Garden of the Gods is one of our favorite places to visit yearly. There are so many hiking trails (many paved areas as well) and for those that aren’t as mobile, the drive through the park is just as beautiful.
The towering red rock is something to behold, and the best part it was purchased and given to Colorado Springs to remain free to the public forever.
“Charles Elliott Perkins purchased two-hundred and forty acres in the Garden of the Gods for a summer home. He later added to the property but never built on it, preferring to leave his wonderland in its natural state for the enjoyment of the public.
Perkins died in 1907, before he made arrangements for the land to become a public park. Although it had already been open to the public for years, it was his children’s decision that sealed the park’s fate. In 1909, Perkins’ children, knowing their father’s feeling for the Garden of the Gods, conveyed his four-hundred eighty acres to the City of Colorado Springs.
It would be known forever as the Garden of the Gods, “where it shall remain free to the public, where no intoxicating liquors shall be manufactured, sold, or dispensed, where no building or structure shall be erected except those necessary to properly care for, protect, and maintain the area as a public park.”
Source: https://gardenofgods.com/park-history/
Why we love it: it’s free entrance, an easy drive from the Denver area, and lots of places to hike and climb around. It can get very busy in summer, so we often go in winter/spring during a warm streak. Weekdays are also best during tourist season. Fall is very beautiful, but again middle of the week will be the least busy.
While you are there, if you are looking for somewhere to eat nearby (not free) we like to eat at the BBQ place called “Rudy’s.”’
Happy Colorado Travels!