Pikes Peak - American's Mountain. Garden of The Gods. Red rock formations in a city park like no other. Explore by Season. Beauty that goes beyond the summertime. Explore by Destination. Find unique destinations and mountain towns around the region. Explore by Itineraries.
Whether you're traveling alone, with friends or family, a thrill-seeker or a chill-seeker, we have an itinerary for you. Let us help you plan your perfect trip. Get quick answers to your questions. Pikes Peak Region Blog. Tips and local insights. Pet-Friendly Attractions. Where people and pooches play together. ADA Accessible Attractions. Adventure is in reach for everyone. Your 64 page guide to food, fun, lodging and wide open spaces in Colorado Springs.
About Pikes Peak. Ways to do Pikes peak. By the numbers. Top things you need to know about. Peak pointers. Guided Tours. Pikes Peak Summit. Ways to do Pikes Peak. Drive a car. Best if you want to take in the view.
Exercion meter:. Average time:. Be sure to pick up some summit house donuts at 14, ft. Drive it. Take a guided tour. Best if you want to sit back and relax. Exertion meter:. Be sure to call for reservations! Jeep Tour. Shuttle Tour. Ride the Train. Great to enjoy the back country. Ride it. Ride a bike. Best if you want to feel the wind in your hair. Call for reservations. Bike it. Take a hike. Best if you want to get your adrenaline pumping. Edwin James made the first recorded summit of Pikes Peak in June Before being officially recognized as Pikes Peak, the mountain had two names—Pikes Peak and James Peak—used interchangeably for almost forty years.
Pikes Peak was also a symbol for emigrants coming west during the Colorado Gold Rush of — Beginning in , prospectors from all over the United States migrated to the region, hoping to strike it rich. Emigrants crossing the plains took heart when they saw Pikes Peak on the horizon, as the landmark was a sign that their arduous journey was nearing an end.
It has inspired literature and countless paintings, pamphlets, photographs, and souvenirs. It became a leisure destination for thousands each year. One particularly influential visitor was Katharine Lee Bates. Manipulation of its natural landscape made Pikes Peak a focal point for tourism.
In the Cascade to Pikes Peak Wagon Road was completed, offering carriage rides to the summit for those who did not want to hike or ride horseback. The current highway closely follows the route of this earlier road.
It still delights tourists today and is the highest cog railway in North America. In local resident and tour guide Fred Barr began taking tourists on burro treks up the slopes of the surrounding mountains, and in he and a work crew finished Barr Trail , a burro route to the top of Pikes Peak.
At an elevation of 10, feet, he built a set of cabins and a barn known as Barr Camp. Two of the cabins still stand today. In the Pikes Peak Highway, closely following the old wagon road, enabled automobiles to reach the summit. The Pikes Peak Highway, however, brought some negative environmental impacts to the surrounding areas, most notably in the Severy Creek Basin.
Runoff from the highway dramatically increased erosion, washing millions of tons of sediment into nearby drainages. In the clogged streams and wetlands prompted the Sierra Club to file a lawsuit for violations of the Clean Water Act.
The lawsuit initiated a program to pave the road all the way to the summit and implement erosion control structures. The project was completed in He was in awe of the incredible views from Pikes Peak but was worn out and saddle-weary from the arduous trip. The rest, as they say, is history. Her experience in on top of Pikes Peak moved her to pen the poem that became one of the most patriotic songs honoring America. While certainly one of the most famous mountains in the country and the second most visited mountain in the world behind Mount Fuji , Pikes Peak stands at 14, feet, towers 8, feet above Colorado Springs, and yet it is not the highest mountain in Colorado.
That honour belongs to Mt. Elbert at 14, feet. Actually, the altitude of Pikes Peak has changed many times over the years. Initially, it was 14, feet, with the addition of the Summit House Tower in the late s it was increased to 14, feet, then when the new Summit House was built, it was changed again to 14, feet.
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