COLORADO

About – A Little History

A Western State with diverse landscape of arid desert, river canyons and snow-covered Rocky Mountains, partly protected by Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado is packed with full of things to do all-year round.

Colorado is bordered by Wyoming to the North, Kansas to the east, Nebraska to the northeast, Oklahoma to the southeast, New Mexico to the south and Utah to the west. Colorado is the Mountain States of United States and Denver is the Capital and most populous City in Colorado.

With plenty of things to do all-year round, you really need multiple visits to cover the top attractions of the State. We did plenty of research on the top attractions, best time to visit, airplane tickets, tour tickets and so on. Based on our research and Itinerary, we have made our list of top things to do in Colorado. We basically divided our itinerary into North and South Colorado and we only covered the Northern part and we are planning to visit the Southern part of Colorado during our next visit and that will be our part 2 of Colorado.

Before you plan to visit Colorado, you will need to make sure you have all the information you will need.

How To Get Here

We recommend flying to Denver International Airport (DEN), the reason being plenty of flight connectivity and Denver is also the major hub for both United Airlines and Frontier Airlines and the largest operating base for Southwest Airlines. Once you are in Denver, you can easily rent a car to travel within Colorado.

Average flight ticket price are around 150$ – 250$ (USD) one way and you can save money if you fly during weekday instead of the weekends.

Best Time To Visit

April through May and September through October are considered as best months to visit Colorado. Peak season is considered to be May and June and Cheapest month to fly to Colorado would be October with fewer tourists and lower accommodation prices. November through March are considered to be winter months of Colorado.

Where we Stayed

Throughout our trip, we did not stay in any fancy hotels/resorts. We just sticked with basics and searched for cheaper and budgeted options based on our itinerary and booked accordingly. We have a separate post on what resources we use to book accommodations, flights, car rentals and so on. Please do not forget to check that before you make your reservations.

Important: Always make sure you add a filter to search for breakfast included option when you are booking hotel. We made our Itinerary in such a way, we booked our hotel based on the location/town we were at the end of the day. That way you can start your journey from the same town/city and avoid travelling back and forth.

Best Western Plus Gateway Inn & Suites – Aurora, CO

Hotel accomodation was decent. Average room rates are about 90 – 100 USD per night for 2 adults. Overall I would recommend and if you have an account with Best Western hotels you can get few dollars off the actual price. The accommodation includes buffet breakfast options. Physical Address: 800 S Abilene St, Aurora, CO 80012. You can reach them at (720) 748-4800

Hampton Inn & Suites – Hilton Steamboat Springs, CO

Hotel accommodation was very good as its owned by Hilton Chains. Rooms were slightly expensive as and has higher average price range of about 120 – 140 USD per night for two adults. However booking in advance saved us 20 – 30 USD per night. Overall we recommend this hotel if you are willing to spend a little more. Physical Address: 3600 S Lincoln Avenue Steamboat Springs, Colorado 80487 USA You can also reach them at 888-728-3028.

Best Western Ptarmigan Lodge (Dillon, CO)

We do not recommend this hotel for your night stay. Average per night stay is about 100 – 110 USD (for being reward member – You just need to create an online account). Firstly the hotel does not have elevators and secondly the receptionist was very rude when we checked in late night. Honestly it’s not acceptable to have your guests carry big suitcases on the stairs and there was absolutely no help at all and they didn’t even bother to ask if we needed help to carry the luggage. Only good thing is about having breakfast buffet. Physical Address: 652 Lake Dillon Drive, Dillon, CO 80435. You can reach them at (970) 468-2341.

Please refrain yourself from going to this hotel and you can pay a little more and get a very good hotel nearby.

Best Western Alamosa Inn (Alamosa, CO)

This was more like a motel than a hotel. We would not recommend staying here. Breakfast buffet was ok, rooms were ok and no elevators. Unless you are ok carrying up your luggage by stairs, please avoid staying here. When we checked in at night, there was only one guy at the reception and there was absolutely no help regarding room service. We needed rooms as the rooms were not cleaned properly and they had given us dirty sheets. Imagine going to this location in peak winter and not having proper sheets. Its just terrible. We wonder how this hotel is still functioning. The only pros is they are slightly cheaper and now you know why.

Most important point: Do not check for any hotels in Alamosa. Its a very small town and you don’t see much options in terms of hotel accommodations. We recommend searching for hotels at nearby towns.

If you are still interested in this, then their physical address: 2005 Main St, Alamosa, CO 81101 and you can reach them at 719 589-2567.

Best Western Executive Inn & Suites (Colorado Springs, CO)

Their website clearly mentioned there is no elevator. Unfortunately we missed that and we had difficulty carrying our luggage up the stairs when we were already tired by the time we checked in.

Average price of the room is about 90 USD per night for two adults with breakfast buffet included. Its a decent stay for the price and honestly it was clean and maintained well. The only concern is not having an elevator. Overall we still recommend staying here because of their maintenance and guest service. Physical address: 1440 Harrison Rd, Colorado Springs, CO 80905 and you can reach them at (719) 576-2371.

Sleep Inn & Suites (Denver, CO)

If you are looking for a good hotel accommodation and want to stay near Denver airport, this is the hotel for you. Located at 5980 Tower Rd Building B, Denver, CO 80249 and you can reach them at (720) 920-9780. The only drawback is its slightly expensive as its close to the airport. With under 9 miles from the Denver airport, average per night stay for 2 adults is around 100 – 120 USD per night unless you want a suite which is slightly expensive than the average price.

They have free airport shuttle service as well and the hotel is well maintained with great guest service. Overall we recommend staying here and it takes less than 15 mins to the airport. We checked out early morning and dropped our rental car at the airport rental before travelling back to San Jose.

That’s a wrap for this travel guide. Please do let us know your comments and feedback. We always welcome feedback and suggestions.

Top Things To Do & See In Colorado

Rocky Mountain National Park
Hike Beak Lake, Nymph Lake, Dream Lake and Emerald Lake
Visit Estes Park
Fish Creek Falls
Dinosaur National Monument
Breckenridge
Great Sand Dunes National Park
Royal Gorge Bridge
Broadmoor Seven Falls
Garden Of The Gods
Pikes Peak Cog Rail
Visit the town Manitou Springs
Denver ChristKindl Park
Denver Botanic Garden

Our Itinerary

DAY 1

Rocky Mountain National Park

Rocky Mountain National Park’s 415 square miles encompasses a spectacular range of mountain environments. You can explore over 300 miles of hiking trails and incredible wildlife viewing.

What you need to Know before you go
You will need timed Entry Permit Reservations along with a park pass/entrance fee in order to enter Rocky Mountain National Park if you’re visiting from May through October. You can book timed entry reservations on https://www.recreation.gov/timed-entry/10086910

You can also buy 1-Day Vehicle Entrance Pass for 30$ (USD) which is valid for the date of purchase.

You can also enter the park if you have Annual America Pass which you can get at any National Park Entrance and the pass costs about 80$ (USD) and valid for one year. We strongly recommend you buy this Annual Pass since a park entrance fees usually costs more than 25$ (USD) per visit on an average.

Note: For more information on how to reserve, get passes or for timed entry reservations, https://www.nps.gov/romo/planyourvisit/timed-entry-permit-system.htm

Visitor Centers

Beaver Meadows Visitor Center is located west of Estes Park on U.S. Highway 36. The Rocky Mountain Conservancy Nature Store is located inside the visitor center building.

Operating Hours: 9AM – 6PM everyday and during Spring and Fall/Winter : 9AM – 4.30PM everyday.

Fall River Visitor Center is located west of Estes Park on U.S. Highway 34.

Operating Hours: 9AM–5PM everyday. Check for closures and timings during Spring and Fall/Winter season.

Kawuneeche Visitor Center is located north of Grand Lake on U.S. Highway 34.
Operating Hours: 9AM – 5PM everyday and during Spring/Winter 9AM – 4.30PM and closed on Monday and Tuesday.

Alpine Visitor Center is located along Trail Ridge Road and typically open late-May through mid-October.
Operating Hours: 9.30AM – 5PM and during Spring 10.30AM – 4.30PM everyday and closed from mid fall to late spring.

Note: For more information about the Park Alerts, Closures, Shuttle Services and other things to do, visit the NPS website https://www.nps.gov/romo/planyourvisit/index.htm

Hike Bear Lake/Nymph Lake/Dream Lake/Emerald Lake

Distances of Each Lake from the Bear Lake Trailhead parking lot. All the lakes are all part of Rocky Mountain National Park and the nearest town is Estes Park.

Bear Lake (0.5 miles Round Trip)
Nymph Lake(1.1 miles Round Trip)
Dream Lake (2.2 miles Round Trip)
Emerald Lake(3.2 miles Round Trip)

Note: We couldn’t do Emerald Lake because of time constraints plus sun sets very early around 4.30 PM during winter. So plan your day accordingly.

Bear lake is one of the most popular areas of Rocky Mountain National Park. The Bear Lake Loop is a wheelchair-accessible trail and is great for hikers of all abilities. You can also extend the hike to Emerald Lake and Dream Lake and they are all accessible from the Bear Lake Trailhead.

We hiked during winter and was also the first winter after our wedding and honestly it was one of our best experience. Colorado has all types of weather conditions and definitely has its own beauty. We highly recommend hiking Bear Lake, Nymph Lake, Dream Lake and Emerald Lake (In this order).

In order to hike to the bear lake you will need to take the bear lake trailhead and the lake is about 0.5 miles round trip and easy loop trail. You can continue on the Bear Lake Dream/Haiyaha Lake trail to get to the Dream Lake which is about 2.2 miles round trip and along the trail you can also stop at Nymph Lake.

Once you reach Dream Lake, you can continue the same trail to get to the Emerald Lake which is about 3.2 miles round trip in total.

Estes Park

A beautiful town in Northern Colorado and about 9.9 miles from Rocky Mountain National Park, Estes Park is home to wildlife including Elks, Bears and miles of trails. We were lucky enough to see many Elks which were majestic and a pleasure to watch.

Note: Never try to get closer to Elks and you can get seriously injured by its horns.

Elks In Estes Park, CO

Downtown Estes Park, CO

After visiting Downtown Estes Park, CO we had dinner in the town and headed to Steamboat Springs, CO which was about (3.2 hrs – 140 miles with Tolls) Drive From Estes Park.

DAY 2

We started our Day 2 by having buffet breakfast in the hotel we stayed and then we started journey towards Fish Creek Falls from Steamboat Springs which is just about 10 mins drive.

Fish Creek Falls

Just minutes from downtown Steamboat Springs, located at 34165 Fish Creek Falls Road with clear and fresh alpine water roaring down the fish creek canyon is the magnificent 280-ft legendary Fish Creek Falls.

Note: Before you visit, fish creek falls you need to make reservation for 5$ USD vehicle day use fee through recreation.gov website unless you have National Park Pass. https://www.recreation.gov/sitepass/74376

Fish Creek Falls has its own beauty and there is no perfect season to visit. In Spring, the falls is at its roaring peak with melted snow. In late Summer, clear water cascades down the smooth rocks and in winter, hikers do the snowshoe trail. We visited during winter and we loved the hike. Although it was peak winter with snow, we were still surprised to see so many hikers.

How to get here

Fish Creek Falls is part of the Routt National Forest. You can take a short 1/4 mile of walk to get a pristine view of the lower falls. But we recommend doing the moderate hike which takes you to the Upper Fish Creek Falls to get a picturesque view. You will not regret this hike. The view is worth it.

Total Hike Length: This hike is for hike to Upper Fish Creek falls which follows the trail beyond the bridge and adds another 1000+ feet above the trailhead which is about 4.7 mile out and back trail and takes about 2.5 hrs on an average to complete and considered as the moderate hike.

Operational Hours: 6AM to 10PM.

Important: If you are just interested in hiking to the bridge at the base of the falls, you can take the shortest 1/4 mile (one-way) option which takes approx 30 mins to complete. But we recommend taking the Upper Fish Creek Falls hike.

Dinosaur National Monument

Located on the Southeast flank of the Uinta Mountains on the border between Colorado and Utah and at the confluence of the Green and Yampa rivers is the great Dinosaur National Monument.

From Steamboat Springs, Dinosaur National Monument is about 2 hrs drive (approx 127 miles). The nearest Colorado town is Dinosaur. Dinosaur National Monument consists of canyons and deserts, rivers and mountains which offer shelter to Coyotes, Mountain Lions, Prairie Dogs and Falcons.

The Physical Address to the Monument is:
Dinosaur National Monument
4545 E. Hwy 40
Dinosaur, CO

The monument was originally preserved in 1915 to protect its famous Dinosaur Quarry and was later expanded in 1938 to include its wealth of natural history. There are more than 800 paleontological sites and dinosaur fossils.

Important Note: If you want to visit the fossils, you need to visit the Utah side of the Monument as there are No Fossils on the Colorado side of the monument.

Key Points Before You Visit

Check for current conditions and closures on NPS website https://www.nps.gov/dino/index.htm.
Make sure you make advanced reservations and buy site pass on recreation.gov website before you visit https://www.recreation.gov/sitepass/72446.
Know about Visitor Center timings and closures. There is one visitor center on the Colorado Side and one on the Utah side.
If you have Annual America The Beautiful National Park pass, you don’t have to make additional reservations.

Visitor Center

Canyon Visitor Center: If you are visiting the Colorado side of the monument, there is only one visitor center called the Canyon Visitor Center. It is located at the base of the Harpers Corner Road. Restrooms and Water are available only seasonally. So plan accordingly.

Operating Hours: 9AM – 5PM everyday and closed during winter.

We had our dinner in downtown Steamboat Springs and then we headed to Breckenridge which is about 2 hrs drive (Approx. 103 miles) from Steamboat Springs.

DAY 3

Breckenridge

Located at the base of the Rocky Mountains’ Tenmile Range and known popularly for ski-resort, year-round alpine activities and Gold Rush history is the world famous Breckenridge. If you are visiting Colorado during winter and if you love skiing, you will love Breckenridge.

We skipped the ski at Breckenridge since we decided to do in Lake Tahoe instead. However if you chose to still do at Breckenridge we recommend taking a Epic 1 day pass unless you are planning to stay in Breckenridge for more than a day. This one day pass will give you access to everything in the resort plus you get 20% discounts on food, lodging, rentals & more. You can check more on the passes by visiting https://www.breckenridge.com/plan-your-trip/lift-access/passes.aspx

if you are visiting in Summer, you can just take the Scenic Lift Tickets which costs about 29$ (USD) and you can find more information on the website https://www.breckenridge.com/explore-the-resort/activities-and-events/summer-activities/scenic-chair-rides.aspx.

Best Way to Get To Breckenridge Ski Resort

If you are travelling from Denver, the best way to get here is by taking shuttle. Driving will be too painful with so much traffic and also winter weather conditions are not great for driving.

Once you are in Breckenridge, there are plenty of carless transportation options in Breck. For more information on transportation, parking and shuttle you can visit https://gobreck.com/plan-your-visit/transportation-parking. You can take the free bus ride to commute in Breckenridge. We recommend taking this option as it will be hard to find parking during peak hours. There are multiple bus routes depending on the season and during winter you can take the blue route free bus ride to get to Peak 9 Beaver run parking lot for the ski.

If you chose not to do skiing in Breckenridge, there are still plenty of fun activities to do in winter. We did the famous Sleigh Ride and the Gondola.

Sleigh Ride

If you love horses, you are gonna love sleigh ride. Sleigh rides are popular winter activity in Breckenridge. There are two different ride options one called as Scenic and the other as Dinner sleigh ride.

As the name suggests, Dinner Sleigh Ride includes a hearty three-course, home-cooked meal and musical entertainment and the ride begins with a quiet 20-minute journey amidst snow-capped mountains and starry night skies.

Scenic Sleigh Ride is a one-hour round-trip experience complete with hot cocoa and homemade cookies. We opted for Scenic Sleigh Rides. Honestly it was an amazing experience. Our Guide was so awesome and friendly and he gave us lot of information regarding the ski resort and horses and explained us how he guides them. Our Guide allowed us to touch the horses and also take pictures.

Note: Sleigh Rides are very popular in Breckenridge and we recommend making advance reservations due to limited availability.

How To Reserve Sleigh Rides

There are two companies organizing Sleigh Rides. One is from Two Below Zero’s Dinner Sleigh Ride and the other company is Breck Stables. We made reservations through Breck Stables. Sleigh Rides cost about 69$ (USD) per adult and 59$ (USD) per kids.

For more information on the booking fees, directions and timings, visit https://breckstables.com/peak-9-sleigh-rides/
https://dinnersleighrides.com/colorado-sleigh-rides/

Things to Remember Before You Go

Winters are very cold. So dress appropriately and bring snow-boots/hiking boots, dress in layers and wear high performance warm socks.
Arrive early and give yourself plenty of time.
Make sure your cellphone is completely charged to take plenty of pictures.
Tipping is good and bring some cash so that you can tip your Guide.

Riding The Gondola

Riding the Gondolas are always fun and you can ride BreckConnect Gondola which are always free. Though Gondolas are free to ride from the Breckenridge town to the base area, if you need to ski, you will have to purchase lift tickets which can be purchased from the the ticket office at the peak base areas or the at the base of the gondola. Also you will need to pay for the parking at the parking pay stations.

The Physical Address For the BreckConnect Gondola:

170 Watson Avenue
Breckenridge, CO 80424
970.453.5000

For more detailed information on the hours or operations, parking and other details visit https://www.coloradormr.com/breckenridge-gondola-rides.htm.

Shopping in the Historic Main Street

Historic district is one of the largest town of Colorado. Breckenridge has colorful history of gold finds and mining. Breckenridge Historic District is an excellent representation of commercial, residential, and religious structures of the gold fever era. You can visit historic museums, take historic walking tours and visit other historic sites which are open to public. There are plenty of ghost tours, history and mine tours.

The main street has an amazing vibe and there are plenty of shops and restaurants and the streets were all decorated with lights and it was so beautiful. It’s a great place to hang out with your friends and family.

Parking on the streets are free from 3PM to 2AM and from 6AM – 7AM during winters. Rest of the time you will need to pay for the parking and you can pay at the passport parking zone or through the app. Street Parking works just like how we have the street pay parking in San Francisco.

For more information on the tours and timings and how to make reservations, visit https://gobreck.com/experience-breckenridge/museums-and-tours-in-breckenridge https://www.breckheritage.com/museums

DAY 4

Great Sand Dunes National Park

Great Sand Dunes National Park is worth visiting if you are in Colorado. Its about 4 hrs drive from Denver but it’s definitely worth the drive. It has dunes right in the middle of the desert, with mountains of sand against the backdrop of the Mountains.

There are plenty of things to do and see in Great Sand Dunes National Park. We recommend downloading their visitor guide from the nps website before you plan and also check the current weather conditions and make advance reservations. You can download one from here https://www.nps.gov/grsa/planyourvisit/index.htm.

You will need to pay for the entrance fees (25$ USD). If you have National Park Pass, you do not need additional entrance fees.

Visitor Center

Great Sand Dunes visitor center offers flush toilets and drinking water. The visitor center also has park store and you can get lots of information from the Park Ranges. Open daily from 9AM – 4.30 PM daily.

How To Get Here

Great Sand Dunes Visitor Center
11999 State Highway 150
Mosca , CO 81146

You need to take US 160 to CO 150 from the south, or CO 17 to Lane 6 to CO 150 from the west to access the main park area. The national park is at the north end of CO 150.

Important Note: During summer and fall 2022, County Lane 6N is closed for construction. You will need to take US 160 and CO 150 to reach the main park entrance.

For more information on the directions by car and by air and for the official par maps, visit the NPS Website https://www.nps.gov/grsa/planyourvisit/directions.htm.

Royal Gorge Bridge

Royal Gorge Bridge is home of America’s Highest Suspension Bridge with 1,257 wooden planks suspended at 956 feet over the Arkansas River across.

There are plenty of attractions in Royal Gorge Bridge including Zip lining, Skycoaster, Aerial Gondolas, plaza theater and playland.

From left to right: Royal Gorge Bridge, Water Clock at the Royal Gorge bridge, Arkansas River at Royal Gorge.

Reservations:

You will need to make advanced reservations to enter Royal Gorge Bridge and reservation about 30$ (USD) per adult and 25$ (USD) per child. However you will need to pay for rides. For more information on the rides, passes, visit https://tickets.royalgorgebridge.com/webstore/shop/viewItems.aspx?cg=RGBTIX&c=GA.

Broadmoor Seven Falls

Broadmoor Seven Falls is a series of seven cascading waterfalls in Colorado Springs, Colorado. As the name indicates there are seven falls Bridal Veil, Feather, Hill, Hull, Ramona, Shorty, and Weimer. The falls is also called as “The Grandest Mile of Scenery in Colorado,”.

How To Get Here/Parking Directions

The parking for the falls is located at 1045 Lower Gold Camp Rd at Norris Penrose Event Center. You can take the free shuttle service. Parking and shuttle transportation is complimentary. The shuttle parking lot is located about 4 miles from the park entrance.

Seven Falls is a walking park. From the ticket booth to the base of Seven Falls is .8 of a mile walking on a paved road at a mild incline. For guests that are physically unable to walk up to the base of the falls, there is a tram inside the park. However the tram is not intended to move all guests throughout the park.

Tram fees are $2 per person. Dogs are allowed in the park but must be on a leash at all times.

Important Note: There is no parking at South Cheyenne Canyon Park for Seven Falls patrons.

Quick Fact: It is a privately owned tourist attraction.

When to Visit: During winters because it gets dark at 4.30 PM, we recommend visiting the falls at around 5.30 PM as they illuminate the seven falls with winter lights. For more information regarding the winter lights, you can visit their facebook page. https://www.facebook.com/events/the-broadmoor-seven-falls/winter-lights-at-seven-falls/555172385240390/

Entrance Fees: There are no advance reservations and the tickets has to be purchased at the gate.

Entrance Fee for Adults: Ages 13+ years – $17
Entrance Fee for Seniors and Military (with ID) – $14.25
Entrance Fee for Children: Ages 2 – 12 years – $11
Children under 2 years of age are FREE

Your ticket purchase is valid for the purchase day and you can enter or re-enter anytime during the purchase day.

Hours of Operation:

June 23 – August 15
Open: Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Monday (10:00am – 6:00pm, daily)
Closed: Tuesday, Wednesday

August 19 – September 26
Open: Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Monday (10:00am – 6:00pm, daily)
Closed: Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday

September 30 – October 31
Open: Friday, Saturday, Sunday (10:00am – 6:00pm, daily)
Closed: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday

November 1 – November 27
Open: Friday, Saturday, Sunday (10:00am – 6:00pm, daily)
Closed: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday

(Image from Left to Right: Tunnel to get to the Falls, Seven Falls Describing each of them, BroadMoor Falls Captured from the viewing deck)

How to reach them/Call them: For more information you can email them at sevenfalls@broadmoor.com. or call them at 855-923-7272

DAY 5

Garden Of The Gods

Garden of the Gods is located in Colorado Springs, Colorado. If you are visiting Colorado and if you have at least 5 days, we definitely recommend visiting Garden Of the Gods. It is a popular natural landmark nestled at the foot of Pikes Peak on the west side of Colorado Springs. There are countless ways to enjoy the park, from scenic drives, to field trips and so much more.

It is famously known for its massive red rocks sticking straight out of the ground, and tourists come from all over the world to wander the trails, see the wildlife and witness these great natural formations.

How To Get Here

Garden Of The Gods is roughly about 1.3 hrs drive from Denver via I-25. You can put your GPS to drive to Garden Of The Gods Visitor and Nature Center. There is a Souvenir and Gift Shop within the park where you can shop for Postcards, Souvenirs, Gifts, Toys and much more.

Entrance Fees: Well, there are no entrance fees and Garden Of The Gods Park and the Garden Of The Gods Visitor and Nature Center are free and open to the public.

During Summer, you can take the park free shuttle which depart the parking lot approximately every 15 minutes and they operate daily 9 am – 4 pm through the third week in August.

Hours of Operation:

Open Daily: 5:00 am – 9:00 pm (Nov 1 – April 30) and 5:00 am – 10:00 pm (May 1 – Oct 31)

Visitor & Nature Center Hours: Open Daily Winter Months 9:00 am – 5:00 pm and Summer Months 9:00 am – 6:00 pm and closed on Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year’s Day.

You can reach them by Phone: 719-634-6666

There are tons of ways to explore the park starting from Hiking Trails, Segway Tours, Bike Tours, Audio Tours, and much more. For more information, visit https://gardenofgods.com/activities/

Quick Tip: We recommend going there early in the morning or late in the evening to avoid crowd and get parking.

Important Note: If you do not have much time, we recommend doing the Ridge Trail, which is a moderate 1/2 mile loop and this hiking path gives you a feeling of being among the rocks and you can cover in less than half an hour. For more information on the other hiking trails, visit https://gardenofgods.com/activities/hiking-trails/.

Note: You can also grab a full color trail free map from the visitor center.

Pikes Peak Cog Rail

Started in 1891, Pike Peak Cog Rail has been one of the most unique experiences in the country. It is also recognized as World’s highest cog railroad. Pikes Peak Cog Rail climbs one of the most iconic mountains of Colorado, the Pikes Peak.

The base station is located in Manitou Springs, CO (A beautiful town with plenty of restaurants, souvenir shops, nightlife and much more.

The physical address to the base station:
515 Ruxton Ave, Manitou Springs,
CO 80829, United States

Taking the cog rail itself is an amazing experience and en route, you will get an opportunity to see elk, deer, and yellow-bellied marmot plus Pikes Peak is home to one of Colorado’s largest bighorn sheep herds.

How to Get Here:

Some recommend driving to the peak summit which is about 19 miles long, has 156 turns, and climbs 6,715 ft from the entrance of the highway. You do not need a high clearance vehicle to drive. Any passenger vehicle will do. In order to drive up the peak you will also need a reservation.

For more information, visit https://pikespeakcolorado.aluvii.com/store/shop/categories?id=1

We highly recommend taking the cog rail as its an amazing experience to get to the peak summit and you will also have a great guide from whom you can get lot of information about the peak and people who helped in constructing the rail and so many other things. Our guide who was also the conductor of the rail and he was amazing and we learnt a lot about the cog rails and pikes peak.

Things to do Remember:

Check Weather before you make reservation.
Make Advanced Reservations.
Dress Season Appropriately (Note: Winters can be very cold).
Please arrive at least half hour before your departure time.
Be aware of the altitude as you will be travelling 14,115 feet above sea level.

How to make Reservations:

We recommend doing advance reservations online and also select seat in advance by reserving online. Reserving without seats are 10$ cheaper but in order to make sure you have guaranteed seats, please reserve seats in advance. https://www.cograilway.com/ride/schedule/.

Standard Admissions: Adult $58.50 when booked online.
Child Admission (Under 12): $48.50 when booked online.
Reserved Admission (Seat Selection in advance): Adult Reserved Admission $68.50 when booked online and child reserved admission $58.50 when booked online.

You can purchase your tickets online here: https://www.cograilway.com/ride/purchase-tickets/

Very Important: There is a visitor center at the summit peak also called as Pikes Peak Summit Visitor Center. Do not forget to try the famous Donuts and Hot Chocolate or even the amazing Cappuccino. We went here during the winter and it was amazing to enjoy the snow filled view at the peak summit with a Hot Cappuccino and Donuts!! which were Yummy!!!

Hours of Operation: Train rides usually start early in the morning at 8 AM and run until 4PM in the evening with less frequent rides during winter. Please check the hours of operation if you decide to drive at the park’s website.

Parking: Parking at the Cog is $15 which is located across the street from the rail depot. Parking at the Railway is limited and only available 30 minutes before your departure. Buses, RV’s and trailers are not permitted to park at the depot.

The closest city is Manitou Springs. If you are planning on visiting the city either before or after your Cog Rail journey, you can park in the city lots Hiawatha Gardens, Wichita Lot, Canon Lot and Smischny Lot.

Parking in the city lots generally much cheaper than at the Cog and costs between $5-10. There is a free shuttle to get to your Cog Journey from the Hiawatha Gardens and they run every 10-20 minutes and stops running at 6PM.

Manitou Springs

Manitou Springs is a small Colorado town that has always marched to the beat of its own drum with countless attractions and ample things to do year round. Manitou Springs is famous for historic architecture and thriving arts district, to its diverse shops and family-friendly arcade. Free shuttles run daily to get you all around town and there are several parking areas located steps.

Visiting manitou springs is an amazing experience and especially during winters. There are plenty of restaurants, shops, nightlife and much more. Manitou is also the perfect place to spread out in the great outdoors, then find a cozy spot to settle in with your friends or family.

Denver ChristKindl Market

If you would like to experience an German Holiday Market right in the heart of Denver, you need to visit the Denver ChristKindl Market. You can visit shops for unique, finely crafted artisan gifts and tasty treats brought to you by local and international small businesses.

Note: Since its German Christmas Market, it only runs once a year from November to December. We were here in November to witness this amazing Christmas Market. The word Christkind means “Christ-child” in German. Like Santa, Christkind brings gifts to the children of the land, in regions of German, Austria, and Europe.

Physical Address:

Downtown Denver at Civic Center Park, across from the Capital building and found on the corner Broadway and Colfax.

Hours Of Operation for 2022:

Dates: Friday – Wednesday | November 19 – December 23, 2021

Sunday – Wednesday | 11am – 7pm
Thursday – Saturday | 11am – 9pm
Thanksgiving Day | 11 am – 4 pm
December 17 – 23 | 11 am – 9 pm

Do not forget to visit if you are planning to visit Colorado during Thanksgiving or Christmas. Its definitely a must visit and the cost of admission is FREE!!

For more information, you can visit https://www.christkindlmarketdenver.com/

Denver Botanic Garden

Located in the Cheesman Park neighborhood of Denver, Colorado is the 23 acre Denver Botanic Garden. This park contains a conservatory, a variety of theme gardens and a sunken Amphitheater, which hosts various concerts in Summer.

Physical Address:

1007 York Street
Denver, CO 80206
Ph: 720-865-3500

There are plenty of events happening every month at the Botanic Gardens. For more information on the calendar of events, visit: https://www.botanicgardens.org/calendar. Depending on your interest and when you want to visit you can chose the events from the calendar and register for them.

Reservations/Tickets: If you just want to visit York Street part of the Botanic Garden, you can pay for the general admission and make your reservations online. For more information on the reservations, hours of operations, visitor guidelines and general admissions tickets, visit https://www.botanicgardens.org/york-street.

Parking:

Limited free parking is available between York and Josephine streets during their regular hours of operation. No overnight parking is allowed. Street parking is available in Cheesman Park or Congress Park, where posted. For more information on the parking, visit https://www.botanicgardens.org/york-street/parking-transportation-accessibility-york-street

Note: Arrive early for your event reservation time to give you plenty of time to park and get to the event on time.

When we visited during November, we booked the Blossom Of Lights event to celebrate the amazing display of light and color. We highly recommend this experience if you are planning on visiting Colorado during Winter holidays (November – December).

Blossom Of Lights display hours are Nov. 18 – Jan. 7 (closed Nov. 24 and Dec. 25), 4:30-9 p.m. It will take about an hour to hour and half to see the complete display. Also do not miss out on the musical lights.

How to make reservations for Blossom Of Lights: Tickets for sale will be announced every Summer and they go on sale in the Fall. Make sure you subscribe for their newsletter and check their website to purchase tickets.

Note: Reservations must be made in advance and the tickets are not sold onsite.

For more information, you can visit https://www.botanicgardens.org/events/special-events/blossoms-light#faq

What did we miss in this Trip and What we plan to cover In our next Visit?

Colorado is a Mountain Western State Of United States with a diverse landscape of arid desert, river canyons and snow-covered Rocky Mountains. There are plenty of things to do in Colorado be it paying visit to gorgeous landscapes, its wildlife, and the variety of activities it offers, from hiking, mountain biking, horse-riding, skiing to canoeing, or even just unwinding amidst nature.

During our first visit to Colorado, we visited only the northern part of Colorado. For our second trip to Colorado, we plan to visit southern side of Colorado mainly Durango, Silverton and Telluride. There are plenty of things to do in Durango, Silverton and Telluride.

Our favorites are visiting Mesa Verde National Park, Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad, San Juan National Forest, Million Dollar Highway, Molas Lake, Bear Creek Falls, Main Street and Bridal Veil Falls. We will be covering these in our next blog on Colorado.

Coming Soon: A youtube video on this travel guide.