A Short Guide to the Garden of the Gods in Colorado Springs

One of the most scenic and accessible places to visit in Colorado Springs is the Garden of the Gods. This park is home to some incredible red sandstone formations that attract visitors from all over year-round. Photos of the Garden of the Gods kept popping up when we were planning our Colorado itinerary. So, after seeing one too many on our socials, we decided to combine a visit with driving the crazy Pikes Peak Highway as our last activities in Colorado. In this short guide, we’ll detail everything you need to know prior to visiting the Garden of the Gods Park, including opening hours, where to park, the best ways to get around and the must see rock formations.

What is the Garden of the Gods

The Garden of the Gods is located near Colorado Springs in the Pikes Peak Region of Colorado. It is a public park that is home to countless red sandstone formations that were formed millions of years ago. According to archaeological evidence, prehistoric people were present at the site from around 1330 BC, and Native American people also settled here around 250 BC.

It was named “Garden of the Gods” in 1859, when two surveyors came upon this place whilst they were helping to found Colorado City. In 1879, Charles Elliott Perkins purchased 480 acres (190 ha) of land, a portion of this within the present park. After his death, his family gave the land to the City of Colorado Springs in 1909, on the condition that it would remain a free public park.

In 1971, the park was designated as a National Natural Landmark.

Garden of the Gods Opening Times and Entry Information

Since the Garden of the Gods is a public park it is completely FREE to visit. In addition, the Visitor & Nature Center has no admission fee either.

Between 1st November and 30th April the Park is open between 5AM and 9PM. From 1st May until 31st October it’s open from 5AM until 10PM. The Visitor & Nature Center is open between 9AM and 5PM during the winter months and 9AM until 6PM during the summer time.

Parking at the Garden of the Gods

There are many large and smaller car parks across the park. We parked at the Main Parking Lot (P2), which is a sizeable car park with toilet facilities. From here, we followed the short Central Garden Trail, then returned to the car park via the Palmer Trail.

You can always move around with your car if you’re just here for a quick photo stop.

Note that parking is also free of charge, although during the weekends and summer holidays spaces can fill up pretty quickly.

Best Ways to See and Experience the Garden of the Gods Park

1. Hiking Around the Garden of the Gods

If you’ve been following our blog for a while now, then you’ll know that we love hiking. Luckily, if you don’t mind getting your steps in either, there’s over 20 miles of trails zig-zagging through the park. Depending on how much time you have, or effort you want to put in seeing the area, you can choose from easy to moderate footpaths. Below we’ve listed a few of the hiking trails that you can follow:

• Central Garden Trail. This 1.5 mile trail is probably the most popular one in the park for a number of reasons. First of all, the path is paved, so is both wheelchair and pushchair accessible. From here, we could see many iconic formations such as the Tower of Babel, the Kissing Camels, the North Gateway Rock, the Pulpit Rock and the Three Graces.
• Scotsman Trail. It’s another loop trail just south of the Central Garden Trail. It’s easy to combine the two if you wish, for a slightly longer route.
• Siamese Twins Trail. This is a short 0.6-mile loop trail that will take you to the Siamese Twins formation. From here, you can enjoy some lovely views in all directions.
• Palmer Trail. It’s a much longer trail that essentially runs alongside the Garden Drive / Juniper Way Loop, just higher up. It’s a great trail to follow if you have the time and energy because it’ll provide some fantastic overviews of the rock formations in the Central Garden area.

2. Driving Through the Garden of the Gods

If you’re very short on time, or you don’t fancy hiking around the park for too long, then you can also just drive around it. Obviously, driving won’t get you as close to the rock formations. However, there are many car parks along the way where you can stop and see a few of them with minimal effort.

It’s worth noting that some roads are one way only. Therefore, a potential driving route would be to start from the Visitor & Nature Center following the two-way Gateway Road, then turning right onto the one-way Juniper Way Loop. At the next junction, you can drive along Garden Drive all the way to the popular Balanced Rock. From there, you can drive back along Garden Drive and join the southern section of the Juniper Way Loop, before returning to the Visitor & Nature Centre.

Since we were heading towards the town of Cascade to drive the Pikes Peak Highway, we left the Garden of the Gods after a brief stop at Balanced Rock.

3. Other Ways to See the Garden of the Gods

Horseback Riding. Exploring the Garden of the Gods on horseback could be a fantastic experience. Whether you’re a beginner or a more experienced rider, you can book a guided horseback riding tour.

Mountain Biking. Another fun way to see the Garden of the Gods is on two-wheels. There are designated mountain biking trails within the park. Plus, you can also cycle along the Garden Drive/Juniper Way Loop roads, which have dedicated bike lanes. Don’t worry if you don’t have your own bike, as renting one is possible from the visitor centre. In addition, e-bikes are also available to hire.

Rock Climbing. If you’re a rock climber, you can really get to know these million year old formations by climbing them. Please note that technical climbing is only permitted in groups of two or more with proper climbing equipment. You’ll need to apply for a climbing permit prior to any rock climbing activity.

Guided Tours. If you wish to learn a bit more about the park’s history and the rock formations, consider signing up for a guided tour. For example, Jeep Tours provided by Adventures Out West are super popular. In case you’re short on time but wish to visit both the Garden of the Gods and Pikes Peak, this small group tour departs from Denver.

Best Rock Formations to See in the Garden of the Gods

There are several crazy rock formations scattered around the Garden of the Gods. The reason why we enjoyed hiking through the park was because we could get up close to many of them. That being said, driving through the park was also fantastic for appreciating just how unique this landscape is.

Here’s a list of the most notable rock formations:

• Tower of Babel (Along the Juniper Way Loop at Parking Lot 2)
• White Rock (along the Central Garden Trail)
• Kissing Camels & North Gateway Rock (along the Central Garden Trail)
• South Gateway Rock (along the Central Garden Trail)
• Pulpit Rock (along the Central Garden Trail)
• Three Graces (along the Central Garden Trail, close to Juniper Way Loop Parking Lot 7)
• Sleeping Giant & Keyhole Window (along the Upper Loop Trail)
• The Scotsman (along the Scotsman Trail, close to Garden Drive / Scotsman Picnic Area)
• Giant Footprints (along the Palmer Trail, close to the Garden Drive / Juniper Way Loop junction at Parking Lot 11)
• Siamese Twins (along the Siamese Trail)
• Balanced Rock & Steamboat Rock (next to Garden Drive at Parking Lot 15)

Additional Things to Do in Colorado

Drive Pikes Peak Highway. Before or after visiting the Garden of the Gods, we recommend an unforgettable road trip along the second highest road in the USA: Pikes Peak Highway. The road takes you over 14,000 ft above sea level, all the way to the summit of Pikes Peak, one of the many fourteeners in Colorado.

Rocky Mountain National Park. If you’re in Colorado for a few more days, you cannot leave without visiting the stunning Rocky Mountain National Park. There are many hiking trails, scenic alpine lakes and crazy roads to drive on. See all of our dedicated RMNP guides for more inspiration.

Boulder. Another beautiful city surrounded by plenty of hiking opportunities is Boulder. We completed the 1st / 2nd Flatirons hiking trail there, which are the symbols of the city.

Final Thoughts on Visiting the Garden of the Gods in Colorado Springs

Adding a quick stop at the Garden of the Gods before we drove up to the summit of Pikes Peak was a great idea. We got there around opening time in the morning and luckily it wasn’t super busy yet. We ended up combining the Central Garden Trail with the Palmer Trail, which gave us a good mix of easier and harder terrain to hike on, and also allowed us to see some of the most popular formations up close. At the end, we stopped at Balanced Rock & Steamboat Rock, which were already much busier by the time we got there.

Have you ever visited the Garden of the Gods before? If so, which time of the year did you go in and what was your experience? If not, would you add the park to your Colorado itinerary? Let us know in the comments below.