3 hour 15 min. trip to summit of Pikes Peak, 14,110-ft., 360-degree views, wildlife, cascading streams.

Group Info: Pre-payment required 2 weeks in advance, group seated together, no standing or waiting in line.

Description:
Pikes Peak was first "discovered" by Lieutenant Zebulon Pike in 1806. He not only failed to reach the top but also wrote, "man might never walk on its summit". But in 1820, Edwin James did indeed set foot there, and in 1858, Julia Holmes became the first woman to scale its heights. As a symbol of the West and the Gold Rush, "Pikes Peak or Bust!" became the cry of countless travelers, and the mountain gained fame when Katharine Lee Bates was inspired to write "America the Beautiful" from its summit.

Today, the passengers on the Pikes Peak Cog Railway can experience all of the natural beauty that inspired that song while making the ascent in comfort and style. But it wasn't always this easy! When Zalmon G. Simmons (of Simmons Mattress fame and fortune) rode to the top of Pikes Peak on the back of a mule in the early 1880's, he declared the beauty awesome but the journey awful, and he set about making the mountain accessible by rail. Despite the difficult task of heavy labor in the thin atmosphere, the imposing terrain and harsh weather conditions, the railway was completed on October 20, 1890. Due to spring snows, the first passengers, a Denver church choir, reached the summit on June 30, 1891.

From the opening of the line until the 1950's, steam locomotives were used to transport riders, but steam was gradually replaced by diesel between 1939 and 1957. Since 1965, Swiss-made railcars, made exclusively for the Cog Railway, have been in use. These modern trains meet the rigid safety requirements of the Swiss Bureau of Transport.

Since 1891, the Cog Railway has transported millions of people along the nine-mile track. This epic journey begins by climbing through steep canyons filled with cascading streams and gigantic boulders. The vistas slowly open to encompass seas of quaking aspen and towering mountains. As the train winds its way above timberline, an unparalleled view of Manitou Springs and Colorado Springs stretches eastward into the Great Plains. Westward, as far as the eye can see, the snow-capped Continental Divide fills the horizon! Traveling at eight miles an hour, the trains give photographers and sightseers ample time to take in the magnificent panoramas.

Once on the summit, passengers may refresh themselves in the spacious Summit House which includes a curio shop, lobby and information desk and a concession counter for light meals as well as restrooms. At the Manitou Station, there is a newly remodeled gift shop, the Steamer Stop Shop, which specializes in unique railraod Pikes Peak and Colorado related curios and clothing. Some carry Cog Railway's custom logo and designs. A miniature Cog train winds its way through the store.

Also at the Manitou Station is the Cog Wheel Café, serving sandwiches, hot dogs, breakfast items and hot and cold drinks. One can purchase a box lunch there to take aboard the train, or enjoy a meal on the patio before or after the trip.

Member Details

• Directions: I-25 exit 141 (Hwy 24) west 4 mis, take 1st Manitou exit, go west 1 1/2 mis turn left on Ruxton Ave
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