14 Things to Do in Colorado Springs That Locals Never Get Tired Of

I have a rule for road trips. Any city worth the gas gives me more than one reason to stay. Colorado Springs shatters that rule, because it hands you a dozen reasons before breakfast and dares you to pick a favorite.

Sitting at the foot of a 14,000-foot mountain, this Front Range city is a red-rock playground where towering sandstone, bubbling mineral springs, and a cog train to the clouds all sit within a short drive of one another.

I love a place that keeps topping itself, and this one never quits. Here are fourteen things to do in Colorado Springs, Colorado, that travelers come back for year after year.

1. Garden of the Gods, Colorado

Start where the whole city first showed off. Garden of the Gods is a free public park where fins of deep-red sandstone rise as high as 300 feet, tilted on end by ancient forces and glowing at sunrise.

Playful names like Kissing Camels and Balanced Rock dot the skyline, and paved trails put you close enough to touch the stone. Come at first light, when the low sun sets the rock on fire and the lots are still empty.

Where: Garden of the Gods Visitor and Nature Center, 1805 N 30th St, Colorado Springs, CO 80904.

2. Pikes Peak, Colorado

You truly cannot miss it. Pikes Peak looms over the region at 14,115 feet, and getting to the top is half the fun.

Ride the freshly rebuilt cog railway or drive the winding toll highway, then claim a fresh, high-altitude donut at the summit. This is the view that inspired Katharine Lee Bates to write “America the Beautiful” in 1893.

Where: Cog Railway depot, 515 Ruxton Ave, Manitou Springs, CO 80829, or the Pikes Peak Highway gateway in Cascade, Colorado.

3. Manitou Springs, Colorado

Right at the base of Pikes Peak sits a town that feels like its own little world. Manitou Springs is an artsy, walkable village built around the naturally carbonated mineral springs you can still taste today.

Public fountains around downtown let you fill a cup straight from the source, each with its own flavor. Between sips, browse the galleries, duck into the penny arcade, or catch the quirky Emma Crawford Coffin Races each October.

Where: Historic downtown along Manitou Avenue, Manitou Springs, CO 80829.

4. Manitou Incline, Colorado

Ready to earn your views? The Manitou Incline climbs almost 2,000 feet in barely a mile, up nearly 2,700 old railroad ties turned into the region’s most famous stair workout.

Locals treat it as a badge of honor, and first-timers take all the breaks they need. Reserve a free timed slot ahead of time, then reward yourself with the sweeping Front Range view up top.

Where: Trailhead off Ruxton Ave near the cog depot, Manitou Springs, CO 80829, with a free reservation and shuttle from downtown.

5. Cave of the Winds, Colorado

When the mountain sun gets too bright, head underground. Cave of the Winds has guided visitors through its limestone passages since the 1880s, past chambers dripping with formations that took millions of years to grow.

The classic Discovery Tour is easygoing, and lantern-lit options add a thrill. Outside, brave riders can strap into the Terror-dactyl, a stomach-dropping swing that flings you out over Williams Canyon.

Where: 100 Cave of the Winds Rd, Manitou Springs, CO 80829.

6. Seven Falls, Colorado

For pure spectacle, follow the canyon to Seven Falls. This 181-foot cascade tumbles down seven granite steps in a box canyon that early guidebooks called the grandest mile of scenery in Colorado.

A 224-step staircase climbs alongside the water to trails and lofty viewpoints. There is no parking at the falls, so a free shuttle carries you in, and the canyon light turns pure gold early in the day.

Where: 2850 S Cheyenne Canyon Rd, Colorado Springs, CO 80906, reached by free shuttle from the Norris Penrose Event Center.

7. Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, Colorado

Here is one you will not find anywhere else. Cheyenne Mountain Zoo bills itself as America’s only mountain zoo, climbing the hillside at about 6,800 feet for animals and valley views in the same afternoon.

The stars are the giraffes, one of the largest herds in the country, and for a few dollars you can hold out a cracker and let a long blue tongue take it. Kids talk about it for weeks.

Where: 4250 Cheyenne Mountain Zoo Rd, Colorado Springs, CO 80906.

8. Air Force Academy Cadet Chapel, Colorado

Few buildings in America look like this one. The Cadet Chapel at the United States Air Force Academy points seventeen gleaming aluminum spires straight at the sky, a 1960s modernist icon dedicated in 1963.

The chapel is wrapped for a major restoration and is expected to reopen around 2028, yet the silhouette still stuns and the grounds stay open. Stop at the visitor center and soak up the mountain backdrop.

Where: United States Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, CO 80840, reached via the gates off I-25; adults need a photo ID at the checkpoint.

9. Manitou Cliff Dwellings, Colorado

Step back nearly a thousand years without leaving the Front Range. The Manitou Cliff Dwellings let you walk right into stone rooms built in the style of the Ancestral Puebloan people of the Four Corners.

Unlike protected ruins elsewhere, these are hands-on, so you can duck through low doorways and picture daily life. A small museum fills in the pottery, the farming, and the culture that shaped it.

Where: 10 Cliff Dwellings Rd, Manitou Springs, CO 80829.

10. North Cheyenne Cañon Park, Colorado

For a quieter slice of the mountains, follow the road up North Cheyenne Cañon. This city park packs granite walls, shaded creeks, and trails into one dramatic canyon just minutes from downtown.

The showpiece is Helen Hunt Falls, a lively cascade with a footbridge and a short climb to a higher view. Stop at the Starsmore center first for maps, then pick a trail to match your energy.

Where: 2120 S Cheyenne Canyon Rd, Colorado Springs, CO 80906, with Helen Hunt Falls farther up the canyon road.

11. Red Rock Canyon Open Space, Colorado

If Garden of the Gods is the headliner, Red Rock Canyon Open Space is the quiet encore. This 789-acre city park serves the same fiery sandstone with a fraction of the crowds and miles of trails to yourself.

Hikers, bikers, and climbers share the paths, and old quarry walls hint at the land’s working past. Admission is free, dogs are welcome on a leash, and late-day light makes the red slabs glow.

Where: 3550 W High St, Colorado Springs, CO 80904.

12. The Broadmoor, Colorado

For a taste of grand old Colorado, point the car toward The Broadmoor. This Forbes Five-Star resort opened in 1918 and has been the region’s showpiece ever since, all pink stucco, manicured lawns, and a lake out front.

You do not have to stay the night to enjoy it. Wander the grounds, book afternoon tea, or launch a canoe on the lake, then watch the sun drop behind Cheyenne Mountain.

Where: 1 Lake Ave, Colorado Springs, CO 80906.

13. Old Colorado City, Colorado

End where the whole story began. Old Colorado City started in 1859 as a rough supply town and even served briefly as the Colorado territorial capital in 1861 before the honor moved on.

Today the historic district along West Colorado Avenue is all charm, lined with local boutiques, galleries, coffee shops, and patios made for people-watching. Time it for the First Friday art walks, when galleries stay open late.

Where: Historic district along W Colorado Ave, Colorado Springs, CO 80904.

14. Royal Gorge, Colorado

Save an hour for the biggest thrill of all. About an hour southwest of the city, the Royal Gorge drops 1,000 feet to the Arkansas River, spanned by one of the highest suspension bridges in the country.

Walk across the wooden planks, ride the gondola over the chasm, or let the Skycoaster swing you out above it. Whitewater raft trips launch far below for anyone craving even more adrenaline.

Where: Royal Gorge Bridge and Park, 4218 County Road 3A, Cañon City, CO 81212, about an hour southwest of Colorado Springs.

Start Planning Your Colorado Springs Escape

Fourteen stops, one mountain city, and most of them within an easy drive of the last. That is the magic here. You can chase red rocks at dawn, ride a train to the clouds by noon, and toast the sunset from a historic main street.

Many of these sights sit within about twenty minutes of downtown, so a long weekend is plenty to sample the highlights. Save Royal Gorge for a full day, since it earns the extra drive.

So pick a few, leave room for a donut at the top of Pikes Peak, and let this Rocky Mountain city work its magic. You will be planning your return before you even make it home.

Featured image: Connie Smith via Garden of the Gods