it. The toll-by-plate charge is pretty high, and transponders from most other states will not work. (Also, it's tricky to stop for gas heading into DEN from the toll road; you have to get off one exit early, at E 64th Ave, then gas up on Tower before rejoining Pena into the airport.)

Thank you for this info. I hope your husband was ok once you got back to Colorado Springs.

 

[JaxDad]

We saved Pikes Peak for our last day of touring just to maximize acclimation.

I’m not sure if they work, but you can also buy little cans of oxygen to help with altitude adjustment. I’ve seen them in most drug and grocery stores here for maybe $5-10.

In addition to acclimating and hydrating, be sure to use sunscreen.

 

[goofyernmost]

I lived there 2000-2004 so things may have changed since then, but I drove my car across that suspension bridge as well as walked across it - it's fun but definitely not for anyone afraid of heights.

I drove to top of Pikes Peak 4-5 times, whenever friends would come to town - we'd go inside the snack bar at the top and get some fresh donuts and have a coffee and only spend about 20 minutes up there as the lack of oxygen for those not acclimated makes most say OK I've seen it and got my pics let's start back down.

Have a good time!

Yeah, the last time I was there was probably 1997 and we drove across the Royal Gorge, parked the car and walked back out on it. It was suspenseful when cars were passing by as you were standing on it. It would jump up and down so much I almost was afraid to drive back across it, but there was no other way out. The real problem was the space between the wooden planks that made up the roadway. My daughter has a real problem with heights so she just hung onto my arm until the circulation stopped but didn't ask to go back in. The thing I remember most is that there was this loud screeching like sound and I couldn't figure out want it was. I finally looked down along the river and saw what looked like a small snake. That small snake was a train and the noise was the sound of the steel wheels against the steel rails and the sound was amplified as it climbed the canyon walls. Seeing how small the train seemed made it clear how high up we were.

As for Pike's Peak, that was kind of our experience. We went into the snack bar, got a drink and a donut looked around and said, time to go get some oxygen.

 

[suzannews]

We saved Pikes Peak for our last day of touring just to maximize acclimation.

I’m not sure if they work, but you can also buy little cans of oxygen to help with altitude adjustment. I’ve seen them in most drug and grocery stores here for maybe $5-10.

In addition to acclimating and hydrating, be sure to use sunscreen.

Thank you so much! It's good to know we can buy a small can of oxygen if we think we need it.

 

[suzannews]

Yeah, the last time I was there was probably 1997 and we drove across the Royal Gorge, parked the car and walked back out on it. It was suspenseful when cars were passing by as you were standing on it. It would jump up and down so much I almost was afraid to drive back across it, but there was no other way out. The real problem was the space between the wooden planks that made up the roadway. My daughter has a real problem with heights so she just hung onto my arm until the circulation stopped but didn't ask to go back in. The thing I remember most is that there was this loud screeching like sound and I couldn't figure out want it was. I finally looked down along the river and saw what looked like a small snake. That small snake was a train and the noise was the sound of the steel wheels against the steel rails and the sound was amplified as it climbed the canyon walls. Seeing how small the train seemed made it clear how high up we were.

As for Pike's Peak, that was kind of our experience. We went into the snack bar, got a drink and a donut looked around and said, time to go get some oxygen.

We are planning on taking that train through the Royal Gorge!

 

[goofyernmost]

We are planning on taking that train through the Royal Gorge!

If you can see out the window look up and you will see a narrow line. That will be the bridge.

 

[bcla]

Thank you so much! It's good to know we can buy a small can of oxygen if we think we need it.

Not sure where you might be able to get it, but there is at least one company that sells scented oxygen as some sort of health tonic. But it would probably help with shortness of breath at high altitude. The kind that mountaineers use to summit really high peaks might be overkill.

https://www.cvs.com/shop/brand-shop/b/boost-oxygen-llc

 

[JaxDad]

Not sure where you might be able to get it, but there is at least one company that sells scented oxygen as some sort of health tonic. But it would probably help with shortness of breath at high altitude. The kind that mountaineers use to summit really high peaks might be overkill.

https://www.cvs.com/shop/brand-shop/b/boost-oxygen-llc

I’ve seen it carried in the two Safeways and the one Walgreens I’ve visited here in Colorado Springs this week.

 

[AgentMama]

Some good suggestions here. Maybe an unpopular opinion, but for advid hikers, not a big fan of Garden of the Gods. Its super crowded and feels touristy. There are way better hikes that have been suggested here. Maybe you'll enjoy it, but we found it crowded amd not that impressive.

 

[JaxDad]

Some good suggestions here. Maybe an unpopular opinion, but for advid hikers, not a big fan of Garden of the Gods. Its super crowded and feels touristy. There are way better hikes that have been suggested here. Maybe you'll enjoy it, but we found it crowded amd not that impressive.

Yep. We were there twice last week. It was very crowded on a Sunday late morning and not so crowded on a weekday evening (after a hailstorm). Red Rock Canyon Open Space is right across the highway and has several good trails. North Cheyenne Canyon also has several.

 

[pens4821]

Been to colorado about a dozen times. Have taken the cog up pikes peak and driven it twice. Driving, IMO, gives you better scenery. It’s really not that bad either. Yeah there are some spots with drops on the sides, but if you’re driving slowly there is absolutely no issues at all. Once you get to the top just take it easy. We were in Colorado for a few days and were still quite lightheaded at the top of pikes peak. But just take your time and don’t rush and you should be fine.

I know you mentioned mount evans, and it’s a bit of a drive from pikes peak. However, if you have the opportunity I’d recommend it over pikes peak. We’ve only done it once (in 2018), but enjoyed it much more. We didn’t know which to do this time but it’s been since about 2002 or so since we did pikes peak so thought maybe since it was so long ago we had just assumed mount Evans was better. But after doing it this time I still think mount evans was better. I just feel the scenery was nicer not only on the drive up but also at the top.

Colorado is a beautiful state! Enjoy your time there. We aren’t hikers or skiers but we love scenery. There are so many areas to see some great scenery.

 

[maxaroni]

We did most of what has been mentioned. Had never heard of Mount Evans, so if we get back, that will go on the list of things to do. We did drive up Pikes Peak, DH & I had driven up previously. DS was a bit nervous going up and we had read about waiting a couple of days to get acclimated to the altitude. What do we do? The first full day we were in Colorado, we went up Pikes Peak. DH was fine, DS & I didn’t feel too well but we recouped enough to have a hot chocolate on the top. We also took the cog railway up, which was fun. We also took a van up to the top and bicycled down, with a lunch awaiting us upon our return. It was super fun to do. Started out at the top with temps in the low 30s, got to the bottom and it was a glorious 70 degrees. It’s not all downhill, either! Well worth the time and money.

We took a hot air balloon ride which was quite scenic. DH & DS went fly fishing and loved it. Other than that, it was all the touristy things mentioned.

 

[maxbuffmelvin]

If you can, go to the Garden of the Gods early because it's less crowded and more wildlife roaming. The “kissing camels” is a fun sighting.