Things To Do
Manitou Springs
Manitou Springs has a lot of fun activities. There's the penny arcade (you'll need more than a penny), local shops (including beef jerky and pickles!), and more!
U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Museum
Colorado Springs is home to the Olympic training center, as well as the museum! If you're interested in seeing some Olympic history, visit here!
Garden of the Gods
Garden of the Gods has wonderful views and is more like a short walk than a hike! If you want to experience a little bit of the Colorado mountain scenery without running out of breath, this is a great option.
Pulpit Rock
Pulpit Rock is definitely more of a hike than Garden of the Gods. However, this is where I (Logan) proposed and we got engaged! Pulpit Rock has a fantastic view over the west side of Colorado Springs along with the mountains, and is about an hour round-trip hike.
Manitou Incline
If you want a real challenge, try the Manitou Incline. This is basically just a huge staircase, just over 2,700 stairs, with a 2,000 foot elevation gain. It's definitely a challenge, but if you're up for it, the views are incredible!
Red Rock Canyon Open Space
Red Rock Canyon Open Space is a step up from Garden of the Gods in terms of difficulty, but not a huge challenge either! You'll be hiking underneath trees, between large red rock walls, and probably running into plenty of dog walkers!
Springs Climbing Center
Springs Climbing Center is a fun climbing gym - they have mostly bouldering walls, but also a few auto-belays. This also happens to be where we had our second date! Yes, we really did.
Pikes Peak
Pikes Peak is the tallest mountain in Colorado. Don't worry, you won't have to hike; you can drive or take the railway! There are great views and even a few shops at its peak. Please note that if you drive, it can be steep, and you'll need to make use of your low gears when going back down the mountain, or else they'll have you pull off and wait for your brakes to cool!
Black Forest Section 16
Section 16 is a 4 mile loop in Black Forest, fun for hammocking or walking and enjoying nature. In 2013, a fire went blazing through here, as you can still see some ash on the trees.