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North America > United States of America > Rocky Mountains (United States of America) > Colorado > South Central Colorado > Colorado Springs

Colorado Springs

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Colorado Springs is the second largest city in Colorado, behind Denver to the north, and defines the northeastern tip of the south central region of the state. Attractive mountain scenery is nearby.

Understand

The Colorado Springs Convention and Visitors Bureau:

  • Visitor Information Center, 515 S. Cascade Ave. Business Hours (Offseason): Monday thru Friday: 8:30AM-5PM (Summer Season) 8AM-6PM – seven days a week!. 

Get in

By plane

  • Colorado Springs Municipal Airport (COS) - This is a full-service airport, but small enough to be able to get in and out quickly. Recent renovations, including free wireless internet, make it a very nice place to wait for an hour or two if you arrive early for your flight. Airport is located 11 miles east of downtown Colorado Springs.

Drive

  • 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 bus terminal is at 120 S. Weber St., in downtown Colorado Springs.

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 2.5mi, 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. 
A formation in the Garden of the Gods
  • 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. 
A view of Pike's Peak from the Garden of the Gods
  • 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 (West about 6 miles on Cimarron St./Rt 24), ☏ +1 719 685-5444. 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. 
  • 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. $5 adult, free children under 10. 
  • 8 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. 
  • 9 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. 
  • 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. 
  • Ghost Town Museum, 400 S. 21st St, ☏ +1 719 634-0696. Step back in time to Colorado's gold-rush days and experience an 1800's old west town frozen in time. Pan for real gold! $6.50 adults, $4 children, under 6-free. 

Do

  • Cycling
  • 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.
Whitewater Rafting in Colorado Springs

Buy

  • Chapel Hills Mall, 1710 Briargate Blvd. (Near N. Academy and I-25). Shopping, food court. 
  • The Citadel Mall, 750 Citadel Dr. East (Academy & Platte (CO-24)). Shopping, food court. 
  • 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. 

Eat

  • Il Vicino Wood Oven Pizza & Brewery, 11 S. Tejon, ☏ +1 719 475-9224. Great gourmet pizzas. 
  • The Blue Star, 1645 S Tejon (next to Bristol), ☏ +1 719 632-1086. Great atmosphere and good food. 
  • Shuga's, 702 S. Cascade, ☏ +1 719 328-1412. Mon-Sat 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. 
  • North End Diner, 3005 N Hancock, ☏ +1 719 442-1833. Big, cheap breakfast plates. 
  • 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. 
  • Colorado Bean, S. Carefree & Powers (next to ticket counter of the Cinemark theater). Coffee, drinks, Mexican food. Reasonably priced. Excellent location for dinner when you're also seeing a movie. Tied with The Armadillo for hottest green chili in the city. (now closed) 
  • 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, 204 Mount View Ln #16 (off N Nevada, south of I-25), ☏ +1 719 599-0887. 6AM-2PM M-Su. Awesome breakfast and daily meat sandwiches or plates for lunch. 

Drink

  • Bristol Brewing Company, 1604 S Cascade Ave, ☏ +1 719 633-2555. Best beer in town. Recently moved to its new location in an old elementary school. Quite charming and unique. 
  • Porky's Bar, 5910 Omaha at Powers, ☏ +1 719 574-7447. Newly revamped, food and drink, with 5 outdoor sand volleyball courts. 
  • Phantom Canyon Brewing Co., 2 E. Pikes Peak Ave., ☏ +1 719 635-2800. M-Sa. 11AM-2AM, Sun. 10AM-2AM. Wide variety of excellent brews made on premises. Also serves high quality food for lunch and dinner Mon-Sun. 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! 
  • Ritz Grill, 15 S Tejon St., ☏ +1 719 635-8484. A great bar brings in many singles and couples alike. Popular with locals and always a good variety of reasonably-priced food. 
  • Trinity Brewing Co, 1466 W Garden off Gods Road (Mile or so west of I 25 on Garden off Gods Road), ☏ +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. Easy to find, close to Garden of the Park, Manitou Springs, Old Colorado city and the Air force Academy FREE WIFI 

Sleep

  • The Broadmoor, 1 Lake Ave, ☏ +1 719 634-7711. 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. 

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

Wireless Internet

Colorado City Creamery
  • 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 WiFi.
  • Mountain Perks Coffee, 5765 N. Academy. Free WiFi.
  • 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. [1]. 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. 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

Routes through Colorado Springs
Denver ← Monument ←  N  S  → Pueblo → Santa Fe/Clayton
Minturn ← Manitou Springs ←  W  E  → Limon → Stockton


This city travel guide to Colorado Springs is a usable article. It has information on how to get there and on restaurants and hotels. An adventurous person could use this article, but please feel free to improve it by editing the page.


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