Garden Of The Gods: Perfect Day Trip
Garden Of The Gods in Colorado Springs, CO is one of my all time favorite hiking destinations. The public park is a national landmark. It is perfect for a day trip and offers plenty of trails for hiking, rock climbing, guided walks, biking, picnics, and even horseback riding. They offer educational activities and videos as well. If you’re into photography, the famous red rocks make a perfect background.
I visited Garden Of The Gods for the first time while visiting family in Denver, Co. I took a day to myself to explore. I hiked for miles, climbed the rocks and took a break to have a picnic. It was an outing to just get away and clear my head. There’s a rock that looks like it’s balancing and I stood underneath it pretending to hold it up. A friendly couple I met that day took a picture for me. The picture is hilarious and I’ll have that memory forever! I took plenty of pictures of my adventure, from panoramic shots to detailed and close up pictures of the rocks. I climbed down inside small tunnels and caves and climbed up as high as I could go to get a better look at the surroundings. I’m a bit of a daredevil! The rocks are such a beautiful color and some sparkle. They are fascinating and it’s amazing to see the different shapes of the rocks. The fact that they were formed by nature just blew my mind. There are some small pools where rain water gathers. Some are big enough to splash around in, but mostly people throw pennies in and make a wish (I’m not exactly sure if this is encouraged, but people do it). I saw people biking past me on bike trails. If I had my bike with me I could have covered more ground. That’s the plan for the next visit! Out of all the places that I have visited, Garden Of The Gods holds a special spot at the top of my list.
After I was completely worn out from my day long hike, I visited the visitor and nature center where I found detailed information on the history of the park and educational information on the rock formations. I also picked up pamphlets and information booklets on activities, special events, and nearby parks and recreation for future visits. They also have a gift shop on site where I looked through many books for sale to learn more about how and when the rock formations were formed.
With the limited amount of time that I had, I was amazed that I could see so much. I am looking forward to going back for a longer period of time in the near future!
I highly recommend Garden Of The Gods whether you’re visiting alone to get away from it all like I did, or whether you’re going on an outing with friends or family. The park is for all ages and includes handicap accessible areas. The park and visitor center is open year round and is free to the public. Park hours are 5am – 11pm (May 1 – Oct 31) and 5am – 9pm (Nov 1 – Apr 30). For more information or to plan your visit check out the official Garden Of The Gods website at www.gardenofgods.com. Don’t forget water and sunscreen!