5 Reasons Why Manitou Springs makes a Great Entry to Colorado

Most people fly into Denver without even considering other options. I prefer flying into Colorado Springs and staying in nearby Manitou Springs. Wanna know why?

In a nutshell, the 5 Reasons Why Manitou Springs makes a Great Entry to Colorado:

1.  Perfect elevation to adjust to the altitude
2.  Mellow small town with hip attitude
3.  Two major attractions are here
4.  Convenient base for further exploring
5.  And… you can save $ money!

 

Reason #1:  Perfect elevation to adjust to the altitude

If you read my earlier post about adjusting to Colorado’s altitude, you’ll remember that an intermediate elevation (between 5,500 and 6,500 ft) is recommended for visitors arriving from flatter lands and that staying 24-48 hours in a given destination for every 1,000 ft elevation gain is ideal. Acclimatizing is important to prevent altitude sickness which can strike at elevations over 7,500 ft. And experts agree—taking it easy the first couple of days is key.

Manitou Springs sits at 6.400 ft. Which is the perfect elevation for adjusting to the altitude!

Coming from sea level, I knew that it would take a good week to get acclimatized before my daughter and I began a hiking/camping trip in the San Juan Mountains at 12,000 ft. So we stayed in Manitou Springs for 3 nights, took it easy and gradually added more strenuous excursions before traveling onward and upward to higher elevations.

Read my post about Acclimatizing to Colorado’s Altitude.

Manitou Springs is a great place to walk around and take it easy, as you’ll see below. But it also has some killer inclines when you’re ready to test your readiness to hit steeper trails and higher elevations.

Such as the Incline! Manitou Incline

This steep hiking trail goes straight up a section of Pike’s Peak. Open to the public since 2013, Olympic athletes use this former cog railway as their training ground. They can tackle the ascent in under 20 minutes. The rest of us mere mortals can climb it in around an hour—that is if the altitude doesn’t stop you in your tracks. Elevation before you begin climbing is 6,500 feet. And then it rises over 2,000 feet in less than a mile. Plus, it’s steep. Hikers face a 45% grade that changes to 68% —nearly vertical!

My daughter and I had no intention of climbing it.

We walked over from our B&B on our 2nd morning in Colorado just to watch. In fact, I was wearing sandals. The sun was intense, and we knew better than to exert ourselves. Expecting to see just serious athletes, I was surprised to see all ages on the Incline. Sure there were lots of college-aged females in skimpy shorts and shirtless guys running with nimble speed, including a barefoot dude with bandaged toes.

                  

But families with children???

Some parents had babies tucked into shaded backpacks or fabric cocoons strapped around them with dogs at their heels. Even graying seniors plodded along. After sideways glances at each other, we nodded and began our ascent, just to sample a few of the 2,767 steps.

Sweat stung our eyes as we panted in the thin air. But we made it up to step 400 before we stopped, then backtracked. (Once you ascend the steepest grade there’s no turning back, so know your limits.) Reaching the parking lot to catch the free shuttle back to Manitou Avenue (ohhh, my blistered feet!) we happened upon a fruity lemonade stand. Ah, yes, please!

I don’t recommend tackling this on your first day, or even your second. Located at the west end of town, you can walk to the trailhead in 10-15 minutes in proper shoes.

 

Reason #2:  Mellow Vibes in Manitou Springs

What better place to slowly adjust to Colorado’s thin air than here?

Located 20 miles from Colorado Springs, this small-town community sprang up around therapeutic mineral waters. The naturally occurring springs, flowing through karst deep underground and erupting around town, have a long history of restoring health to the people who traveled here and peace among the Native American tribes. (Read Manitou Springs history here.)  A healthy wellness continues to permeate the lifestyles of those who’ve settled here, and draws people seeking holistic healing, artistic expression, the love of quaint communities or adventures in the clean mountain air.          And those who prefer a laid-back vibe to high-stress traffic jams.

                   

                                                                              Intersection where you turn left to reach Manitou Incline 

It’s a perfect place for walking, eating and vegging…following doctor’s orders to acclimatize, right? Manitou Avenue is the town’s main street where most of the shops, art galleries, restaurants, adobe buildings and inns line whimsical art-enhanced blocks.

Within maybe six blocks, the compact downtown has eclectic art galleries, yoga studios, an art co-op, and shops selling everything from high-end jewelry, clothing and wine to crystals, CBD oil and legalized marijuana lining the tree-filled street. And the food! Such a wide assortment of ethnic cafes, rustic taverns, beer gardens, and restaurants specializing in fondue, hip Hungarian food or fine dining.

PJ’s Bistro was our absolute fav. Scrumptious potato pancakes with salmon, capers & dill plus assorted meat and veggie pierogis—yum. This Hungarian chef knows his stuff!

Art festivals, wine festivals, food tours and musical concert series are held on park lawns all summer long. You can also catch a melodrama show at the Iron Spring Chateau. Check out the Manitou Springs website for more information.

 

Mineral Springs Tour

Another great idea for a walk is the free “Springabout” tour on Wed & Saturdays in the summer. My daughter and I joined in and visited the 8 mineral spring fountains around town. Sampling each spring, we tasted distinct differences in the carbonated water and listened to stories about the healing nature of the water.

 

We heard about the Ute chief who fell into a spring and became so giddy feeling the water bubble up around him that he invited other tribes and white men to join him for soaking instead of fighting which led to peace on these sacred lands. As people drank the waters and word spread that the minerals were restoring health for so many ailments, from bipolar to TB, the town of Manitou was built around the springs in 1871 to attract health resort tourists.

          

Walking around sampling the waters reminded me of visits to other spa towns where tourists flocked under doctor’s orders to drink mineral waters like French Lick, Indiana and Karlovary, Czech Republic. We popped into a local museum where we saw exhibits from a plant that once bottled and sold Manitou Table Water and Ginger Champagne (so popular it was on the Titanic).

The tour, which lasted about an hour, was a wonderful introduction to the charming town and provided rich context for the artistic fountains that house the springs. I highly recommend taking the time to squeeze it in. But if you’re visiting out of season, stop by the Visitor Center or download their pamphlet to learn more about the springs to take a self-guided tour. And turn it into a scavenger hunt!

 

 

It’s interesting to note that each person will have a different reaction to the taste of each spring—depending on what minerals your body is lacking!

 

We heard the story of a young girl who loved one particular spring. The water tastes like blood to most. But not her. Turns out she was anemic. So go ahead…taste away.

You might just find out what ails you! Locals are known fill their water bottles at their favorite spring before running, biking or hitting the Incline.

 

 

SunWater Spa

Talking about mellow—I’d be remiss not to mention the alluring SunWater Spa, which strives to extract the healing properties of the area’s mineral waters in an almost hypnotically relaxing setting.

I was invited to take a peek after learning of the spa from our SpringAbout tour guide who’s one of the masseuse specialists at SunWater.

With hushed voices and slippered feet we padded along the wooden floors looking into the beautifully decorated and innovatively designed spa. Soothing sounds of water, tinkling crystals, and soft contemporary music enhanced the ombre ocher-colored space. Intriguing Native American art pieces were thoughtfully placed around the yoga room creating a sense of deep calm that encouraged meditation.

Outside were multi-tiered water fountains, giant cedar soaking tubs filled with mineral waters, swaying hammock chairs beside a bubbling creek with mountains rising as the backdrop. Couples can reserve private cedar tubs or guests can soak with groups of friends.

The SunWater Spa was one of those places that immediately intrigues. Not only is the architectural design unusual, but so are the massage and treatment offerings. Unique services include watsu, CBD oil massage and aquacranial massage in a large mineral pool. In addition to yoga classes on mats, they even have classes in the water. I’ve never even heard of aqua yoga, have you?

I tried to squeeze something in—anything—but unfortunately they were fully booked. This really is a cool place. Reserve a treatment or class before you leave home!

 

A short drive north of town are 2 attractions aimed at families…

 

Manitou Cliff Dwellings

 

Kids at heart can wander freely through pinkish-colored adobe cliff dwellings that were moved here from southwestern Colorado. Yes, the ruins are real! This ancient housing once belonged to the Anasazi, or Ancient Puebloan people, until the 13^th century.  Signage describes unique features such as the circular kivas as you wander through the adjoining rooms, poke into windows or climb ladders to access tiny bedrooms

                                                

The self-guided tour takes maybe an hour. There’s a museum, gift shop and video exhibits about the Ancestral life of the cliff dwellers in an adjacent adobe building. At times there are Native American dancers or wolves from a sanctuary in Colorado Springs that add another dimension to your visit. Check website for upcoming events happening during your vacation dates.

 

Cave in the Winds

Part natural, but primarily theme-parkish, Cave in the Winds is an attraction geared to adrenalin-loving aerial thrill seekers. Their ziplining course seems tame compared to other options. You can plunge over the side of a 200 ft cliff on the Terror-dactyl ride, test your nerves as you balance on steel beams cantilevered over the canyon, or climb steel footholds wedged into canyon walls on via ferrata. Oh, and yes, there are cave tours including one lantern lit and one requiring you to crawl for a couple hours on a spelunking tour. Sounds like fun…

 

Lodging:

Lodging options include 10 B&B’s, historic hotels, small mom-n-pop motels and cabins scattered around town spreading all the way out to the base of Pike’s Peak.

We stayed at the Avenue Hotel in downtown Manitou Springs, a lovely boutique B&B that served as a boarding house in 1886. Located in a spacious lot in a beautiful spot overlooking main street, guests park their cars behind the inn and can simply walk most everywhere. Great ethnic restaurants and cafes are right down the street. And the free Springabout walking tour meets across the street by the SunWater Spa. Although there weren’t any summer concerts taking place on the library lawn next door, we did enjoy people watching from the spacious porch.

                          

Gourmet breakfasts are served on the elegant veranda, however guests have the option of a quick continental breakfast at 8am indoors or a leisurely sit-down breakfast at 10am. A coffee and tea bar, snacks in the room, fresh cookies or wine in the afternoon and restaurants next door ensure you won’t go hungry. Another perk was the absence of room keys. A lockpad on each door is keyed to your phone number–very smart! Guests can enter from 3 separate entrances, and have access to the living room or garden-like backyard with a hot tub and lounge chairs. I’d stay here again in a heartbeat!

                                                   

 

Check out this map to see the layout of other lodging options for Manitou Springs. Avenue B&B is near the High School marker.

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Reason #3:   Garden of the Gods & Pike’s Peak are HERE!

Garden of the Gods

Yes, those famous red sandstone rock formations, known as Garden of the Gods, are located HERE in Manitou Springs!

Making access to this 3,250 acre park easy. The hardest part is finding parking space if you want to explore the trails.

A paved one-way road winds through the park but has very limited parking lots, forcing most visitors to simply drive the whole way without stopping. (That happened to us twice.) The best spots for finding parking space are located at the south end of the park at either the Balanced Rock formation or the Trading Post. At the North end, there’s plenty of parking at the Visitor Center, but you’ll have to follow the road to access the trail making this the longest walk to any formations. There are some random spots located on the side of this loop road, but up for grabs by luck. Afternoon is the most difficult time to find parking as the setting sun brings out the gorgeous color of the rocks AND those on bus tours or jeep tours.

Sunrise is a great time to visit (not yet hot, good light for photography) and lots are empty. Staying minutes away in Manitou Springs makes sunrise this doable—we hiked at dawn, had time to return and shower before joining breakfast on the veranda!

Hiking here is fairly flat as trails wind around the base of the rocks. We hiked 3 of the 4 at a comfortable pace, and didn’t feel winded or headachy from the altitude. Makes a good place to stretch your legs without over-exerting yourself as you acclimatize.

4 hiking trails:

See the Siamese Twins rock formation on the Balanced Rock trail, a ¾ mile easy jaunt from the Spring Canyon trailhead. Stunning at sunset.
Circle formations in the northern part of the park on Palmer trail, a 3 mile path beginning at the South Garden parking lot (east side).
Explore rock formations on the Buckskin Charlie Trail, a 1 mi loop through red sandstone beginning at Scotsman picnic area. Nice place for sunrise!
Perkins Central Garden trail is a paved 1.5 mile tail from main parking lot (1^st parking lot when driving thru loop). Could also walk from the Visitor Center to access this trail.

 

What Else TO DO:
Mt. biking allowed in southeastern section of park beginning at the South Garden parking lot.
Rock Climbing: technical climbers have to register at the Visitor Center with proof of proper equipment and a climbing buddy. No solo climbers allowed.
Horseback riding available from Academy Stables on the eastern edge of the park. Garden of the Gods park website also mentions Segway tours.
Visitor Center has a mulitmedia film, exhibits and a cafe (cool kids menu) along with an observation deck.
Jeep Tour (but personally would skip. You can drive your own car on the same paved road for free AND roll up your windows during a sudden downpour!)

 

Summit Pike’s Peak

Everybody’s heard of Pike’s Peak. A certain mountain of purple majesty that inspired the familiar song, America the Beautiful.

But don’t visit on Day 1. Or even 2. Give your body time to adjust to the altitude. Getting off the airplane in Colorado Springs you’re 6,035 feet above sea level. In Manitou Spring, you’re a little bit higher at 6,412 ft. But the summit of Pike’s Peak is a whopping…14,115 feet! Yeah, think about that. More than double what already feels like high elevation.

The popular cog train that whisked tourists to the top is no longer running (as of 2018). They hope to reopen in 2021. Until then, your choices to visit include: driving (takes 3-4 hours), joining a tour that provides bikes for the descent (6 hours) or, ahem, really?…. hiking this tough 14’er (takes 8 – 48 hours).

It can get pretty congested in the summer with up to 500,000 visitors, cautious drivers slowly snaking around the curves, bikes, and slow-moving vehicles struggling to make the steep grade. Add to that the construction of a new summit house going up this year which limits parking.

Factoring these in, we chose to skip the summit. I’d been there before as a kid but all I remember was the very long drive. (I think it’s best appreciated by adults. Or from afar.) If you have kiddos and decide to go, bring activities for the car, extra water and warm jackets for cooler temps at the top. And buy them warm donuts at the summit shop.

 

Reason #4:  Convenient base for further exploring

Manitou Springs is a hop, skip and a jump from Colorado Springs (6 miles EAST) where you can visit the Olympic Training Center, Cheyenne zoo or hike the trail to Seven Falls.

Or hit I-25 and head NORTH to Denver, an hour away. On the way, visit the Air Force Academy and its riveting chapel. Just look at that architecture!

The United States Air Force Academy is actually a top tourist stop, and I wish we could’ve had more time here.

Located 21 minutes north of Manitou Springs off of I-25, exit 156, the North Gate is open to the public 9-5 daily. You’ll pass the giant B52 bomber displayed outdoors enroute to the Cadet Chapel, Colorado’s most visited tourist attraction. This modern multi-faith chapel features 17 spires reaching into the sky. Inside panes of blue glass and steel frames create a distinctive space. Open 9:30am-4:30pm Mon-Sat, and 1-4:30pm Sun. Note that the main chapel could be closed if your visit coincides with a military wedding (what a place to wed!)

It was cool to watch the cadets in formation, marching and chanting out calls. I pictured my brother doing the same eons ago, now an Air Force captain serving in Japan.

             

The Visitor Center shows a film showing a day in the life of a cadet, the graduation hat toss and Thunderbird flyover. Gift shop and cafe housed here too. Hours 9-5. The grand Planetarium, which opened March 2019, has a free show at 12:30pm Mon-Fri. No tickets necessary —just show up and enjoy the show. Content varies from Humpback Whales to Black Holes. Check AF website for more details about what’s going on inside the giant white dome, or special events open to the public.

Halfway between Manitou Springs and Denver is Larkspur, the location of the Renaissance Festival held Saturdays & Sundays all summer long.

From I-25, take Exit 172. From 10-6:30pm get your fill of merriment watching acrobatic acts, jousting, comic duos, wacky wenches and endangered cats if that’s your sort of entertainment. Elbowing crowds to find a seat on days of intense heat can be a bit of a challenge …and we left after 90 minutes (maybe some things are best remembered as a kid).

Or head WEST to visit the mining town of Cripple Creek. Take Hwy 24 for 20 miles before turning left on CO-67 South through the mountains to the small town of Cripple Creek, elevation 9,494 ft. Driving into town you may see donkeys roaming the street, like we did. (Yep, my daughter jumped out to grab a selfie.)

Believed to be descendants of the donkeys working the mines from Gold Rush Days, these residents wander around town at whim and even have a stall next to the old jail. Gold may no longer lure people here, but the chance to strike it rich still does. Glitzy casinos fill the interiors of historic buildings lining main street.

Tourists can glance into the past by touring a mine, riding a steam train, or visiting the old Cripple Creek jail.

         

The most famous convict in this town was Jack Dempsey, who spent Christmas 1914 in a jail cell. He served 30 days for petty larceny. Five years later he became the heavyweight champion, and defended his title 5 times.  It was fascinating to see photos of previous inmates and their criminal record in the various cells, read about strange laws in the late 1800s, and learn about the local miners fighting to keep wages at $3 for an 8 hour day. Kids are encouraged to dress up in old striped uniforms and pose in the cells. The whole place was fascinating.

We hadn’t even planned on coming here. But snow on a mountain pass near Buena Vista had cut off access to the trail we’d intended to hike, so we were winging it on our road trip to Salida where we would spend the night. Seeing the turn off for Cripple Creek (and remembering what I’d read about it) we decided to go check it out, and I’m so glad we did. The drive took a little longer than I expected–curvy and scenic and stopping a lot to gawk at llamas along the way.

Picking a place to eat at random, we chose the Cripple Cow Pizzaria. This fun, friendly place centered around a farmer’s crippled cow hanging from a cloud-filled ceiling is where we had our cheapest meal in Colorado. We enjoyed a delicious pizza and drinks for less than $8! There was a casino through the open doorway.

I loved walking past all the colorful historic buildings on main street, some with nods to the mining past like the Brass Ass Casino.

Summer’s big event is the annual Donkey Derby Days held in late June. This former gold mining town around the back side of Pikes Peak, is 39 miles southwest of Manitou Springs, about an hour’s drive away.

 

 

Reason #5:  Save $$ Money!

Flights

Flying into Colorado Springs airport (COS) is often cheaper than Denver. Compare the rates for your dates, and see for yourself!  Plus the airport in Colorado Springs is smaller, with less lines, less traffic, less chaos… We flew into Colorado Springs and out of Durango which allowed us to road trip to the SW part of the state without backtracking to fly home.

Car Rental

In my experience, you could save on car rental from Colorado Springs airport as well. My quote for the same car rental (Jeep) was half the quoted price as Denver’s airport. Yes, half! I booked with Hertz, but checked rates on several companies with comparable results.

By booking our flight and car through Colorado Springs, rather than Denver, we saved a total of $1200 (for 2 travelers). Imagine what you could do with that kind of money toward something else on your trip!

And, c’mon, who doesn’t like to save money?

You may be interested in my Colorado Travel Planning Tips

So, those are my 5 reasons why Manitou Springs makes a great entry to Colorado. I think this Grecian goddess overlooking Manitou Avenue would agree. What about you?