My 5 Favorite Day Hikes from Colorado Springs

Tomorrow officially marks the beginning of Summer. I thought this would be great timing to talk about some of my favorite opportunities to get outdoors. So today, I’m sharing 5 of my favorite day hikes from Colorado Springs. You can also reach these spots easily from Denver, or check out the Denver-specific list here.

Garden of the Gods

I would be remiss not to mention Garden of the Gods in a list of the best day hikes from Colorado Springs, even though it’s one of the most iconic and well-known spots in the area. There’s a scenic loop around the park which nearly everyone visiting has done. To really experience it, however, you need to get out of the car + hike. This park used to be right down the street from my apartment, so I’d often hike there in the evenings + meander through the back trails off the main paved thoroughfares. The park is crowded, but it’s apparent why. Scenic views with mountains and red rocks, an extensive mix of paved and dirt trails (stick to dirt to avoid, well, everyone else) and all a short drive from home base.

The Incline

This hike is a Coloradoans’ right of passage. The Manitou Incline used to be a scenic railroad until the early 90s, and the trail is composed of the old rail ties – leaving you with a very long, very steep staircase into the mountains. You gain 2000 feet of elevation in less than one mile. If you start up the trail and then freak out – don’t fear.  About halfway up the Incline is Bail Out Point, where you can hop over to Barr Trail. This takes you down at a much more gentle slope. Barr Trail is also accessible from the top of the incline (head to the left when you reach the summit). You are definitely rewarded for your efforts at the top with beautiful views of the Springs. But also of note: this hike is INTENSE. It is not recommended unless you’ve had some time to acclimate to the elevation and are in good physical shape!

Palmer Park

Palmer Park is nestled right in the middle of town, but you can almost pretend you’re out in the middle of nowhere. Everything just kind of disappears, until you hike to a high point and remember there are roads + houses + people out there. It has the advantage of great mountain views and miles of hiking trails but a little less notoriety (and by extension, crowds) than Garden of the Gods. There are also some dog parks + off-leash dog trails here if you have a four-legged hiking companion.

Columbine Trail – North Cheyenne Cañon

The Columbine Trail connects the Starsmore Discovery Center with Gold Camp Road near Helen Hunt Falls.  It follows a beautiful little creek and Cheyenne Road at the beginning – though you can’t always see it, you can certainly hear cars pass. Then, there’s a significant gain in elevation and suddenly both creek and road are long gone in sight and sound. Thankfully there’s not too much traffic along the road, because you’re so close it can mess with the “solitude factor” we really look for in hiking. The creek helps with that though, nothing as relaxing as the sound of water tumbling over rocks. There are various pull-offs along Cheyenne Road that connect with the trail, where families played in the shallow water. The trail did provide tremendous views up North Cheyenne Cañon and down to the city, exactly you’re looking for in a Colorado Springs trail experience.

Catamount Reservoir

One of the great things about Colorado Springs, and probably Colorado overall, is that there are trailheads just about everywhere – one can hardly keep track of them all. For example, some friends took me on this hike in 2008 when I first moved out here.  And I all wrote down was “Catamount Reservoir”. I have since learned that there are two reservoirs with that name, North Catamount and South Catamount. Couldn’t tell you which trail we hiked specifically, where we parked, or any other such insightful details except that it was gorgeous. I’ve since deduced that we must have done a portion of the North Catamount Reservoir Loop. But seriously – don’t be like me! Keep a detailed travel journal 😉

The best hiking near Colorado Springs

Do you have favorite day hikes from Colorado Springs? Did they make this list?

To be honest, I had a hard time narrowing it down to five. Expect a second edition in the fall, for sure. There are a few which are absolute perfection in the changing leaves. I’m so grateful to live in a state that prioritizes green spaces. They’re becoming such a precious and scarce commodity.

I hope that during this season when the Earth is providing so many stunning things for us to enjoy (hello, Colorado peaches from the farmer’s market), you can consider one or two new ways to love our planet a little better. We’re trading our motorcycle for electric bikes + also got our apartment building to start a composting pick-up. After our trip to Antarctica, we dramatically reduced our use of plastic straws, cups + single-use bags. Start where you can!