More Information About Colorado's Pikes Peak Region:

COLORADO SPRINGS
CANON CITY 
CRIPPLE CREEK 
MANITOU SPRINGS
 OLD COLORADO CITY 
PIKES PEAK-AMERICA'S MOUNTAIN

ROYAL GORGE 
WOODLAND PARK 

 

Colorado Springs
is the second most populous city (after Denver) in the State of Colorado and the 48th most populous city in the United States. The city is the county seat of El Paso County, with a small portion of the city lying in Teller County.

Colorado Springs is located just east of the geographic center of the state and 63 miles south of Denver, the state's capital city. At an elevation of 6,035 feet (1839 meters), Colorado Springs is well over one mile above sea level, though some areas of the city are significantly higher. The city is situated near the base of one of the most famous American mountains, Pikes Peak, at the eastern edge of the Southern Rocky Mountains.

About Pikes Peak

The most visited mountain in North America and the second most visited mountain in the world behind Japan's Mount Fuji, Pikes Peak forms a stunning backdrop for Colorado Springs and the Garden of the Gods. At an altitude of 14,110 feet above sea level, Pikes Peak is the 31st highest peak out of 54 Colorado peaks. It is the farthest east of the big peaks in the Rocky Mountain chain, which contributed to its early fame among explorers, pioneers and immigrants and made it the symbol of the 1859 Gold Rush to Colorado with the slogan, "Pikes Peak or Bust".

Over a half million people reach the summit house every year by the Pikes Peak Highway, Barr Trail or the Pikes Peak Cog Railway. The 19-mile Pikes Peak Highway, paved part of the way, is open year round, weather permitting. Barr Trail is the longest of any trails leading to the top of the 54 mountains in Colorado that are over 14,000 feet, and offers the greatest base-to-summit elevation gain in the state: 7,400 feet. About 15,000 people a year attempt to climb Pikes Peak on foot. The 13-mile trail begins at the base of Pikes Peak in Manitou Springs. The 8.9 mile cog railroad typically operates April through December.

Three notable events take place on the mountain each year. The Pikes Peak Marathon, a 26 mile round trip foot race up Barr Trail and then back down each August, draws thousands of runners from all over the world. The top round trip finishing time is three hours and 16 minutes. The second event, the Pikes Peak Auto Hill Climb on Saturday in July 1, 2006 is a race on the 12.42 mile gravel road which starts around the 6 1/2 mile mark on the highway. Rod Millen from New Zealand holds the fastest time record since 1994, 10 minutes and 4.6 seconds. The third event is the AdAmAn Club New Years Fireworks display on December 31, 12:00 a.m.

Take Your Time and Enjoy Your Trip

Allow at least two hours to make the 38-mile round trip to the summit. Uphill traffic has the right-of-way at all times. Watch for maintenance equipment working on the road, and do not straddle rocks or grader ridges.
Stopping

Whenever possible, use the turnouts provided. If you must stop on the roadway, choose a straight section where your vehicle is clearly visible to the other motorists. If you plan to be away from your vehicle for an extended period, leave a plainly visible note on the windshield saying where you are going and when you will return.

On The Way Up

If your engine begins to labor on steeper grades, shift to a lower gear to maintain speed and engine cooling. Shift your automatic transmission manually to stay in a lower gear. When you reach the summit, run your engine at fast idle for a few minutes to dissipate engine heat.
 

If You Need Help

Pikes Peak Ranger personnel are on duty and patrol the road at all times when the Highway is open. If you have any kind of trouble, send another motorist for assistance or wait for a Ranger. Stay with your vehicle. Call 719-684-9138 from your cell phone to reach a Ranger.

On The Way Down

Use your lowest gear to allow your engine to brake your vehicle. Don't ride your brakes; this will cause them to overheat and cause problems.
Be Kind To The Mountain

Please avoid polluting streams and reservoirs, and dispose of litter in trash receptacles or vehicle litter bags.

Be Courteous

If you have several vehicles behind you, pull over and allow them to pass. Do not pass on corners. Do not speed. Please Help Prevent Forest Fires

Fire is the main threat to this watershed, the main source of water for the Colorado Springs area. If you smoke, use your ashtray. Fires are allowed only in designated grills - make sure fires are out before you leave.

Overheating

If your engine overheats, run it at a fast idle. You may wish to run water on the radiator core. Water stations are located approximately 3, 10, 11 and 13 miles past the Gateway.
 

Health Tips

If you have a history of severe cardiac or respiratory problems, we recommend that you do not make the ascent to the summit. Babies under 4 months of age should not make the ascent, either.

Driving Tips

2 hour round trip
Use lower gears
1/2 tank of fuel

History of Pikes Peak

 

History and Geography of Pikes Peak

Pikes Peak is not a volcano and has never been one. The granite rock of which the mountain is made was once hot molten rock located as deep as 20 miles beneath the earth's surface. The molten rock hardened and cooled below the earth's surface as much as one billion years ago. Great forces within the earth's crust pushed the rocks upward through a process called uplifting which created a dome-shaped mountain covered with a thick layer of soil and softer rock. Erosion and weathering loosened the softer layers and carried them away.

After hundreds of thousands of years of erosion and weathering, a tall granite mountain lay exposed like a large piece of stone waiting for the sculptor to shape it. Anyone seeing this ancient mountain would not have recognized it as the mountain we know today as Pikes Peak. It took the movement of huge glaciers that once existed on the peak to sculpt the mountain. The glaciers lasted about one million years and that ice age ended around 11,000 years ago.

Acting like a giant cookie cutter, the powerful bodies of ice gouged out the rock and left deep, straight-walled basins like the Bottomless Pit with its sharp drop of 1700 feet. The u-shaped canyons that lead down Pikes Peak were carved by the following "rivers of ice". Other v-shaped valleys owe their existence to ordinary streams.

Time Line of Pikes Peak

1803 Pikes Peak area obtained in the Louisiana Purchase

1806 President Jefferson dispatched Zebulon Montgomery Pike to determine the Louisiana Purchase's southwestern borders. Pike set out to climb the peak on November 24. 1806 from the Pueblo area, but was forced back by a blizzard.
1820 The first recorded ascent was by Dr. Edwin James, doctor, botanist and historian, and two others from an expedition led by Major Stephen H. Long on July 14, 1820. Major Long gave the doctor's name to the mountain, but Pikes Peak soon became the official name, as shown by military maps of 1835.

1850's Pikes Peak was a symbol to the gold seekers heading west. "Pikes Peak or Bust" became their slogan.

1858 The first woman to climb Pikes Peak was Mrs. Julia Archibald Holmes. She made the ascent with the Lawrence party and stayed on top for two days. Mrs. Holmes is also known as the "Bloomer Girl" because of the bloomers she wore while climbing the mountain.

1860 Work began on the Ute Pass wagon road, the first road past Pikes Peak. U.S. Hwy. 24 now follows part of this route.
 

1871 The settlement of Colorado Springs began.

1873 The Signal Corps of the U.S. Army built a weather station on the summit. This was manned year round until 1889 by a lone enlisted man who was replaced periodically after a short tour of duty. One Sergeant John O'Keefe gained national notoriety through his tall tales about duty on the Peak. The most famous story was about the death of his baby daughter, Erin from an attack by "mountain rats". There was no truth to any of his stories, but they were published all over the country.

1886 - 88 The carriage road to the summit was built.

1889 - 90 The Manitou and Pikes Peak Cog Railroad was built.

1892 President Harrison established the Pikes Peak Timberland Reserve. Later it became part of the Pike National Forest.

1901 The first automobile to reach the summit (on August 12th) was a two cylinder Locomobile Steamer driven by C.A. Yont and W.B. Felker.

1914 The improvement of the trail up the east face of Pikes Peak was undertaken by Fred Barr and his father. It was completed in December of 1918 and is known as Barr Trail.

1915 Spencer Penrose and his associates conceived the idea of an automobile highway to the summit over the route of the carriage road. This project started early in 1915. The highway cost $500,000.

1916 The first Pikes Peak Hill Climb race was held August 10 - 12 to commemorate the opening of the Pikes Peak Highway. It is the second oldest auto race in the United States (the Indy 500 being the oldest) There are 156 curves on the 12.5 mile course.

1916 - 36 The highway was operated as a toll road at $2.00 per person for twenty years. Because of the tremendous cost of snow removal and maintenance, a profit was never realized. It was turned back to the Forest Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture in 1936.

For the next twelve years the road was operated as a free highway but due to the lack of funds, it so deteriorated as to be threatened with complete abandonment.

1948 The Pikes Peak Highway was then set up as a toll road under a permit from the Department of Agriculture. Since June 7, 1948 it has been operated successfully by the City of Colorado Springs.
 

Source: www.springsgov.com

 

Colorado Springs Overview

The United States Census Bureau estimates that in 2005 the population of the City of Colorado Springs was 369,815 (48th most populous U.S. city), and the population of the Front Range Urban Corridor was 4,013,055.

 

Today, Colorado Springs has many features of a modern urban area, such as parks, bike trails, urban open-area spaces, business and commerce, theatres and other entertainment. It was first established as a posh resort community, though the older mining supply center of Colorado City (now Old Colorado City) was merged later, and the tourist industry has remained strong and offers many activities and attractions.

 

In July 2006, Money magazine ranked Colorado Springs the best place to live in the big city category, which includes cities with 300,000 or more people.

 

Colorado Springs History

 History of Colorado Springs, Colorado

 

Garden of the Gods and Pikes Peak 
Click the link below to visit the Garden of the Gods Visitor Center
http://www.pikes-peak.com/Attractions/12.aspx

 

 

General William Palmer, City Founder

Colorado Springs was founded in August 1871 by General William Palmer, with the intention of creating a high quality resort community, and was soon nicknamed "Little London" because of the many English tourists who came. Nearby Pikes Peak and the Garden of the Gods made the city's location a natural.

 

Within two years his flagship resort the Antlers Hotel opened, welcoming U.S. and

international travelers as well as health-savvy individuals seeking the high altitude and dry climate, and Palmer's visions of a thriving, quality resort town were coming true. Soon after, he founded the Denver & Rio Grande Railroad, a critical regional railroad. He maintained his presence in the city's early days by making many grants or sales of land to many important civic institutions in the community. Palmer and his wife saw Colorado Springs develop into one of the most popular travel destinations in the late 1800s United States.

 

The town of Palmer Lake and a geographic feature called the Palmer Divide (and other more minor features) are named after him, and a bronze sculpture of Palmer on a horse is prominently displayed downtown in front of Palmer High School, the center of a busy intersection.

 

Old Colorado City and the Pike's Peak Gold Rush

 

The "history" of Old Colorado City, El Paso County, and the Pike's Peak region resembles the events of the past as analyzed from the evidence that remains with us today. To experience this local "history," simply click on the title of your choice, then sit back, relax, and enjoy a glimpse from days gone by.

Old Colorado City
by LaDonna Gunn

When confirmed gold discoveries occurred in the Colorado Rockies in 1859 in Boulder Creek Canyon, Clear Creek Canyon, and South Park (Tarryall, Fairplay, Buckskin Joe), Americans began rushing to the gold fields, hoping to relieve some of the financial stress from the economic panic in 1857. As a result of thousands of people entering the Pike's Peak region, several men incorporated themselves into the Colorado City Town Company on August 11, 1859. Since Ute Pass was the best route at the time to the South Park gold fields, the company located Colorado City at the base of Pike's Peak on Fountain Creek, hoping to become the major mining supply town. The Town Company sent M.S. Beach and R.E. Cable to locate the town site; and on August 12, 1859, Beach and Cable officially claimed the site of Colorado City.

Among the more prominent Colorado City founders were Lewis N. Tappan, Anthony Bott, George A. Bute, Melancthon S. Beach, Henry M. Fosdick, S.W. Wagoner, and Albert D. Richardson. Henry M. Fosdick surveyed and platted the town, one mile wide and two miles long with Fountain Creek running through the southern portion of the town.

After the Colorado City Town Company founded the town on August 12, 1859, the Company began selling lots to eager buyers. The town grew quickly. During the remainder of 1859 and early 1860, these eager pioneers built over 200 houses and businesses. The residents built the buildings mostly out of logs and the false store fronts out of hewed-wood. But, some people quarried stone out of the nearby hills and cliffs to construct the buildings. Also, during the winter of 1859 and 1860, the Town Company contracted men to construct a wagon road through Ute Pass to accommodate the South Park mining camps. In return for the labor, the Company paid the construction crew in town lots.  Among the early businesses in Colorado City were the Higgins, Cobb, Baker, and Jones stores; the Tappan & Co. mining supply store; John George's saloon; Lucy Maggard's boarding house; and others.

In early 1860 with the town booming, the founders of Colorado City never expected the town to begin waning in business and prosperity. The Town Company certainly did not lack motivation and desire to have "the largest and best city in the Pike's Peak region." No, several extraneous factors contributed to the decline of Colorado City.

First, Colorado City was in competition with Denver City and Canon City for the leading route to and from the South Park mining camps. During the winter of 1859 and 1860, the Colorado City Town Company had constructed the Ute Pass wagon road, but shortly after that, both Denver City and Canon City built their own roads to South Park. Colorado City could no longer boast as having the best route to the South Park mining camps.

Secondly, with border troubles in Kansas escalating in 1860 and 1861 and the start of the Civil War in April 1861, the balance of travel to the Pike's Peak region shifted almost solely to the Platte River. Before these troubles arose, travel to the region was split between the Arkansas Trail along the Arkansas River and the Oregon Trail along the Platte River. In 1860 and 1861, when travel shifted to the Platte River, Denver became the destination town for weary travelers to the Pike's Peak region. Colorado City felt the effects in declining business and prosperity.

Although the town began to "wane," determined residents found additional ways to maintain Colorado City's viability other than relying on the mining industry. Agriculture became the next interest of the Pike's Peak region.

 

Spencer Penrose, early benefactor

Spencer Penrose also made his mark on Colorado Springs in its early years—though not until two decades after its founding. Penrose started as a ladies-man and an adventurer who made a huge fortune in the gold fields of nearby Cripple Creek in the 1890s, then married Julie Villiers Lewis McMillan, and settled down considerably.

 

Penrose used his vast amounts of money to invest in other national mineral

concerns and financed construction of the Broadmoor Hotel, the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, the Will Rogers Shrine of the Sun, the Pikes Peak Highway, what is now known as the Penrose-St Francis Health System, and established the El Pomar Foundation, which still oversees many of his contributions in Colorado Springs today.

 

Colorado Springs Geography and Climate

 

 

Climate

Colorado Springs averages 250 days of sunshine per year, and receives 15.42 inches of annual precipitation. Average snowfall for the area (included in the previous annual precipitation calculation) is 5.5" in November, 5.7" in December, 5.0" in January, 5.1" in February, 9.4" in March, and 6.3" in April. Due to unusually low precipitation for the past few years before 2006, Colorado Springs has had to enact lawn water restrictions. Average January low and high temperatures are 14°F/ 42°F (-10°C/ 5.5°C) and average July low and high temperatures are 55°F/ 85°F (12.7°C/ 29.4°C). Colorado Springs has relatively mild winters, with large snow accumulations in the downtown area relatively rare, a strong warming sun due to the altitude, and only occasional episodic periods of sub-zero cold snaps and blizzards from October 31 to March/April.

 

Colorado Springs Tourism

Much of the Springs tourism comes from the area it was built around, most famously Pikes Peak. The city is host to numerous trails and parks due to its close proximity to the Rocky Mountains, making the city a popular destination for its scenery. With the mountains as close as they are the Springs has also gained notoriety for its rock formations and other geological features.

For a list of events and attractions, please visit the Colorado Springs Tourism article.

 

 

Trivia

• America the Beautiful was written by visiting English professor Katharine Lee Bates in August 1893, while she stayed at the Antlers Hotel after visiting the top of nearby Pikes Peak.
•  

 

 

Cripple Creek
The historic town of Cripple Creek, Colorado sits on the southwest slopes of majestic Pikes Peak in the beautiful Colorado Rockies. More than 100 years ago, this charming community attracted tens of thousands of gold-seekers to its hillsides in search of their fortunes. The gold mines are a part of Cripple Creek’s colorful history, and today, visitors can choose from a variety of many rich and wonderful experiences here.  www.cripple-creek.co.us

 

Canon City/Royal Gorge

Experience first-hand Colorado’s breadth and brilliance with a visit to the Royal Gorge Bridge and Park.  The Gorge itself forms a narrow canyon with towering thousand foot granite walls and a raging river below. It’s estimated that the Arkansas River has been hard at work for three million years, cutting the

gorge about one foot deeper every 2500 years.

 

Spanning this spectacular canyon is the park’s most distinguished feature, the Royal Gorge Bridge. Constructed in 1929 and considered worldwide to be an engineering marvel, it extends one quarter mile across the Royal Gorge and is only a mere 18 feet wide. It hangs 1053 feet above the Arkansas River, giving it the world record of highest suspension bridge. When you walk across this impressive structure, it feels like you’re taking a stroll through the sky!  www.canoncitychamber.com

Manitou Springs

At the foot of Pikes Peak lies a community rich in history and abundant in activities and attractions. Manitou Springs is long believed to be a sacred place having

attracted Native Americans and settlers to its spectacular scenery and unique

bubbling springs long thought to heal and rejuvenate. Its distinctive spring waters rise from deep within the ground where they absorb minerals, giving them their sparkling bubbles and varied tastes. Each of the ten springs in Manitou has a flavor all its own. Bring a cup along while touring the springs and taste the waters that made Manitou   Springs famous (downtown Manitou Springs pictured to the right.)

 

The Manitou Springs Historic District has been a popular place to visit for over 100 years and is home to a thriving artist community. There are nearly two dozen galleries and several artist co-ops with diverse works to satisfy everyone’s taste.  As you stroll through town, you can’t help but notice how the rich artistic community has influenced our local city parks and streets. An eclectic collection of sculptures and public art displays give the town a remarkable character all its own.  

 

Garden of the Gods and Pikes Peak

The Historic District of Manitou Springs is also home to a variety of clothing boutiques, gift shops, antique and specialty stores. With so much to choose from, you’re sure to find something for even the most challenging or eclectic person on your gift list.

 

Manitou Springs has a wealth of culinary options including several world-class restaurants and exciting dinner theaters. There is also a diverse selection of exceptional ethnic restaurants and cafes for all tastes. If you’re looking for something a little more unconventional, try some delicious elk, ostrich, wild boar, or caribou!  While visiting, don’t forget to sample some heavenly ice cream, handmade candies, or Colorado wine and spirits.

 

Day or night, you can find exciting things to do in Manitou Springs including live music and theater, festivals, dancing, picnics, and hikes. There’s plenty to keep you busy, so stay for the week in one of our historic bed and breakfasts, visitor  friendly motels, comfortable cabins, or convenient campgrounds. Come see for yourself why Manitou Springs has been a vacation favorite for over 100 years!
www.manitousprings.org

Woodland Park

In 1891, after becoming established as a resort town and business center for the surrounding area, Woodland Park was incorporated. Woodland Park's primary business was saw milling. Logs were cut and sold for railroad ties and braces used for the gold mines of Cripple Creek and Victor.
 

Just 18 miles west of Colorado Springs in Teller County, experience the history, adventure and beauty of the Rocky Mountains. The natural surroundings include spectacular views of Pikes Peak and the Rampart Range. Thick stands of spruce, pine and aspen . . . and deep blue skies with fresh air.  Woodland Park is the largest city in Teller County and offers bed and breakfasts, motels, hotels, campgrounds, RV parks, trails, shopping, restaurants and full services.
 

Explore the area's many exciting attractions from Woodland Park's central location. Discover the world famous mining towns of Victor and Cripple Creek, Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument, Mueller State Park & Wildlife Area, the Air Force Academy, the Garden of the Gods, Pikes Peak, the Olympic Training Center. . . and much more.  www.woodlandparkchamber.com