Maggie & Dan’s wedding
Things To Do in Colorado Springs
Garden of the Gods
Garden of the Gods is a gorgeous National Natural Landmark with amazing rock formations with Pikes Peak in the background. It offers gorgeous hiking, biking, rock climbing or scenic roads traveling through the park.
Pikes Peak
Colorado has 58 mountain peaks exceeding 14,000 feet (known as "fourteeners" or "14ers") — the most of any state. At 14,115 feet, Pikes Peak is one of the most well known, and inspired the song 'America the Beautiful' after Katharine Lee Bates stood on the summit. If you want to hike to the top yourself, the 24 mile Barr Trail is the most popular route to take and earns you 7,401 elevation gain and some amazing views. This is not for the faint of heart-- BEWARE of ALTITUDE SICKNESS when you're up this high. If you want to save your legs for the dance floor you can drive the 19-mile Pikes Peak Highway.
Royal Gorge
Just over a hour west of Colorado Springs, the Royal Gorge offers a beautiful view and many fun activities including ziplining and a gondola ride. The more adventurous can tackle the nearby class IV and V rapids.
U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Museum
Having just opened on July 30th, 2020, the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Museum was selected as the country’s Best New Attraction in 2020 by USA TODAY’s 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards. The 60,000-square foot museum is dedicated to America’s greatest athletes and their compelling stories, with the artifacts, media and technology behind the athletes who make the United States proud.
Paint Mines Interpretive Park
Located 40 miles east of Colorado Springs, the Paint Mines are named for their colorful clays that were collected by American Indians to make paint. Brightly colored bands, caused by oxidized iron compounds, are found in varying amounts throughout the many different layers of clay.
Cheyenne Mountain Zoo
Ranks #6 in the US for best zoos. At an elevation of 6,714 feet above sea level, it is the highest zoo in America. The giraffe viewing area is a really cool highlight.
Glen Eyrie Castle
This is a really unique place to visit! It's an old English tutor style castle built in the 1800's. This is about a 4 min drive from the wedding venue and they offer public tours for $9.
Cave of the Winds Mountain Park
This is a cool cave in Pikes Peak. It is located just west of Colorado Springs on U.S. Highway 24, near the Manitou Cliff Dwellings. Tours of the caves are given daily and it usually take 45-60 mins. Admission is around $20-25. Make sure to wear comfortable shoes with good traction – sneakers or hiking boots are ideal. Bring a light jacket – even in Colorado summer, the temperature in these caves can be in the 50's. Dan and I did the lantern tour and it was awesome! Caution though if you are claustrophobic in tight spaces.
Colorado Wolf and Wildlife Center
This is a nonprofit sanctuary for wolves with guided tours. You can see and interact with real wolves, coyotes and foxes. There are many different types of tours but the standard tour is about 1 hour and you can reserve tickets on line. Tickets are about $20/person. Definitely something different and cool to do.
Manitou Springs
This downtown area is so cute! There’s lots of great shopping and restaurants to check out. It is near the Pikes Peak Cog Railway.