Garden of the Gods Tours

Four common mix-ups, corrected

Short answers to questions that trip up trip planners, with links to the full pages.

Is Garden of the Gods a national park?

No. It is a free city park, owned by the City of Colorado Springs since 1909, and a National Natural Landmark since 1971. Some trip planners call it “Garden of the Gods National Park”, which it is not. More on is it a national park.

Where does the name come from?

From surveyors in 1859. Rufus Cable, with M. S. Beach, is recorded as saying it was “a fit place for the Gods to assemble. We will call it the Garden of the Gods.” The name is not a translation of a Native American one. See why the name.

Was a dinosaur really found here?

Yes. A skull found in 1878 was named Theiophytalia kerri in 2006, and the park describes it as the only known specimen. The Visitor Center shows a replica cast; the original is at the Yale Peabody Museum. Details on the dinosaur.

How high is Pikes Peak, 14,110 or 14,115 ft?

14,115 ft is the current official figure; 14,110 ft is an older figure still printed on some signs. More on Pikes Peak or Garden of the Gods.

Garden of the Gods, explained

Garden of the Gods is a free city park of about 1,341 acres in Colorado Springs, at about 6,400 ft. It has no entry ticket, so the six tours sold online are ways of moving through a park that anyone can visit on their own.

What the park is, and who owns it

The park belongs to the City of Colorado Springs, and the Garden of the Gods Foundation, a nonprofit, runs the Visitor & Nature Center. It has been a National Natural Landmark since 1971; it is not a national or state park. Charles Elliott Perkins bought 240 acres here in the 1870s and later 480. After his death in 1907, his children conveyed 480 acres to the city in 1909, on condition that the park remain free to the public. The city counts over 4 million visitors a year (City of Colorado Springs park page).

The name dates from 1859, when surveyors M. S. Beach and Rufus Cable came through. Cable is recorded as calling it “a fit place for the Gods to assemble”. The Ute Trail passes through the park. More on whether it is free, national park or not and the name.

How the red rocks got there

The rocks are layers of sediment laid down flat and tilted upright. The Fountain Formation dates from 320 to 300 million years ago, the Lyons Formation from 300 to 250 million years ago and the Lykins Formation from 260 to 250 million years ago, per the city’s geology packet. The Lyons layers form the tallest rocks in the park. The Laramide uplift, about 70 to 60 million years ago, stood the layers on end.

Named formations on the official park map include Cathedral Spires, the Three Graces, the Tower of Babel and the Kissing Camels on top of North Gateway Rock. Balanced Rock, of Fountain Formation sandstone, is reported at about 700 tons; photographer Paul Goerke owned the land around it until the city bought the property in 1932. In 1878 a dinosaur skull was found in the area, and in 2006 it was named Theiophytalia kerri, from Greek words for “belonging to the gods” and “garden”. The park describes it as the only known specimen; a replica cast is on show at the Visitor Center and the original is at the Yale Peabody Museum. More on the rock formations, Balanced Rock, the Kissing Camels and the dinosaur.

Walking and driving

The park has more than 20 miles of trail, listed on the park’s trail page. The Perkins Central Garden Trail is paved, 1.5 miles round trip with less than 30 ft of rise, and suits wheelchairs and strollers. The Siamese Twins Trail is a 1-mile round trip with less than 150 ft of rise, ending at a natural rock window that frames Pikes Peak. The Scotsman and Buckskin Charlie trails are moderate and rocky. Details on the hiking trails, the Central Garden trail, the Siamese Twins Trail and how hard it is.

The roads are one-way loops with paved bike lanes. The Garden Drive and Juniper Way loop is about 6 miles, with a 20 mph limit, and Visit COS gives 20 to 30 minutes for a drive straight through. Parking is free, but the Visitor Center lot has fewer than 200 spaces and often fills in summer; an overflow lot sits across Gateway Road (directions and parking page). In summer, two ADA-compliant 14-passenger vans run a free loop about every 15 minutes, roughly Memorial Day weekend to late August plus Labor Day weekend in recent years; check the shuttle page for this year’s dates. More on parking and the shuttle and how to get there.

Seasons and rules

The park opens at 5 am and closes at 9 pm from November 1 to April 30 and at 10 pm from May 1 to October 31. The park points to the hours before about 8 am and after about 4 pm for light and thinner crowds. Summer afternoon storms can form within minutes, and winter can leave ice on the trails. See the best time to visit.

Dogs are allowed on a leash of 6 ft maximum, alcohol is not, and off-trail travel is prohibited (park rules). Technical climbing needs a free permit from the city, obtained online, for parties of two or more and without chalk; bouldering or scrambling above 10 ft without proper equipment is illegal, and raptor-nesting closures apply to some rock faces at set times of year (city climbing page). More on dogs, the animals and rock climbing.

What is bookable

The six products on GetYourGuide sell the vehicle, the guide and, on some, places outside the park. Each listing states free cancellation up to 24 hours before for a full refund.

• Jeeps in the park. The foothills jeep tour runs 2.5 hours for up to 6 people and adds Helen Hunt Falls, the old Shortline Railroad grade, Old Colorado City and Manitou Springs. The luxury jeep tour runs 2 hours with photo stops and a walk on trails, with a private option, per its listing.
• Segway and e-bike. The Segway tour runs 1.5 hours from the Visitor Center for up to 5 riders aged 12 and up. The e-bike tour runs 2 hours from Manitou Springs, ages 13 to 80, and includes a visit to the Victorian Miramont Castle.
• With Pikes Peak. The Pikes Peak jeep tour takes 4 hours, climbs the 19-mile Pikes Peak Highway to the 14,115 ft summit and then drives through the park, with highway fees included. The Denver day tour takes 8.5 hours from the Colorado Convention Center, with lunch and entrance fees listed as included.

For a drive of its own, the city’s Pikes Peak Highway page gives the highway as 19 miles, open year-round weather permitting, with 2 to 3 hours for the round trip; in 2026, vehicles going past Mile 7 need a timed-entry permit from May 22 to September 30, and an admission fee applies. The six tours sit side by side on the tours page, the choice by group and pace on which tour, and the peak against the park on Pikes Peak or Garden of the Gods.