Colorado Springs, aka Olympic City, USA! This town is the home of the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Training Center, 3x different U.S. Air Force Bases, Ft Carson (legacy home of the famous 10th Mountain Division), 8,000 acres of parks and open space, and 130 miles of trails. No wonder so many people call this magnificent place home!
This post will read a little different than you’re used to. I’m going to write about the best places to check out in Colorado Springs from an insider’s perspective. This won’t be a “Top 10 things to do in Colorado Springs post”, rather it will be a “how-to” for experiencing these tourist traps and other lesser-known attractions for the best experience; a real insider’s guide.
Jump to:
- Downtown CoS
- Breweries
- Coffee Shops
- Hiking
- Camping
- Garden of the Gods
- Pikes Peak
- The Incline
- Manitou Springs
- US Air Force Academy
- Cave of the Winds
Best things about Downton CoS
- Restaurants (in no particular order)
- White Pie (rustic-chic pizza parlor making authentic pizza and Italian classics)
- Atomic Cowboy (go with the garlic knots, trust me)
- Streetcar 520 (ask for french fries with crack sauce)
- Phantom Canyon Brewing Company (the green chili is to die for)
- Oscar Blues (over 30 beers on top with a mean black bean burger)
- Med Café (best falafel in downtown)
- T-Bryds (delicious tacos and even better margaritas)
- Skirted Heifer (burgers having an extra layer of melted cheddar cheese resembling a skirt)
- Ola Juice Bar (for acai bowls!)
- Pub Dog – a restaurant/taphouse with a fenced-in area for your doggos!
- Bike Night/Joy Ride – held every Wednesday, you’ll meet at Streetcar 520 around 6:00pm for a short trip around Colorado Springs stopping only to rally, drink free beer (thanks New Belgium!), and meet awesome people. No bike? No problem! There are rental e-bike stations all around downtown, so grab one and get pedaling! Their first ride is 23 June this year (2021)!
- Speakeasies
- Shame and Regret (a low-light scotch and whiskey bar in Downtown)
- Brooklyn’s (a real “haberdashery”)
- District Elleven (an eclectic bar with a vintage feel; you’ll feel like Alice falling down the rabbit hole)
- Archives (an underground cocktail bar located inside of Colorado Craft)
- Hidden artifacts/art/yellow footprints – keep an eye out for yellow footprints on the sidewalks on the main street as they lead to miniature and abstract public art works that represent some of Colorado Springs’ iconic landmarks. See if you can figure them out!
- CO.A.T.I – a handful of amazing food truck style restaurants in one spot, complete with a bar and live music most nights.
Best Breweries (in no particular)
- Local Relic – A brewery in a 132-year-old church! Their claim to fame is their completely unique and unusual brews that are always rotating.
- Pikes Peak Brewing Company – complete with a rooftop bar and outdoor seating. Check out CO.A.T.I. next door for live music and food truck style warehouse!
- Bristol Brewing Company – established in one of the last two 20th century schoolhouses still standing in Colorado Springs (1916 to be exact), this brewery shares these halls with a bakery, espresso/cocktail bar, and delicatessen; school has never felt so fun!
- Goat Patch – located in the second of the last two 20th century schoolhouses (1948 to be exact), this brewery is next to Building Three Coffee (which does excellent pour overs), a bakery, a café/smoothie joint, and a Pilates studio!
- Phantom Canyon Brewing Company – be sure to try the green chili.
- Manitou Brewing Company – a tucked-away brewery off main street in Manitou Springs, just outside Colorado Springs.
- Red Leg Brewery – veteran owned and operated, this brewery’s name is a nod to the Civil War battlefields where artillery soldiers wore a cardinal stripe on their pant leg to denote their location on the field of battle.
Best Coffee Shops
- Story Coffee Company – a small, caboose-style trailer with a patio next to Acacia Park in the heart of downtown.
- Switchback Coffee Roasters (aka 50/50 coffee)– the best cup of coffee in Colorado Springs, hands down! Outdoor seating on their patio faces east, so grab a pour over and warm up in the morning sun.
- Building Three Coffee – located in a repurposed, 1948 elementary school, this café shares its halls with a brewery, bakery, smoothie joint, and a Pilates studio!
- Rosco’s – located on a somewhat busy street, so grab your cup and walk around the welcoming neighborhoods and quirky houses to the northwest.
- Loyal Coffee Company (Northgate, on Ridgeline Dr) – Sit on the bench right outside for views of Pikes Peak or take a quick walk down to the small wetlands to the south for some peace and quiet.
Best Hiking
- Pulpit Rock – Park at the Pulpit Rock Trial Parking lot off N Nevada Ave and head south for a hike to the top of this lesser-known hiking spot. Pulpit Rock offers world-class views of Pikes Peak and the foothills below, and sunsets are absolutely stunning from the top, so try and plan to catch at least one while you’re here!
- Red Rock Open Space – from a lookout for Ute members to a gypsum mine for building Colorado City, this open space has a rich history and an even more rich recreation use nowadays. 11 miles of trails for hikers, singletrack and a free-ride stunt park for bikers, and 85 climbing routes ranging from 4th Class to 5.13 make this a hidden recreation mecca.
- Cheyenne Mountain State Park – Get out of the city for a while and explore 28 miles of trails, a year-round campground, and even an Archery Range!
- Palmer Park – right in the middle of the city, this spot is prime for framing Pikes Peak and Cheyenne Mountain, and even allows you to drive all the way to the top if you’re not feeling up to a hike. If there’s chance of a thunderstorm to the south of Colorado Springs, I highly encourage you to drive here at night and sit in awe as you watch the light show!
- Skagway Power Plant – easily the most hidden hiking gem close to Colorado Springs, this 11.4-mile round-trip hike takes you deep into the National Forest along West Beaver Creek to an abandoned powerplant and accompanying ghost town that was wiped out by a flood in 1965; see my post about it here.
Best Camping
- Gold’s Camp Road – an off-roader’s paradise, or someone that’s just looking to hit a few bumps in their Tacoma or Jeep while blasting Skynyrd on their radio. This road takes you into the National Forest where you can park at the Upper Gold Camp parking lot and hike into the forest for some primitive camping (the best kind!).
- Old Stage Road – quite easily the bumpiest dirt road I’ve ever driven, but perfect for getting you into the National Forest as quickly as possible. Head towards the Broadmoor and just behind it, you’ll find a dirt road that’ll take you straight into the National Forest. The best spot for primitive camping is best secured if you go at least an hour’s drive into the forest, putting you somewhere in the middle of Colorado Springs and Victor or Cripple Creek.
- Farrish Recreation Area – reserved for DoD personnel and their dependents and be sure to call about 2 months ahead for making reservations. However, if you’re a last-minute planner like I am, just visit Farrish for the day, then camp anywhere outside of it for free since it’s in the National Forest!
Best way to experience Garden of the Gods
- Best hiking trail for views – go to the parking lot at 1423-1427 Juniper Way Loop, cross the road to the north and find the trail that goes east/west. Go west (towards the mountains) on the trail and begin making your through the park until you find a good spot to snap pictures of rock climbers and Pikes Peak at the same time.
- Best way to get here via car/bike – From downtown, go north to Uintah street and head west. From there, cross under I-25, go up the hill a small way, and take a right on Mesa road. Keep a look out for deer, they’re think on this road! Pull off at Mesa Overlook and you’re sure to get the best views of Garden of the Gods with Pikes Peak shadowing in the background.
Best way to experience Pikes Peak
- Fish in the reservoirs on the mountain – Bring your fishing pole and relax here for a while before continuing to the summit. Keep an eye out for wildlife!
- Camp at Mueller State Park and hike up the back side – The trail to the top of Pikes from here is 13.1 miles (roundtrip) and it’s worth every step; picturesque views of surrounding mountain ranges, bird’s eyes views of Colorado Springs, and an array of wildlife from plans to animals.
- Oh, Why do they call Pikes Peak, “America’s” Mountain you wonder? An English teacher named Katharine Lee Bates made a trek up to the summit of Pikes Peak in 1893 and was so moved by the sights from the top that she wrote a poem titled “Pikes Peak”. Shortly after, a man named Samuel A. Ward adapted the poem into a version that you and I now sing at during the 7th inning stretch of any Rockies home game: America the Beautiful!
Best way to experience Manitou Springs’ Incline
Have you talked with your friends about going to Colorado Springs at some point and they say, “Ohh you HAVE to do the Incline, it kicked my butt!” and had no idea what they were talking about? Lol well, the Incline is actually located in Manitou Springs, just about a 20 minute’s drive west of Colorado Springs. What was once a cable tram to haul materials up and down a mountain is now an iconic fitness challenge if you’re up for it. Test your endurance by climbing 2,750 steps, gaining over 2,000 feet in only a single mile!
- Stop at Iron Spring Geyser first – You can fill your water bottle with fresh spring water here and enjoy the shade of the gazebo before your intense workout. After, stop back here and relax to the sound of the river rushing just beside it.
- Eat at Hell’s Kitchen Pizza after – the journey isn’t complete without a trip here for some iconic Colorado Pizza.
- Then check out Manitou springs – see below!
Best way to experience Manitou Springs
- Manitou Mineral Springs Tour – there’s a total of 8 mineral springs in this town that spit out spring water 24/7, see if you can visit all of them! Shoshone Spring has the highest mineral content of all of them just FYI.
- Manitou Brewing Company – a cozy, tucked-away brewery right off main street. This location’s patio is perfect for people watching and trust me, the characters here are quite memorable!
- SunWater Spa – remember those mineral springs I told you about? Well, SunWater Spa pumps that mineral water into 8 different tubs with varying temperatures. The best part: the heat comes from power provided by solar panels! Relax in one of the tubs and soak in views of the mountains for as long as needed after hiking the Incline.
- Penny Arcade – a truly awesome arcade set half indoors, half outdoors.
Best way to experience the USAF Academy
- Horseback Riding – skip the chapel and ride a horse through the rugged mountains at the USAFA Horse Stables.
- Eagle Peak – make sure to bring a camera for amazing summit views of Colorado Springs below.
- Ice lake – my favorite spot on the Academy for its quietness and glass-like water, perfect for paddle boarding or dropping a line for fishing.
- Falcon Trail – a popular trail on the U.S. Air Force Academy for running, hiking, or even some stellar single track! Park at the parking lot directly behind the Stadium and go for as long as you’d like.
Best part of Cave of the Winds
- Terror-dactyl – a 150-foot aerial freefall into the Williams Canyon at almost 100mph…nuff said.
Of course this list doesn’t cover everything, but it’s certainly better than a standard “What to do in Colorado Springs” google search! But, what did I miss? If you know of something that’s missing from one of these lists, drop a comment below and let fellow globetrotters know your favorite secrets!
