50 Colorado Springs Must-dos
Add These 50 Experiences to Your Pikes Peak Region Must-Do List!
- Make it to the top of Pikes Peak - America’s Mountain by train*, bike, car or foot
- Get a photo “holding up” Balanced Rock in Garden of the Gods Park
- Cross one of the world’s highest suspension bridges and don’t be too afraid to look down! Location: Royal Gorge Bridge
- Wake up early to see the sunrise – “purple mountain majesty” is a real thing!
- Watch the sun set behind Kissing Camels and Pikes Peak from Mesa Overlook
- Cool off next to a waterfall at Helen Hunt Falls and The Broadmoor Seven Falls
- Hand-feed veggies to the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo’s giraffes and elephants
- Spot a bighorn sheep - they’re very shy! Best places to try: Garden of the Gods Park, Glen Eyrie Castle, and Royal Gorge Route Railroad
- Howl with the wolves at the Wolf & Wildlife Center or prowl among big cats at Serenity Springs
- Count the number of bird species near a nature center – Colorado Springs is one of the best places for birding!
- Get a picture with a resident donkey in Cripple Creek or at the Western Museum of Mining & Industry
- Go zip lining
- See a dinosaur fossil. Best places: Skyline Drive, Dinosaur Resource Center
- Whitewater raft through the Royal Gorge
- Take a hot air balloon ride
- Take a Jeep tour or an ATV ride
- Go horseback riding in a park or on a dude ranch
- Go for a long hike through a mountain pine forest
- All aboard for a train ride
- Relive Team USA glory at the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Museum
- Take on the exhilarating Terror-Dactyl at Cave of the Winds – watch the Today show take on the challenge
- See a restored airplane at the National Museum of WWII Aviation Museum
- Throw your family in a historic jail at the Jail Museum in Cripple Creek
- Tell Santa what you want for Christmas at the North Pole – Santa’s Workshop*
- Throw $10 on red or go “all in” when playing Texas Hold ‘Em in one of the Cripple Creek casinos
- Go underground at the Cave of the Winds or the Mollie Kathleen Gold Mine
- Go back in time at the Ghost Town Museum or the Western Museum of Mining & Industry
- Meet an authentic cowboy at the ProRodeo Hall of Fame
- See a live performance or concert at one of these awesome venues*
- Browse the art galleries in Manitou Springs and Old Colorado City
- Watch a sporting event – Sky Sox Baseball, Switchbacks Soccer, CC Hockey and Air Force Falcon Football are the local’s favorites*
- Spot an Art on the Street sculpture in Downtown Colorado Springs
- Make your own coin and learn the history of money at the Money Museum
- Eat a donut at the top of Pikes Peak
- Try the green chili and join the "Clean Plate Club" at King’s Chef Diner - featured on Food Network
- Have a pint at a local brewery
- Find a bee sticker on your lapel at the Golden Bee
- Taste test mineral spring waters in Manitou Springs
- Try fresh, local produce at a farmer’s market* or orchard
- Enjoy astronaut ice cream at the Space Foundation Discover Center
- Have high tea in a real castle – Miramont Castle & Glen Eyrie
- Eat dinner on a roof top with a great view of Pikes Peak - Dining with a View Locations
- Try cuisine from a local food truck – must try the truck Pig Latin
- Have a paranormal experience
- Make it to the top of the Manitou Incline*
- Spot the mountain where NORAD is hidden
- Drive a race car #NoBrakes at Pikes Peak International Raceway
- Do the scavenger hunt in Michael Garman’s Magic Town museum in Old Colorado City
- Spot the “face” formation in a popular cañon
- Count the spires on the U.S. Air Force Academy’s Cadet Chapel*
Please note that some attractions are currently closed for construction (Cog Railway will reopen in May 2021 and USAFA Cadet Chapel will reopen in 2023). Other attractions have limited hours or are temporarily closed due to COVID-19. There are still dozens of activities and attractions that are open with safety procedures in place to help you check off your Pikes Peak Region bucket list.