Garden of the Gods Park is in Colorado Springs (about 1 hour 30 minutes from the hotel) but is worth the trip! The park is free and gets very busy in the summer (especially weekends), but parking is plenty and the traffic moves through a continuous loop. There are many trails (mostly short and easy) and the most traveled trail is the Central Garden Trail, which is 1.5 miles and paved! You can only climb on the rocks with a permit along with the right skill and equipment. You can drive around the park look as many times as you like if hiking isn’t your thing! The Visitor’s Center is world class and the Trading Post is one of the best in Colorado if you are looking for the BEST selection of Colorado swag!
Tips: There are several parking lots around the loop, with handicap parking in most. If the park is extremely busy, you can park in the large dirt lots at the entrance, but if not, continue on to get closer to the trails. There is a fork in the road about mid-way through the park – make sure you keep right and head towards Balanced Rock! This will take you to the end of the park and you’ll have to swing left to go back to the Trading Post. If you swing right, it will take you to a great little town called Manitou Springs!
