Trip Report: Pikes Peak

They call Pikes Peak “America’s Mountain”. And when you get to Colorado, it’s easy to see why.

Standing at an elevation of 14,115 feet, you can see Pikes Peak for miles as you travel along eastern Colorado. And for travelers traveling west across the state in the late 1800s, it was all they could see for days on end.

Recently we took a trip up to the top of this famed mountain, and, while we were a bit hampered by clouds at the summit, it was everything that we thought it would be.

Here’s how our trip went.

Seeing Pikes Peak Before Hand

Our trip to Pikes Peak was part of a longer road trip to Colorado, Utah, Arizona and New Mexico.

Driving up to Denver, we got a great view of the mountain and the rest of the front range mountains. As someone who has always grown up on flat lands, seeing 10,000-plus peak mountains right next to a city and interstate was just wild.

It was a great teaser for what we were going to experience in a couple day’s time.

Arriving at Pikes Peak

There are multiple ways to get to the top of Pikes Peak, including hiking, driving, or, our preferred method, the cog railway.

For the cog railway, we drove through the town of Manitou Springs to a small station at the base of the mountain.

If you would have told me that we went through a travel loop to Switzerland upon arriving at the station, I would have believed you. The station looks nearly identical to a station you would see in the Swiss Alps. While I’m not entirely sure what the technical term is for the architecture, it just really had that feel of a Swiss mountain station.

The train is a very popular choice for getting up to the top of the mountain, judging by how hard it was to navigate on the station platform.

Speaking of the platform, awaiting us was a red train with an engine on the downhill side and three coaches behind it. The engine will push the cars up to the top and then, essentially, keep the cars from running away on the downhill trek.

Before long, the doors to the coaches opened up and we boarded the train for an 8.9 mile journey while gaining 7,795 feet in elevation.

Traveling Up on the Cog Railway

The best way to describe the trip up the mountain is that it felt like a never ending roller coaster lift hill.

On average, the grade of the railway up to the mountain is 12 percent. That is, for every 100 feet we travel forward, we gain 12 feet in elevation. And in some spots, the grade is 25 percent. To put that into perspective, generally a 2 percent grade is considered steep in mainline railroading in the United States.

To combat the steep grades, the railway uses cog wheels to help the train climb and descend the steep terrain. There is a rack in the middle of the two railways which cogs on the underside of each car attach to to propel the train up the mountain. The Broadmoor Manitou and Pikes Peak Cog Railway is one of only three cog railways in the United States.

As for the scenery up the mountain on our trek, it’s absolutely amazing. The first part of our trip took place in dense forests. What we couldn’t see in terms of views we made up with being able to see incredible rock formations, wildlife and several waterfalls, including the highest waterfall in North America.

Roughly halfway through our journey, we finally got above the timber line and could see Colorado Springs and the surrounding area. It was an incredible view. Passing the spot where Katharine Lee Bates was inspired to write “America the Beautiful”, it was easy to see why she was inspired. It was amazing in every direction.

Unfortunately, as we neared the top of the summit, clouds began to move in and obscure our views. But watching the terrain change from forests to grassland to moss and rocks was kind of cool.

Finally, after an hour of climbing, we finally arrived at the top of Pikes Peak. 

At the Summit

Being on top of Pikes Peak was simply incredible.

Even with the clouds all around us, it was kind of surreal to be 14,115 feet above sea level and in the middle of the clouds. Heck, we even saw a good bit of small snowflakes in July.

Walking around the summit, however, was a bit of a chore. The air is much thinner at the top compared to what I was used to back in Texas. Even walking at my normal pace meant getting out of breath quickly.

Still, we were able to get views of the surrounding area through breaks in the clouds. We could see the tops of the Collegiate Peaks over 60 miles to our west. We could see Cripple Creek, which nearly became the capital of Colorado back in the day, to the southwest.

While I definitely wish we had a clearer day to get a full 360 degree view from the summit, it was a worthwhile experience at the top of “America’s Mountain”.

Unfortunately, we only had 40 minutes at the top before we had to board for the trip back down the mountain. I really wish we could have stayed up there longer (and had less clouds to deal with).

Garden of the Gods

After finishing the trip down the mountain and stopping for a bite to eat in downtown Manitou Springs, we traveled a few miles north to the Garden of the Gods.

This is a Colorado Springs city park, but it features many incredible rock formations. And we were there at just the right time.

The sun was starting to get closer to the tops of the mountains to the west, and we started to enter the golden hour. This gave us incredible lighting off of the red-tinted rocks.

It’s simply mind blowing trying to figure out how these rock formations came to be since they are all so unique and fascinating.

We could have spent hours on hours exploring the area, but soon it was time to head back to the highway and back to Denver for the night.

Tips for Visiting Pikes Peak

If you’re looking to travel up to the top of Pikes Peak for photography or just to enjoy the sights, here are some tips to help you make the most of your trip.

Take the Cog Railway to the Summit

One of the best ways to get up to the summit is the cog railway.

While the toll road might seem like the best since you’re in control, you’re going to miss a lot of the sights since your main focus should be on the road. Yes, there are pull out spots where you can stop, but you’re still going to miss a lot.

But the cog railway allows you to just enjoy the ride up to the top. You’ll get to see sights you can’t see any other way. You go past waterfalls (including the highest waterfall in North America), see the different array of wildlife on the mountain, and have a tour guide tell you all about the mountain on the trip.

And you don’t have to do anything but sit there.

It’s a fun ride and it’s something you really can’t do anywhere else in North America. So get the full experience on the cog railway.

Take a Morning Train

Along those lines, you’re probably going to want to take a morning train to the top of the mountain, especially in the summer months.

Generally, the mornings are when you get the best view from the top of the mountain to everything down below. The sky is clear and you can even see to the Kansas border over 160 miles to the east.

While the afternoon might give you the best light, especially if you’re trying to photograph Colorado Springs and other areas on the east side, you run the risk of having to deal with rain showers and clouds at the top of the mountain.

We took a noon train up to the top of the summit on our trip. While it was all sunshine down in Manitou Springs in the morning, by the time we got to the top of Pikes Peak, we were dealing with clouds and even light snow.

We were able to get brief glimpses of the terrain below us, those views were unfortunately few and far between.

But if you go to the top in the morning, your odds of having to deal with clouds should be a lot lower.

If You Want More Time at the Summit, Drive Up

That being said, if you want to have more time enjoying the view at the top of Pikes Peak, you’ll want to drive up to the top of the summit.

With the cog railway, you only get about 40 minutes at the top of the mountain. While that might seem like a long time, in reality it goes by really quickly. It’s not really enough time to walk around the entire summit plus get a bite to each and purchase souvenirs at the new summit house.

But if you drive up to the top, you’ll be able to spend as much time as you want at the summit. You can take photos in all directions. You can explore the summit house, which includes museum exhibits, a gift shop and a cafe. And you can just relax at 14,100 feet above sea level.

Plus, the drive up to the top features a number of places where you can pull over and enjoy the view.

It might not be as relaxing as the cog railway, but it’s still a great way to enjoy the mountain.

Take it Slow at the Summit

When you’re at the summit, make sure that you take your time walking around — not just to be sure to enjoy the sights but also so that you don’t overexert yourself.

Remember, you’re going to be 14,100 feet above sea level and the air is noticeably thinner at this altitude. That means you’re not going to be getting as much oxygen into your body with each breath like you would at normal elevations.

The end result is altitude sickness. You’re going to feel a little bit weird, especially if you’re normally from lower elevations, like I am. I ran into this problem when we were at the summit. Despite exercising daily, the altitude hit me like a train when I tried to walk at my normal pace.

So just make sure you take it easy at the summit, and be prepared to feel a bit weird. If you need to, just sit down for a few minutes and you’ll be back to normal.

Explore the Area

Finally, make sure you take some time to truly explore the area.

While the mountain is the main attraction, you miss a lot by just going up the mountain and calling it a day.

At the base of the mountain is the town of Manitou Springs. It has a lovely walkable downtown area. You can grab a bite to eat and walk around and check out the various different shops that line the street. There’s even an entire alleyway that’s filled with arcades. Don’t think I’ve seen that anywhere else.

And to the north of the town is the Garden of the Gods. This city park features spectacular rock formations and great trails for hiking. Everywhere you look is a great view and a wonderful photo opportunity.

And then of course, you’re in Colorado Springs where there are a number of other things to do to round out your vacation.

So make sure that you spend your day exploring the area as well.