Things to do nearGarden of the Gods

Garden of the Gods earned its name in 1859 when two surveyors, scouting the area for a potential townsite, were so struck by the landscape that one suggested it would be a fine place for a beer garden. His companion replied that it was a fit place for the gods. The name stuck, and the park has carried that sense of grandeur ever since. The land was donated to the City of Colorado Springs in 1909 by the family of Charles Elliott Perkins with the condition that it remain free and open to the public forever.

The formations themselves are sedimentary rocks laid down over hundreds of millions of years and later tilted nearly vertical by the same geological forces that pushed the Rocky Mountains upward. The result is a series of dramatic fins, spires, and balanced rocks composed primarily of Lyons sandstone, their vivid red and orange hues coming from iron oxide within the stone. Walking the central trails, you pass between formations that tower well above 300 feet and cast long shadows across the scrub oak and yucca below.

The park supports a surprising range of activities beyond hiking. Permitted rock climbing draws experienced climbers to established routes on the formations. Guided horseback rides operate seasonally along the outer trails. Cyclists use the paved paths that loop through the park, and ranger-led programs introduce visitors to the geology, ecology, and the history of the Ute, Arapaho, and other Indigenous peoples who considered this landscape sacred long before European settlement.

Garden of the Gods rewards a patient visit. The light changes the character of the rocks entirely from hour to hour, and the surrounding backdrop of Pikes Peak adds a scale and context that few urban parks anywhere in the country can match.