There are two distinct ways to reach the top of Pikes Peak, which sits 14,115 feet above sea level…read moreaccording to the monument we dutifully took a group photo in front of. You can drive yourself up a winding ribbon of mountain asphalt while wondering if the human coming around the hairpin turn possesses basic driving skills. Or you can board a train and let a red Swiss-built mechanical crawler drag you up the side of a giant rock. We chose the later. We boarded the Broadmoor Manitou and Pikes Peak Cog Railway at the base depot in Manitou Springs as part of an organized tour group. This spared us from the depot parking lot, which appeared to be a complicated test of human patience that you pay a premium to experience. The boarding process is orderly because seats are seemingly assigned by a computer algorithm. I say this, because no human would assign seats in such a manner unless they deeply enjoyed practical jokes. Our half of the train car was packed tightly while leaving the far end three-quarters empty. Spreading the riders out more evenly would seem like an obvious improvement. The seats themselves are molded high-density plastic that any rider of underfunded public transit will instantly recognize, arranged in rows facing one another. This configuration forces passengers to stare directly into each other's eyes while their legs interlock like puzzle pieces. At six-foot-three, I was deeply grateful for an aisle seat. Two of my companions, both under five-foot-six, sat across from one another and found themselves in an arrangement that surrendered all known concepts of personal space. The climb takes about one hour and fifteen minutes along nine miles of track. Our guide provided historical facts, geological context, and a steady stream of terrible dad jokes. They informed us we were on the right track, which was technically accurate. Outside the windows, the aspen trees gave way to evergreen timberline, which eventually dissolved into barren rock, sky, and absolute silence. At the summit, the atmosphere becomes thin and cold. We had just come from a week of intense heat, yet tiny snowflakes were drifting through the air in July. My lungs, accustomed to normal atmospheric pressure, spent the first ten minutes attempting to negotiate a trade agreement with the mountain air. Eventually, my nervous system adjusted. The summit visitor center feels modern, warm, and smells delightfully of their famous high-altitude freshly fried donuts. On the journey back down, the universe provided a magnificent surprise. A rainbow appeared in the canyon directly at eye-level. Every human in our car stopped talking at the exact same moment and simply stared through the glass. No digital camera could properly capture it. Some moments refuse to be translated into pixels. I would choose the Cog Railway over driving up the peak without hesitation. You must simply pack warm layers, prepare for the altitude, and accept that your knees will spend two hours making close friends with a stranger. The mountain is magnificent. The seating configuration is not.

My second time here. Love it…read more Great time riding the rails. Your guide was excellent and gave a lot of info. The railway station was clean and well organized. Pro tips: bring a sweatshirt, sun glasses, and give yourself at least twenty minutes to park. They leave on time and don't care that you're running to catch the train. Our train left someone behind.

This off-roading experience out near the Pikes Peak Forest was absolutely amazing! The staff was…read moresuper friendly from start to finish, and our driver, Skylar, was awesome--knowledgeable, fun, and made the whole ride even better. We rode in a six-seater UTV and had some of the best views I've ever seen, including incredible sights of Pikes Peak. Being out there really puts things into perspective. It was sad to see parts of the forest still recovering from a human-caused fire that happened years ago, but it also made the experience more meaningful to witness the resilience of nature firsthand. I had an amazing time--truly one of those experiences you don't forget. I would 100% do this again. Next time, though, I'd probably book it in the summer because it was pretty cold and my feet were frozen . Totally worth it, though! Highly recommend if you're looking for adventure, great views, and a fun crew.

Gideon was so great and very helpful with suggestions on routes for us to take. This was the…read morehighlight of our trip. We enjoyed the self guided UTV trip so much. We really recommend this for anyone looking to adventure out and have a great time. We did the 4 hour self guided tour and it was just the perfect amount of time! Incredible views!

This tour company offers many different tours. We chose it because it seemed like the best choice…read morefor us to visit Pike's Peak. It was around $90 per person for a three and a half hour town. We went in early September. We arrived at the location, which offers street parking. You check in, sign your waivers inside. On the outside, there is a cute yard set up with checkers to play and places to sit and enjoy before the ride. We went in a Jeep Wrangler for the tour with a couple. There were four people and the tour guide, Jerry. Water was provided, and you could drink however many bottles of water you wanted. I kept drinking because I feared altitude sickness. It didn't happen. Jerry stopped at gorgeous sites along the way, and we got out to stretch out legs at several sites, and for picture opportunities. Jerry was a great photographer and offered many times to take our photo and was so good at it! Many memorable photos were captured because of Jerry. He was a great conversationalist, grew up in Manitou Springs all of his life, and provided so many great restaurant recommendations. Definitely ask Jerry about places to eat, because he has great taste. Jerry also was very knowledgeable and I felt completely safe in the Jeep at all times, even with the white knuckled hair pin turns and my fear of heights and dropping off the side of the cliff. At the top of Pike's Peak the tour provides you with a doughnut, which was good. As an added bonus, Jerry took us to one of the natural springs in Manitou to try it out. Book this tour. This is a great company, and ask for Jerry. He is your man and very experienced. Also, it is totally worth the money because I could not imagine driving those turns.

This was such an amazing way to go up to the top of Pikes Peak. Our guide was really awesome and…read moresuper knowledgable about everything. It was so nice to be able to take in all of the views without worrying about falling off of a cliff while driving yourself. I would highly recommend this to anyone, especially if you are new to town or visiting. We may or may not have seen Big Foot and there were donuts. You can't go wrong with donuts.

What an incredible experience from beginning to end!…read more Our trip from California started with Sharon, who helped us with our reservation. She was warm, patient, and extremely helpful in making the modifications we needed. From that first interaction, we felt like we were in good hands. When we arrived, Rainey was thoughtful and accommodating, especially since my wife and I were traveling with her parents, who needed a little extra support and assistance. Her kindness was greatly appreciated. Then we met Susan in the gift shop...an absolute gem. We immediately connected when I mentioned that my late mother's name was also Susan. I asked if she knew the meaning of her name, and she replied, "Lily." That stopped me in my tracks because the book I'm writing about my mother is titled The Lily of the Valley. I promised Susan that when it's finished, I'll send her a copy. In fact, our conversation inspired me to sit down and write while we waited to board the dome train. Once aboard, Thomas, our server, was awesome. He was knowledgeable, informative, personable, and made us feel less like customers and more like family. His service added so much to an already memorable ride. The scenery is spectacular, but what really made this experience special were the people. Sharon, Rainey, Susan, and Thomas each contributed something memorable to our day. A truly wonderful experience and one we highly recommend. It was absolutely worth the investment...and gave us memories we'll carry home to California with us. Truly a happy ending and we' come again. LOL!

Great train ride with great views. The view from the odd numbered booths was much nicer than the…read moreevens. From the odd numbered booths you can see the river and the sloping walls of the gorge. The even side had the gorge wall most of the way. Food is very good with fresh ingredients and nice flavors. If you purchase online with the ticket you get a free beverage. We had wine which was very nice. The mocktail pina colada was fantastic! We sat in the domed cars which gave a much better view of the scenery. There is an open air car that is available if you want to stand and experience the wind in your hair. We spent a total of approximately two and a half hours. We would definitely ride it again. Tip: there is a huge gift shop you walk through before boarding the train. This is after the gift shop where you pick up the tickets.

I went here many years ago with my ex wife, Voldemort. Voldemort was pure evil, so she was…read moreinstantly infuriated by all things good. She hated Miramont castle. It was gorgeous and peaceful and the staff were very kind. She practically burst into flames upon entrance. Fantastic experience and worth every penny. Also they ward off evil.

It may not be possible to have a more enjoyable Tea than the one we had here on this gorgeous…read moreautumn afternoon when Manitou Springs glistened. We parked, unintentionally, in the back lower level, so entered through the "dungeon," where we met Kelly, the friendly, tiaraed Duchess of the Dungeon. We were early for our seating, so she regaled us with stories of her childhood adventures in the Castle, where she met "residents" (of the spiritual kind). I use a walker, and there is a back staircase equipped with a chair lift--a new experience for me, and much appreciated. The Queen's Parlor Tea Room was tastefully decorated for Halloween. My friend and I donned slightly outrageous hats before we were seated. The china is lovely, small arrangements of fresh flowers are scattered about, and the afternoon light was heavenly. Our server, Kayla, was delightful, dressed in Victorian style. We made our tea selection from the extensive menu: Pecan Caramel for my friend, and Chai for me. Both were delicious, and the tea pots hold four cups, so there's plenty to share. Light Victorian Tea is three courses: Scones, Savories, and Sweets. The selections vary day-to-day, but all is fresh and beautifully presented and delectable. The scones were of generous size and served right from the oven. Yum! We happened to have the room to ourselves, but Kayla didn't rush us. Instead, we were made to feel welcomed guests. The tiny powder room has the lowest toilet I've ever encountered anywhere, but luckily there's a grab rail. It was needed! At the end of our time there, I decided to descend the outside stairs rather than use the chair lift again. Another employee, Kate, obligingly carried my lightweight rollator down for me. Really, it's apparent employees are happy here, and love their Castle. And so did we. I can hardly wait to return.

Stopped here on the "way" to some other activities in Colorado - this might have been my favourite…read morestop! What magnificent wonders! We were only here for about an hour, but oh my - it was worth it! When I say we were on the way to other things, well, we specifically drop about an hour and a half each way to go here, but it as worth it! 2026: 61/100

I had a little time before my flight home and opportunity knocked as I was very close to this…read morenature walk. Spectacular and easy way to choose your own adventure. There were a lot of people and the park offered tours including jeep and Segway. Spectacular views. Next time, I would like to do the entire loop since I was only able to get 3 miles in on this visit. Please come and create your own adventure.

Friendly staff and an excellent pilot who is very knowledgeable about the area. He know the history…read moreand geology of what he is taking you to see and everything in between. Well worth the money. it was a first time helicopter ride for my wife and she really enjoyed it! The pilot told us everything that was going to happen before it happened and insured that my wife was very comfortable with the noise and vibrations inherent in a helo ride.

For my birthday, my husband took me on my 1st helicopter ride - awesome bucket list check! We saw…read morePikes Peak, the Cripple Creek mines, Shelf & Phantom Canyon roads, and the Royal Gorge, incl the bridge. The guys at Colorado Vertical were great. Our pilot Eli was so calm (important), and very knowledgeable and passionate about the area history & geology. He knew his aircraft very well, and even took the time to explain a lot about its operation and safety features. It is powered by a Rolls Royce jet turbine! He really made it a fun and interesting guided tour, and it didn't cost that much, considering the incredible experience, the "Wow" factor!

Amazing 11/10! Kathleen was my guide and she kept us nice and safe while having lots of fun!read more

We had such an amazing time white water rafting with Liquid Descent! Our guide, Kayla, was…read morefantastic. She made us feel safe and comfortable from the very beginning, and gave clear instructions so we always knew what to do. She tailored our ride to how "spicy" we wanted to make it, so since it was our first time rafting, that made us feel great. The trip was the perfect level of excitement for us as beginners. It was fun, thrilling, and adventurous without ever feeling overwhelming. My sons, ages 10 and 13, had an absolute blast and want to plan another trip back. We even got to see a bald eagle along the river, it was phenomenal. The weather was perfect, and the whole experience was incredibly well organized. It's also just under two hours from Denver, making it a great day trip. We really appreciated the free parking, and they kept our car keys safely in the office while we were out on the river. We felt completely comfortable leaving everything else locked in our car. We couldn't have asked for a better first rafting experience. We would absolutely recommend them to anyone, especially families and first-time rafters. Definitely opt for the photo package too - the pictures we received were stunning and memorable. Huge thanks to Kayla and the Liquid Descent team!

We had a fabulous experience staying with Colorado Jeep Tours. We camped up on top overnight…read morethrough Harvest Host, which included tickets to the park for our return hike over the bridge. This made it so easy to be at the office by 8:00am for our jeep tour and zip line. The view from the camp space was the scene from the Colorado license plate! Gorgeous! Zip line was safe and exciting, (although the video was disappointing. ) You get a total "behind the scenes" look at the Royal Gorge park as well as Temple park. Highly recommend!

Great staff! Very organized! Great ride . Drivers are…read morewonderful . It's nice to be driven around and enjoy the views.

My son and I had an awesome ride with their "single track experience" ride. Our guide, Austin, was…read morefriendly, very knowledgeable and an awesome rider. He paced us well and provided great insight to the area and trails. 8 mike climb from drop point and hours of downhill ripping. Highly recommended this tour for anyone interested in advanced single-track riding. Thank you Austin and team. Andy and Noah S., Alamo, CA

Another review: Wanted to give this place another shot…read more Started booking online and after going thru all the info pages I got to the checkout page. All of a sudden there was a $90 Service Fee! After much texting back and forth it was mostly for tips. So I asked "does this mean we are not expected to tip our guides?" She said, that the guides only get $2-4 of that. The rest goes to other locations. What other locations?? I'm tipping people that I never even see or deal with?? WHY isn't that cost shared UPFRONT? Just show some honesty please.