If you’ve just arrived in Colorado Springs and want to know where the best hiking trails can be found, you’re in luck! The information below will provide all the details you need to explore this fantastic area of the United States, known for its excellent hiking! Need a place to store your hiking gear and camping supplies safely? Click the link to check out the Colorado Springs self storage locations from SecurCare.
Colorado Springs is a Haven for Hikers
With over 200 trails scattered throughout the area, Colorado Springs is one of the best places to hike in the country! The natural beauty here is breathtaking, and the air is clean and crisp. What you’ll like most is that the hiking trails in Colorado Springs take you away from all your everyday stresses, including the news, noise, and commotion. If you love to hike and need a haven to enjoy your passion to the fullest, Colorado Springs is a great choice!
Why These Trails Made the List
There are many different trails in Colorado Springs begging to be explored. Indeed, there are so many that it would take much more than this short article to tell you about all of them. That’s why we picked some of the best to get you started! How did we choose? We used the following criteria:
Scenic Beauty and a Variety of Landscapes
The trails on our list are some of the most beautiful and offer various landscapes to enjoy. Yes, most trails offer similar traits, but those we’ve chosen are truly the best.
Trail Difficulty and Accessibility
We chose a variety of trails based on their difficulty level and accessibility. Some are easy for all, while others will demand that you’re in good condition and have decent hiking and survival skills.
Points of Interest and Attractions Along the Trails
Many of the trails in Colorado Springs take you past points of interest and various attractions, while some take you out into the middle of nowhere. We tried to choose the former because they’re often more interesting for everyone in your hiking party.
Best Hiking Trails in Colorado Springs
Garden of the Gods
Garden of the Gods is undoubtedly one of the best hiking locations in Colorado Springs. It offers 31 different trails that take you past all sorts of fascinating stuff, including sandstone rock formations and the snow-capped mountains of Pikes Peak! There’s also a fantastic Nature Center to learn more about the area that’s free to the public! We recommend using the Perkins Central Garden trail as it’s family-friendly.
Pikes Peak
The highest summit of the Rocky Mountains on the U.S. side of the border, Pikes Peak, is simply magnificent! We recommend using Barr Trail to get the best views and experience. It’s quite popular, but remember that it’s also a difficult hike that’s best for experienced hikers. Experts recommend starting your hike as early as possible so that you get to the peak around midday. Barr Trail begins in the lovely town of Manitou Springs, so plan to stick around and enjoy yourself after you get back.
Red Rock Canyon
Red Rock Canyon Open Space is one of the most scenic areas in Colorado Springs, which is saying a lot! There are 22 trails to choose from with varying degrees of difficulty. If you’re visiting Colorado Springs with your 4-legged friends, Dog Trails and Quarry is a great choice. It’s a 3-mile in-an-out loop you can visit with your canine companion! Dogs are allowed on the entire trail and, in some parts, are allowed to be off of their leash.
Cheyenne Mountain State Park
Cheyenne Mountain State Park offers 14 fantastic trails that take you through sparse but engrossing landscapes and give you a view of the Colorado sky that seems to go on forever. We recommend the Talon & Sundance Trail Loop, but with a heads-up that it’s over 6 miles from start to finish. April through October is the best time to hike this trail, and it takes under 3 hours to complete (unless you stop to eat some lunch along the way).
Palmer Park
With 25 trails of all types to enjoy, Palmer Park is another top choice for hikers in Colorado Springs. We’ve chosen a moderately challenging trail, the Palmer Park Inner Loop, which is just under 2 miles in length and is a popular trail for birders, runners, and hikers. Be aware that you’ll have to scale down a rock face at the end of the trail if you want to keep going. (That’s the moderately difficult part!)
Leave No Trace: Helpful Reminders for Hiking in Colorado Springs
No matter which trails you choose to explore in Colorado Springs, the last thing you want to do is scar the land with trash, fires, and other stuff. Below are a few tips to help you leave no trace when enjoying a wonderful hike.
- Pack out your trash- Whatever it is, if you bring it with you, bring it back out. Even biodegradable stuff like food should be packed out.
- Leave behind what you find- That includes plants, rocks, bones, and so forth.
- Don’t “tag” anything- Carving your initials into trees might seem fun, but it’s actually illegal in Colorado Springs.
- Don’t interact with or feed wild animals. It’s bad for them and dangerous for you!
- Be considerate to others using the trail.
Explore More of Colorado with SecurCare Self Storage
Suppose you need to find storage for your hiking, biking, camping, and other gear while in Colorado Springs, SecurCare Self Storage is your answer! Our clean, secure storage units can store practically anything and keep it pristine for your next adventure!
If you need help deciding what size storage unit to rent, our storage unit size guide will be a big help. We also offer moving tips if you’re coming to Colorado Springs to stay. Whatever you do, we wish you a wonderful time hiking and exploring the natural wilderness here in Colorado Springs!