Colorado Springs
Colorado Springs is a city of about 490,000 in the western U.S. state of Colorado. The seat of El Paso County, the city lies 63 miles (101 km) south of Denver at the foot of Pikes Peak in South Central Colorado.
Understand
The Colorado Springs Convention and Visitors Bureau:
- Visitor Information Center, 515 S. Cascade Ave. Off-season: M-F 8:30AM-5PM, summer season: daily 8AM-6PM.
Get in
Map of Colorado Springs
By plane
- 1 Colorado Springs Municipal Airport (COS IATA) (11 miles east of downtown Colorado Springs). This is a full-service airport, but small enough to be able to get in and out quickly. Free wireless internet. It's a very nice place to wait for an hour or two if you arrive early for your flight. The airlines that serve Colorado Springs are American, Delta, Frontier, United and Southwest.
- Denver International Airport (DEN IATA) - 80 miles north of Colorado Springs. Groome Transportation has hourly shuttle service between Colorado Springs and DEN; it is also possible to take the A Line rail to downtown Denver and then Bustang or Greyhound to Colorado Springs.
By car
- Interstate 25 is the only Interstate, running north-south through the city. Colorado Highway 83 provides a secondary route between East Denver and The Springs. US Highway 24 connects the city with mountain communities to the West and Limon, Colorado on the Eastern Plains.
- Denver is 70 miles north on I-25.
- Albuquerque is about 380 miles south on I-25.
By bus
Greyhound runs bus services up to five times per day from Denver and at least once daily from other cities in Colorado and neighbouring states. The 2 Greyhound bus terminal is located at 120 S Weber St in downtown.
Bustang also runs service from Denver and Pueblo.
Get around
Colorado Springs lies along the foothills east of the Rocky Mountains. It runs north-south along I-25, with the Air Force Academy to the North, downtown to the south, and Pikes Peak rising in the west.
See
- 1 Garden of the Gods, 1805 N 30th St (I25 Exit west 2.5 mi, then south on 30th St), ☏ +1 719 634-6666. 5AM-11PM. A series of dramatic sandstone formations, enclosed by a city park. Excellent for hiking and technical rock climbing. Free.
- 2 Pikes Peak (West about 10 miles on Cimarron St./Rt 24), toll-free: +1-800-318-9505. May-Sept 7AM-7PM. The most famous peak in Colorado, inspiring the song "America the Beautiful", dominates over the city to the west. Drive to the top, or ascend by Cog Rail. Feeling fit? Hike up Barr Trail to the summit, especially beautiful in the summer with all the wild flowers. Feeling really fit? Run up during the Pikes Peak Ascent or run up and down in the Pikes Peak Marathon. $10 per person/$35 per car.
- 3 Rock Ledge Ranch (across 30th St from the Garden of the Gods visitor center, left at the main entrance to Garden of the Gods), ☏ +1 719 578-6777. June–August and special events. A seasonal living history museum ranging across four time periods encompassing authentic American Indian, early settler, Victorian and Edwardian eras. $4-8.
- 4 Cave of the Winds, 100 Cave of the Winds Rd, Manitou Springs (West about 6 miles on Cimarron St./Rt 24), ☏ +1 719 685-5444, info@caveofthewinds.com. 9AM-9PM. A series of caves near Manitou Springs, offering tours. ~$20.
- 5 Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, 4250 Cheyenne Mountain Zoo Rd (I-25 Exit 138, west to the Broadmoor Hotel, then right and follow signs), ☏ +1 719 633-9925. 9AM-6PM. A small, scenic mountain zoo with many exotic animals. $12.
- 6 Seven Falls (West on West Cheyenne Blvd), ☏ +1 719 632-0765. A privately owned series of falls and nature trails. Fills up quickly on weekends, but you can instead visit neighboring Helen Hunt Falls. $9 Adult, $5.50 child.
- 7 Helen Hunt Falls (West on West Cheyenne Blvd, right at sign). A short hike to some great views, within North Cheyenne Cañon City Park. free.
- 8 United States Olympic Training Center, 1 Olympic Plaza, ☏ +1 719 632-5551. Major U.S. Olympic training facility, with an aquatic center, gymnasiums, shooting center, and velodrome. Senior, group and military discounts are available. $12 adult, $10 seniors and military, $8 children 5-12.
- 9 United States Air Force Academy (I-25 Exit 156B), ☏ +1 719 333-2025. 8AM-6PM. Academy nestled in the foothills of the Rampart range at the north end of town, you can tour the famous Chapel and other sights. free.
- Air Force Falcons (Air Force Academy), ☏ +1 719 472-1895, toll-free: +1-800-666-USAF (8723). The Academy's athletic program offers college sports action throughout the school year. The best-known program is the football team, long a solidly competitive program. Football games especially offer a unique combination of military pageantry and traditional college sports atmosphere. Ticket prices vary by sport.
- Colorado College Tigers (Colorado College). The Tigers play most of their sports in the non-scholarship NCAA Division III. However, two sports—men's ice hockey and women's soccer—play in Division I. The hockey team, which plays at Ed Robson Arena on its campus as a member of the National Collegiate Hockey Conference, has one of the richest traditions in U.S. college hockey. Its rivalry with the University of Denver is one of the fiercest in the sport.
- 10 May Natural History Museum (I-25 Exit 140, South 8 miles on Rt 115, right at huge beetle), ☏ +1 719 576-0450. May-Sept 9AM-5PM. An eclectic but unique museum south of town, with thousands of large insects collected by John May from around the tropics. $6.
- 11 ProRodeo Hall of Fame and Museum of the American Cowboy, 101 ProRodeo Dr, ☏ +1 719 528-4764, halloffame@prorodeo.com. The only heritage center in the world devoted to professional rodeo, with two multi-media presentations and Hall of Champions. $6 adults, $3 children.
- 12 Garden of the Gods Trading Post (South end of Garden of the Gods park), ☏ +1 719 685-9045, toll-free: +1-800-874-4515. Don't miss the largest art gallery and gift shop in Colorado. Sample delicious buffalo burgers and more at the Balanced Rock Cafe, on the outdoor patio, under the shade of the cottonwood trees.
- 13 Ghost Town Museum, 400 S. 21st St, ☏ +1 719 634-0696. Step back in time to Colorado's gold-rush days and experience an 1800s old west town frozen in time. Pan for real gold! $6.50 adults, $4 children, under 6-free.
- 14 Western Museum of Mining and Industry, 225 North Gate Blvd., ☏ +1 719 488-0880. Featuring hands-on exhibits, gold panning, a working steam engine and Oro and Nugget, mascot burros!
- Rocky Mountain Vibes, 4385 Tutt Blvd, ☏ +1 719 591-7699. The local Pioneer League (low minor league) baseball team plays at 1 UCHealth Park.
- Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC, 111 W Cimarron St, ☏ +1 719 368-8480, tickets@switchbacksfc.com. The local soccer team plays in the second-level USL Championship at 2 Weidner Field near downtown. (Note that this is the second stadium of that name; the original one, which has since been renamed, is near UCHealth Park.)
- Penny Arcade Manitou Springs, 930 Manitou Ave, Manitou Springs, ☏ +1 719-685-9815. A historic location in Manitou Springs just outside of Colorado Springs where you can play old and new arcade games.
- 15 Cheyenne Mountain State Park, 410 JL Ranch Heights, ☏ +1 719 576-2016, cheyenne.park@state.co.us. Day use 5AM-10PM, Archery range sunrise-sunset, Visitor center: May 1- Sept 30: 9AM-5PM, Oct 1- April 30: 9AM-4PM. Day use $9/vehicle/day, Camping $28, Full hook-up campsite $41.
- 16 United States Olympic & Paralympic Museum, 200 S Sierra Madre St, ☏ +1 719-497-1234, contact@usopm.org. Adults $24.95, Seniors (65+), Military, and First responders $19.95, Children (3-12) $14.95, Children under 2 free. Only VISA cards are accepted, no cash.
Do
- 3 Sky Zone Colorado Springs.
- Hiking, the Pike National Forest to the west, Pikes Peak, and numerous city parks offer ample hiking opportunities.
- Horseback Riding
- Academy Riding Stables, toll-free: +1 888 700-0410. Enjoy a ride through beautiful towering sandstone rock formations in the Garden of the Gods.
- Mark Reyner Stables Inc, 3254 Paseo Rd, ☏ +1 719 634-4173.
- Cycling
- Challenge Unlimited-Pikes Peak by Bike, toll-free: +1-800-798-5954. Bike down over 7,000 feet from the top of Pikes Peak with professional guides, mid-April–October. Bike helmet, all-weather gear and meals are included.
- Rock Climbing, at Garden of the Gods and Red Rock Canyon (non-marking chalk only, register first at the Garden of the Gods visitor center), and in North Cheyenne Cañon City Park.
- The Colorado Climbing Company, ☏ +1 719 209-6649. Climb with certified, professional guides in the Garden of the Gods, Cheyenne Cañon, Red Rock Canyon, and more.
- Whitewater Rafting on the Arkansas river, about an hour south of town.
- Pets, Colorado Springs is very dog friendly, with excellent areas for off-leash hiking at Red Rock Canyon Open Space, Palmer Park, and Bear Creek Regional Park.
- Skate
- Volleyball
- The Sand Pits. Sand
- Card Games
- ACBL Unit 360 Bridge Center, 901 N.17th St, ☏ +1 719 634-7250. Sanctioned duplicate games most afternoons and many evenings (except Sunday).
- 4 Pikes Peak Center for the Performing Arts, 190 S Cascade Ave.
Buy
- 1 Chapel Hills Mall, 1710 Briargate Blvd (Near N. Academy and I-25). Shopping, food court.
- 2 The Citadel Mall, 750 Citadel Dr. East (Academy & Platte (CO-24)). Shopping, food court.
- 3 Old Colorado City (W Colorado Ave, between 23rd and 28th Streets). Historic district with shopping and restaurants.
- Manitou Springs (West on CO-24). Shopping, many restaurants, designated national historic district.
- The Promenade Shops at Briargate, 1885 Briargate Parkway (Near Briargate Pwky & I-25). Shopping, many restaurants.
Eat
- Il Vicino Wood Oven Pizza & Brewery, 11 S. Tejon, ☏ +1 719 475-9224. Great gourmet pizzas.
- Shuga's, 702 S. Cascade, ☏ +1 719 328-1412. M-Sa 11AM-1PM. Funky.
- Big Train, 3050 N Nevada, ☏ +1 719 473-8218. Good place for chicken fried steak breakfast.
- Biaggis (shops at briargate). Great gourmet Italian food. A little on the expensive side but well worth it.
- Jake and Telly's, 2616 Colorado Avenue in Old Colorado City, ☏ +1 719 633-0406. Great Greek food; under $15 for lunch, over $20 for dinner. Sit outside on their second floor patio and enjoy the gorgeous Colorado Springs weather.
- O'Furry's, 900 E. Fillmore, ☏ +1 719 634-3106. Hole-in-the-wall Irish-style pub, featuring some of the best burgers in Colorado Springs.
- Frankie's Bar & Grill, 945 Powers & Galley, ☏ +1 719 574-4881. Neighborhood bar/grill since 1984.Burgers and wings. Perfect for watching all the games.
- Frankie's Too!, 7376 McLaughlin Rd, Falcon (Woodmen & Meridian), ☏ +1 719 495-8708. Sports, spirits and food.
- Jun Japanese, 1760 Dublin, 3276 Centennial, ☏ +1 719 531-9368. Very good Japanese - Popular happy hour
- Rico's Coffee and Wine Bar, 324 N. Tejon, ☏ +1 719 632-7721. Wine, chocolate, coffee, tapas, and great music.
- Pueblo Viejo, 5598 N. Academy, ☏ +1 719 266-1999. Authentic Mexican food. Run by a family from Jalisco, Mexico who specialize in chile rellenos. Great salsa and atmosphere.
- Solo's Restaurant, 1665 N. Newport (Powers & Fountain), ☏ +1 719 570-7656. Ok diner, and you can eat inside a KC-97 aircraft, lots of aviation decor.
- Sheldon's Luncheonette, 204 Mount View Ln #16 (off N Nevada, south of Garden of the Gods Road), ☏ +1 719 599-0887. M-Sa 6AM-2PM, Su 7AM-1PM. Awesome breakfast and daily meat sandwiches or plates for lunch.
- Carbonella Creations, 1169 N Circle Dr, ☏ +1 719 213 1097, carbonellacreations@hotmail.com. M-F 11:30AM - 7:30PM. Fresh pasta, made in the house. Pizzas, breads, focaccia, cured meats, etc $$.
- 1 O'sae Sushi Ramen Bistro, 1825 Peterson Rd, ☏ +1 719 570-0543. 11:00AM–2:00PM; 4:30PM–9:00PM (Closed Tuesdays). O’sae offers authentic and delicious tasting Japanese cuisine and bistro in Colorado Springs, CO. O’sae's convenient location makes this restaurant a natural choice for dine-in or take-out meals in the Colorado Spring community. The restaurant is known for its variety in taste and choice of meals. Customers can state their personal taste preferences upon arrival and then take delight in the individualized maki, sushi, salad, and ramen creations. A true new way to do your traditional O’sae style meal.
- 2 Slice420, 2501 W Colorado Ave #108, ☏ +1 719 368-6977. Great New York style pizza. Founded by a family of American medical refugees who actively support/donate to American medical refugee causes, HopeKids, The Shandy Clinic, Mt. Carmel Veterans Service Center, Flowering Hope Foundation, and local businesses and individuals in need. Offers pizza by the slice, full pizza pies, calzones, pizza rolls, salads, desserts, etc.
Drink
- Bristol Brewing Company, 1604 S Cascade Ave, ☏ +1 719 633-2555.
- 1 Phantom Canyon Brewing Co., 2 E. Pikes Peak Ave, ☏ +1 719 635-2800. M-Sa 11AM-2AM, Su 10AM-2AM. Wide variety of excellent brews made on premises. Also serves high quality food for lunch and dinner daily. Brunch is available Sunday only.
- Jack Quinns Irish Pub, Tejon St (Downtown). Great Irish and English beers, decent Irish food. Stay for the Irish band!
- Trinity Brewing Co, 1466 W Garden off Gods Rd (Mile or so west of I 25 on Garden off Gods Rd), ☏ +1 719 634-0029. Great micro brewery! Has 4-6 of their own beers on tap as well as an ever changing selection of 28 Plus other micro beers. Great food. Great crowd. Free Wi-Fi.
Sleep
- 1 The Broadmoor, 1 Lake Ave, ☏ +1 719 634-7711, toll-free: +1-855-634-7711. A resort just outside Colorado Springs, covering 3,000 acres with 700 hotel rooms and suites, 15 restaurants, cafés and lounges, three championship golf courses, a tennis club, and world-class spa. Even if your budget won't allow you to stay there, it's worth touring the lavish grounds at the base of Cheyenne Mountain.
- Cheyenne Mountain Resort, 3225 Broadmoor Valley Rd, ☏ +1 719 538-4000, toll-free: +1-800-428-8886. Offers 316 rooms and suites in eight residential lodges, each with a private balcony and views of Cheyenne Mountain.
- Elegante Hotel and Conference Center, 2886 South Circle Dr., ☏ +1 719 576-5900.
- 2 Colorado Springs Marriott, 5580 Tech Center Dr, ☏ +1 719-260-1800. Luxury hotel near the Air Force Academy with mountain vistas and Southwestern dining.
- Crowne Plaza Colorado Springs, 2886 South Circle Dr, toll-free: +1-800-981-4012, fax: +1 719-576-7695. A nice, moderately expensive hotel with rooms and suites and high-speed wireless Internet access.
- Silverwood Hotel and Conference Center, 505 Popes Bluff Trail, toll-free: +1-866-602-8120. Remodeled facilities off I-25 in the Rocky Mountain foothills.
- 3 Rodeway Inn and Suites, 1623 S. Nevada Ave (Exit 140 and three blocks south of I-25 on Nevada), ☏ +1 719 623-2300. Check-in: 2PM, check-out: 11AM. Large outdoor heated pool, pet friendly, in room coffee, daily continental breakfast. economy.
- 4 DoubleTree by Hilton Colorado Springs, 1775 East Cheyenne Mountain Blvd, ☏ +1 719 576-8900.
- Hampton Inn & Suites Colorado Springs/I-25 South, 2910 Geyser Dr, ☏ +1-719-884-0330.
Stay safe
The town is about as safe as Denver, though be aware that Colorado has one of the highest death rates via automobile accidents in the US. So just remember to drive defensively and you'll be fine. Colorado Springs is infamous for speed traps also. Watch out for motorcycle cops (around 5 or 6) along with one or more cruisers waiting to catch you speeding.
The southern part of town is generally less safe than the northern part. Ft. Carson, on the southern edge of town, is a large Army installation bringing in thousands of young, energetic men and women. The businesses that these clients would frequent sometimes attract a rougher crowd. Stay north of Platte or west of Wahsatch, and all should be well.
Connect
- 1 Colorado Springs Post Office.
Wireless Internet
- Colorado City Creamery, Rockrimmon & Delmonico. Network is secured, information available inside for how to connect.
- The Daily Grind, 1200 S Tejon St. Free WiFi.
- Einstein Bros. Café, 4325 Centennial Blvd (at intersection with Garden of the Gods Rd), +1 719 548-8408. Also at Woodmen & Academy. M-F 5:30AM-6PM, Sa 6AM-4PM, Su 7AM-4PM. Free Wi-Fi.
- Oldeworld Bagel, 1670 E Cheyenne Mountain Blvd Suite A (in the same shopping plaza as Target, near I-25 and Circle), +1 719 527-9651. Free WiFi.
- Panera Bread, 7344 North Academy Blvd, +1 719 522-1100; 1845 Briargate Parkway +1 719 266-9200; 3120 New Center Point +1 719 637-3500; 1832 Southgate Road +1 719 389-0808. Free wireless; however, after you connect your browser only directs you to Panera's portal until you click on the appropriate link agreeing to their terms of service.
- Raven's Nest, 330 N Institute Suite #A (SW corner of Institute at Boulder), +1 719 632-3433. M-F 5AM-5:30PM, Sa-Su 7AM-noon. Free WiFi. "A neighborhood gathering place."
- Rico's Coffee & Wine Bar, 324 N. Tejon St. Free WiFi throughout the cafe with seating in the adjacent bookstore.
- Serranos Coffee Company, 7335 N Academy Blvd (at Falcon Landing, north of Woodmen on the east side), +1 719 266-0843. Free WiFi. Original store is in Monument.
- The Summit House, (in the shopping plaza at the corner of Voyager Parkway and Middle Creek in the northernmost part of town, From the north exit I-25 at #156A, take Northgate Road east to Voyager Parkway, turn south; from the south exit I-25 at Interquest Parkway, turn north onto Voyager Parkway), +1 719 488-8893. M-F 6AM-9PM, Sa 7AM-6PM, Su 7AM-5PM. Free WiFi.
- unwiredaccess.net[dead link]. Has many customers downtown. They charge a $6 one-time ("lifetime") fee for an account. Then you can use their wireless hotspots with no further charges (until they go out of business). (Their pricing is different depending on location - the PikesPerk Coffee House on North Academy still uses unwiredaccess.net but does not require a fee. It's assumed the coffee house is paying for the access).
- The towns of Monument and Palmer Lake, about 10 miles north of Colorado Springs, also have free wireless access.
Go next
- Manitou Springs Small historic town and shopping area west of the city, base of the Cog Rail
- Great Sand Dunes National Park, a national park about 2 hours drive southwest of the city. Trek or slide around 750 ft (230 m) sand dunes.
- The Arkansas River has rafting, fishing, and the Royal Gorge, about an hour south of town
- Ski, the closest resorts are Breckenridge and Monarch, each about a two-hour drive.
| Routes through Colorado Springs |
| Denver ← Monument ← | N   S |
→ Pueblo → Santa Fe/Clayton |
| Minturn ← Manitou Springs ← | W  E |
→ Limon → Stockton |