Things To Do

Iconic Sites and Landmarks

Garden of the Gods (COS) — free red-rock park, visitor center, easy paved loop, climbing, horseback
Pikes Peak — America’s Mountain (COS/Cascade) — toll highway or Broadmoor Manitou & Pikes Peak Cog Railway from Manitou
Manitou Incline (Manitou) — ~2,000 vertical feet in under a mile; free timed reservation required
Seven Falls (COS, Broadmoor side) — waterfall stairs, night lighting
Cave of the Winds / Manitou Grand Caverns (Manitou)
Manitou Cliff Dwellings (Manitou)
Miramont Castle (Manitou)
U.S. Air Force Academy (north COS) — chapel, visitor center, trails; ID rules apply
Cheyenne Mountain Zoo (COS)
North Pole / Santa’s Workshop (Cascade, seasonal)
Paint Mines Interpretive Park (Calhan, east day trip) — colorful clay hoodoos
Florissant Fossil Beds (west of Woodland Park)
Monument Rock and downtown Monument / Palmer Lake (Monument)
U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Museum and America the Beautiful Park (downtown COS)
Ghost Town Museum, ProRodeo Hall of Fame, McAllister House (COS)
Mineral springs walking tour (Manitou) — eight public fountains, bring a bottle

Hikes and Outdoor

Easy / Family

Garden of the Gods central loop and Siamese Twins (COS)
Red Rock Canyon Open Space (west COS) — quarry ponds, dog-friendly
Ute Valley
Palmer Park and Pulpit Rock (COS)
Bear Creek Regional Park / Bear Creek Dog Park (COS)
Section 16 / Palmer Trail connection (west COS)
Monument Lake and Palmer Lake shoreline paths (Monument)
Santa Fe Regional Trail (Monument through the Academy area) — paved/gravel, bikes
The Crags (near Divide, west of Woodland Park) — family-friendly forest hike toward Pikes Peak
Catamount Reservoir trails (near Green Mountain Falls / Woodland Park)

Moderate

Blodgett Peak
North Cheyenne Cañon: Columbine, Mount Cutler, Seven Bridges (COS)
Intemann Trail (Manitou / COS)
Mount Herman (Monument)
Fox Run Regional Park (north COS / Black Forest side)
Stanley Canyon or Academy trails if you have base access
Rampart Reservoir and Balanced Rock area (Woodland Park)

Hard

Manitou Incline, then down Barr Trail (Manitou) – Reserve ahead.
Barr Trail to Pikes Peak summit (full-day, altitude serious)
Cheyenne Mountain State Park ridge trails (south COS)

Also: Academy Riding Stables (Garden of the Gods horseback), rock climbing at Garden of the Gods and Red Rock, mountain biking at Palmer Park, and Captain Jack’s, and fishing or paddling at Prospect Lake, Monument Lake, and Palmer Lake.

Mini Golf, Arcades, and Play

Manitou Springs Penny Arcade (Manitou, 930 Manitou Ave) — vintage pinball, skee-ball, antique machines, prize counter; the one people mean by “penny arcade”
Adventure Miniature Golf (north COS, Corporate Dr) — several themed 18-hole courses
Putt-Putt / other mini-golf spots come and go on Powers and the north side; Adventure is the reliable one
Main Event
Dave & Buster’s (COS)
Fun City or similar family entertainment centers on the east/north side (confirm what’s open)
Topgolf (InterQuest / north COS)
iFLY indoor skydiving and Overdrive Raceway go-karts (COS)
Memorial Park skate park and Prospect Lake (COS)
Iron Springs Chateau melodrama dinner theater (Manitou)

Coffee

Colorado Springs

Loyal Coffee (downtown and north/InterQuest)
Story Coffee (downtown and Old Colorado City)
Switchback Coffee Roasters
Building Three
Corter, Dynamo, High Rise, Hold Fast (local roasters)
Frankly Coffee (west COS, near Manitou)
La Baguette (Old Colorado City) — bakery plus coffee
Nightingale Bread (north) — bakery cafe

Manitou Springs

Red Dog Coffee and Cafe
The Loft
Rocky Mountain Beignets (coffee and beignets)

Green Mountain Falls

Wild & Kind

Monument

Forge Coffee Lab (Jackson Creek)

Woodland Park

Solid Grounds Coffee Roasters
Java Haus
Cafe Leo

Restaurants (mix of local favorites)

Downtown / Tejon

Four by Brother Luck
Shuga’s
The Rabbit Hole (Cocktails)
Ephemera (Ivywild food-hall side)

Old Colorado City

Jake & Telly’s Greek Taverna
Pizzeria Rustica
Monse’s Taste of El Salvador
La Baguette
Summa Taphouse

Manitou Springs

Adam’s Mountain Cafe
The Loop (pizza, creek patio)
Amanda’s Fonda
Briarhurst Manor (special night)
Patsy’s or the candy/fudge shops for a tourist stop

North / Monument

Por Favor
Bourbon Brothers
Local spots in downtown Monument and Jackson Creek (breweries, Mexican, pizza)
Covered Treasures Bookstore area is a good stroll-and-eat zone

Woodland Park

Cork & Cask
Red Diamond Gastro Pub
Sam’s Gyros & Kabobs
Roy’s Crew BBQ
Colorado Wines

Breweries

Bristol
Cerberus
Red Leg
FH Beerworks
Local Relic (COS)

Shopping

Scheels
Dicks Sporting Goods
Seira Trading Post
The Shops at Briargate
Old Colorado City (west COS) — boutiques, chocolate, art, Olive Tap, Saturday farmers market at Bancroft Park in season
Downtown Manitou Ave — quirky gifts, crystals, outdoor gear, fudge, galleries
Downtown COS / Tejon — galleries, clothing, Olympic museum shop
Downtown Monument (2nd & Front) — bookstore, antiques, small gifts, wooden sidewalks
Woodland Park downtown — mountain-town shops along US-24
Chapel Hills, First & Main, and Powers corridor for normal mall/errand shopping
Air Force Academy visitor center gift shop
Garden of the God’s Gift Shop

Easy “first weekend” pairings

Half day: Garden of the Gods, then Old Colorado City lunch and shops
Full day: Manitou mineral springs, Penny Arcade, lunch on the creek, Cave of the Winds or Cliff Dwellings
Mountain day: Pikes Peak highway or cog, or Woodland Park plus The Crags / Rampart Reservoir
North day: Monument Rock or Mount Herman, coffee, Palmer Lake loop
Rainy day: Olympic Museum, Penny Arcade, Cheyenne Mountain Zoo indoor exhibits, Dave & Buster’s

A few practical notes for newcomers: altitude is real (about 6,000 feet in town, 14,115 on the Peak), afternoon thunderstorms are common in summer, and Garden of the Gods parking fills on weekends.