Palmer Park is a beautiful scenic place, with incredible views however, use it your own risk and keep your wits about you. I have had my car vandalized here and there are sketchy people hanging out here, at times. I stopped going to this park two years ago because of the increasing popularity with both regular people who don't clean up after their pets, but worse, less than desirable people that make me question my safety. read more

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I love Palmer Park! It's in the middle of the city and doesn't even feel like you are haha! Lots of trails for all levels! We completed two easy trails today and had a blast. This park is Mountain bike, dog, and horse friendly. Highly recommend visiting ^.^ read more

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Amazing park in the heart of the city with stunning trails and beautiful hoodoos and rock formations, stunning views, and diverse scenery. The only downside was that (despite one clearly marked off-leash loop in the park) most dog owners we encountered had their animals unleashed and we saw several bags of abandoned bags on trails Wishing folks were more responsible/respectful of guidelines as they are in place for everyone's safety and enjoyment of public spaces. Overall a majestic place to explore and bring out of town guests to enjoy Colorful Colorado. read more

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The park is expensive with a huge network of trails. The views are exceptional. You can actually wander around and feel like you're in nature without coming across a bunch of other people. It's my husband's favorite Park. My kids and puppy dog are quite fond of it as well read more

As you can see the kiddos love it here. It was a nice day out with lots of space. The area was good surrounded by stores if we needed anything extra. Although construction was heavy in the area to get tot he park it was still worth the giggles and little smiles. We will definitely be back for more fun. read more

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It's really good to see unobstructed views of the sunrise and sunset. Which are always breathtaking.

We love this park and the dog areas as well. I always recommend visitors go check it out. There's great views at the top, very scenic and I love the many trails. The play areas are well maintained and there's plenty of equipment for the little ones. There's lots of places to eat around the park as well. Great location. read more

This park has some great views and is huge. There's one spot where there is a rock wall, maybe 1/10 of a mile from a parking lot, and you can look down over Colorado Springs. We saw some eagles or hawks flying around there and they were just tens of feet from us. In another area, we parked and were able to climb up a rocky area. Finally, we stopped at the playground a played for a bit. I believe there were 4 play structures, swings, and a wooden see-saw (you don't see those anymore). One play structure was for toddlers, another had a long metal slide that was boarded off. The main 2 structures were awesome. One of these is basically a large obstacle course and the other has a huge slide. There's also a tree in the center that's easy to climb. The only downside to the park was some of the patrons: elementary school kids cursing and not playing well with others coupled with parents not observing their kids. Maybe we just went on the wrong day though. read more

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This park is tucked right in the middle of Colorado Springs and is awesome! Our family loves it for hiking. It is nice because you can hike an easy trail but also find some harder trails that get you up in the rocks. The other great thing is the lookout areas. There are multiples spots that give a great view of the city and mountains. It's really nice to watch the sunset. There is a dog park, though we haven't used it. Bathrooms are limited. Definitely worth a visit and many return trips. read more

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My partner grew up in this area and when we came for a visit, we met up with friends for a hike here. This park is, for starters, gigantic, and signage for individual trails seems limited to nonexistent- highly recommend finding a map or going with someone who is familiar with the park as I could not navigate here to safe my life. That being said, there's a lot to do here and on the off chance you get lost on a trail, at least there are great views. We parked by a dog park and easily saw more people biking than hiking. The trails we were on were pretty easy but there are harder trails with scrambling that get you up the rocks. We were able to make it to a great lookout area with a view of the entire city laid out beneath us- good for this first time visitor, helped me to figure out where things were around town. Would be great to come back for a sunset! NOTE: Bathrooms are currently closed. Plan ahead to stop nearby and maybe not be out too long. read more

If you are in a crunch for time and want breathtaking views of Pike's Peak and the city of Colorado Springs, drive up to the grand view overlook at Palmer Park. It's a paved, flat walk from the parking area with plenty of space for kids to run around. Easily the best views around. read more

Palmer Park - View of COS at sunset - Hiking Near Me - Colorado Springs, Colorado

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maps are a little confusing huge trails great views would go to again for the exercise and there's a lot of spots I haven't been too in it 7.4 read more

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I was down in the Colorado Springs area for a dog event, and staying overnight with my dog in a hotel room is always easier when she is a bit tired so I looked for some place we could go off leash. What a gem -- dog parks are kind of a crap shoot (and there is one at this park - to my reckoning a fairly nice one since it is wooded and therefore plenty shady for hot days) but off-leash trails are a godsend in that I find that the dog owners that use them generally are a bit more dog savvy and have some semblance of control over their dogs ... at least that seemed to be the case when I was here. I would definitely come back the next time I am in the area. read more

Beautiful scenery! My favorite time is to go right before sunset! I enjoyed taking pictures on the different rocks with the forest/mountain background! read more

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Nice, large park. Parking can get tight in all areas as it gets very busy at times. Lots of trails and the scenic, short drive to the lookout area is nice as well (but beware - there is very limited parking at the top). Great covered picnic areas you can reserve off the dirt roads, too. Dog park is ok, can run into a few bad owners. read more

I knew it was a great park for running. I can't imagine how many miles I have put in here. Unlike on the road it is too beautiful and exciting to even try to count them in here. It has recently become my go to place to bring my little nieces for hiking adventures. They absolutely love it. If I go here without them and they find out they cry--literally. read more

Palmer Park - Hiking Near Me - Colorado Springs, Colorado

This place is heaven. Never too crowded, but enough people and dogs to interact a bit. It has probably the best views in the city, a few different options of trails and the best lookout over the city! We found this gem a few months ago and come here at least once a week! read more

Palmer Park - Lookout over the city - Hiking Near Me - Colorado Springs, Colorado

I love Palmer Park and everything it has to offer. It's so clean and so easy to navigate through with so much going on. There are hiking and biking trails literally everywhere within the park so you should have no problem finding an adventure. If you come from the north academy entrance there's a nice sized dog park that's usually pretty active. I see a lot of dogs on the trails as well which is always a nice addition to my day. One of my favorite views you don't even have to get out of your car to experience is pull off 16. You're welcome. To make it even easier, all of the trails are named and marked with sticks along the way to help navigate your way through. I've also noticed most of the trails are unshaded so come prepared as well as with proper shoes as the trails are very rocky. I also love that there are trails for all different fitness levels. I tend to go earlier in the morning to avoid the foot traffic especially on the weekends as it can get pretty crowded. Bring the kids, bring your dog, I love me some Palmer Park! read more

Palmer Park - Hiking Near Me - Colorado Springs, Colorado

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As others have said, this entry is for the Dog Run Area, not the fenced area as you first enter the park. If you aren't on top at the crest of the bluffs, you aren't in the right place. Terrific big wide open beautiful wow place, right in the middle of town. Truly amazing, one of the greatest gifts of living here in Colorado. Dogs can zoom all over, great for a work-out that will make them tired. Make sure you are ready for this if your puppers don't have good recall command behavior...or you'll be chasing them all over the park. read more

Spacious. Lots of pulloffs and park benches. Great trail network for both hiking and mountain biking. Generally a popular area so if your looking for a secluded hike you may be better off at some of the other open spaces. Can get a little sketchy after dark so be warned. read more

Late review.... Visited on 11/23/2016 This is a must stop every time we visit Colorado Springs. Located within a suburban area you wouldn't expect to run into this park unless you were looking for it. This little oasis offers a getaway from the normal day to day routine and can be visited for a few minutes to hours on end. There are trails throughout the park that you can take and spend hours hiking. Or.... you can just chill out at one of the overlook parking lots and have a picnic for lunch. That's right, I said picnic..... Bring your lunch because you may end up staying here a while enjoying the views. The views of the mountains, Colorado Springs, and the surrounding areas to the vast plains to the west are enough to keep you mesmerized for as long as your heart desires. Take a stroll through a short trail or take one of the longer trails to spend a couple of hours. Palmer Park is and will always be a destination every time I visit the Springs. I just hope you enjoy it as much as we do. read more

Palmer Park - Sentinel Point view of Pikes Peak.... nice area to spend your lunch hour. - Hiking Near Me - Colorado Springs, Colorado

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Please keep CoSpgs parks beautiful! Encourage our city to never again sell public land to the highest bidders

So unless I'm eating or working I spend most of my time outdoors. Now that I live in Colorado I'm taking full advantage of the scenic views and wonderful parks. Speaking of wonderful.... Go visit Palmer Park! Sure it lacks all the interesting rock formations of GOG, it's not the renowned Red Rock. Frankly we didn't start going there til 4 months after we moved here. No regrets though, we've found it and we will frequent it. So, I take my pup to the park on the regular and we hit up the dog park area right away. What a huge mistake! Small fenced in area, no trash receptacle, zero water for the pups. I disregarded the abysmal dog area because the rest of the park is really great. Right near the entrance I saw sand volleyball, tons of picnic areas, and a baseball diamond. Multiple trails which are very well marked. They display the difficulty levels of the trails and are very easy to distinguish. Not only are the trails of multiple lengths and difficulties but there are even trails that allow dogs off leash and have multiple waste areas equipped with baggies and all. Also many parking areas with amazing views. Check out my pics of the park to see the piano at parking area 18, pretty sweet. Make sure to bring plenty of water for you and your four legged friends. No need to get sidetracked due to thirst and poor planning, nature lovers will wanna spend lots of time here! read more

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Beautiful hiking trails. Some are pretty steep. I got a little lost due to poor signage (or really my fault for not paying attention). Ended up in the off leash dog area. Someone's dog almost got "Baxter booted" off the cliff by me when he bit (more of a nip) me. I suppose in my own fantasy I took the dog for a ride with my right foot off the cliff. I actually didn't for the record. No animals were hurt in the making of this review. Kidding aside, the signage is truly horrible. You can get lost if you don't pay attention. The help pamphlets by the support society you can't read either . Seriously. Not kidding. Thankful a local saved me and got me back to my car. read more

Oh man, I LOVE Palmer Park. A convenient and beautiful place to walk, hike, run, mountain bike, exercise your dogs, picnic or just sit in peace and enjoy the views. Palmer Park is HUGE. It's easy to find trails where you're likely to run into no one else. The trails are great for riding, walking or running - especially if you're looking to get some hill work in. Throughout the park you can find many picnic tables, some in really secluded locations (though you may have to put in some work to find them!). Recommendation: If you're a dog owner, bypass the fenced "dog run" area at the bottom of the park (off the Austin Bluffs entrance) altogether. The fenced dog park is nothing more than a large dirt area and a large tree trunk in the middle and rarely has many dogs, so it's not a particularly fun experience for you or your dog. Instead, head up to the beautiful Yucca Area where you'll find cleared, wide walking trails that go in several directions, providing miles and miles of walking if you choose. Walking along this trail provides both my dogs and I with good exercise and is a little less overwhelming than a large dog park. The people are friendly and, for the most part, everyone is great about cleaning up after their dogs. Furthermore, some of the side trails that split off from the main are absolutely gorgeous. Be aware that mountain bikers frequent these winding side trails (especially on weekends), so they can come up on you quickly and can be alarming for both your dog and the biker. As other reviewers have mentioned, the views can be absolutely amazing, especially during sundown; there are many great places to watch the sun set behind the mountains. read more

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This is the kind of place where an afternoon picnic could be great fun. The terrain is rugged enough to provide kids with a sense of adventure when exploring, but not so rugged that anybody would actually get hurt, unless left completely unsupervised. The picnic areas are well maintained, and there is plenty if open space. I did not some gang graffiti here and there, but not a lot. The Yucca area looks like a great place to start from, when meandering the trails. Trails head out from there in all directions -- So many, in fact, that unless a person had walked all of them, there is no way to know exactly which one you are on. The trail map is so convoluted that the easiest way to navigate appears to be to simply keep Cheyenne Mountain and Pikes Peak in sight, and use them to keep your bearings. The elevation changes are minimal. The easy and intermediate trails are easily be walked, jogged, or mountain biked. The advanced trails make rfor very interesting trail running, but one could very easily sprain an ankle if not paying close attention. Erosion has damaged much of the advanced trails. Attempts at trail repair have been made, sometimes very rigoroys attempts including stonework, and even concrete in places, but many of the advanced trails have been turned into small gulleys by erosion and heavy use. Litter is minimal, considering this is a trail in the middle of a city, but John Denver loving granola types will probably be a bit irked to see plastic bottles and candy wrappers here and there, in the rocks and beneath the trees. People seeking solitude will not find it here. I crossed paths with about thirty other meanderers within the space of a couple hours. The views are excellent. I bet the place is gorgeous in the spring once the wildflowers come out. For a place to run or walk while not wanting to go far from town, this is a great park. Lots of open space, and kids could have a field day here. For a place to really be challenged by the terrain, and connect with nature apart from the crowd, other places outside of town might be better. Four stars. Would be five, if not for the damage done to the trees, and the heavy erosion of the soil along the trails. Fun place to trail run. I will certainly come back. :) read more

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New to the area and we love it here! My doggy maze always has a good time. And the other dogs are always fun to be around too. Never aggressive doggies. And it's only 10 minutes from my house ! read more

Palmer Park - My dog Maze - Hiking Near Me - Colorado Springs, Colorado

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Favorite place to watch the sunset! There are multiple trails but my go to is the Mesa trail up near the top. The whole loop is off leash which is awesome. This trail is super easy, more of a walk than a hike. Other trails range in difficulty, I've seen lots of cyclists and runners around the park. read more

Palmer Park - Hiking Near Me - Colorado Springs, Colorado

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Beautiful big dog park with lots of trails. There was about 20 dogs when we went. Good atmosphere and my dog was exhausted after! read more

Palmer Park - Hiking Near Me - Colorado Springs, Colorado

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Nice that there's a small dog run. But. It's dusty and there's not much for seating. Seems like people don't pick up their poop too and I don't get that. My dog prefers the trails so we hit those up too. read more

Not bad at all. Great hiking, awesome for taking kids to do some amateur rockhounding. Had one instance where a dog came after my kid & her dog, almost had to shoot it. People u run into are either friendly in passing or they just pass u by without bothering u. A little litter on the trails, but not much. Homeless occasionally sleep in there, so keep kids close. The dog park nearby sucks...it's frequented someone who uses it to dog sit, i think. Always a good idea to carry at least pepper spray... read more

Palmer Park is a wonderful place to spend a morning, afternoon or even an entire day. Located in a beautiful neighborhood a bit north of downtown Colorado Springs, it has numerous hiking, bike and riding trails, picnic places, beautiful rock formations and great views of the city, It's a great place for birders and for those interested in the local flora. For fitness types, there are challenging trails and climbs. For the majority of us, there are easy trails with great scenery. For couch potatoes, there are places one can simply park the car, get out and admire the view. And it's free. read more

Great park in an area of the country known for great outdoor spots! We are so fortunate here. Palmer Park is in the middle of the city and accessible from several directions. I go here mainly to walk my dog. There is an off-leash area at the Lazy Land turn-off. There is also a fenced area for dogs on the SE corner of the park, but I consider that to be more for dogs that haven't been as socialized or trained. My dog has been attacked a couple of times in there so I avoid it like the plague. Considering, also, the sedentary nature and obvious obesity of most of the owners I see in there, I'd say the same goes for them too. Once in the off-leash part of the park, you have many great trail options. You can walk the main trail which take maybe 20 minutes one way, or you can take a trail that skirts around that entire little mesa and go for most of the day. The trail that skirts does seem to disappear in spots. I don't care. We are out on a beautiful Colorado day and it doesn't take much to find it again and pick it up. The park does have wonderful views, yet just as important to me, it seems to be well maintained. No trash, no mischief of which to speak. I don't feel like I'm taking my life in my hands going there, and it's not known as a significant spot to cruise for things you don't want to talk about. All-in-all, it's a great place for any outdoor activity. Go and ENJOY!! read more

Beautiful park with some amazing views but I had my car broken into there. The passenger window was completely destroyed. I'd park somewhere away from the area and walk up to the trails. read more

Palmer Park - Beautiful park and amazing views but I had my car broken into there so if you go I'd find somewhere else to park. - Hiking Near Me - Colorado Springs, Colorado

This park isn't too horrible. I mean, Palmer Park is nice, but this dog park is kind of...meh. It's mostly a big circle of dirt; I did notice that they finally put up a fence for a small dog area though so that's nice. It's small and again, just dirt; no creek or hills or anything really interesting. Just a giant yard for your dog to run off leash. If you're going to go through the hassle of dog hair in your car you might as well head over to Bear Creek where the good dog park is. read more

My family and I love Palmer Park. For being in the middle of the city, you get an escape to nature without the extremely long drive to the mountain. There are great trails for hiking and biking, a park and open field for activities, a volleyball court and a dog park. Unfortunately, there aren't very nice bathrooms and they tend to be closed certain times of the year like most parks in Colorado. There are also random places that people have vandalized or left their broken beer bottles, which is so aggravating because they are destroying such a beautiful place. I won't let someone else's lack of responsibility drop the rating of Palmer Park too low though, because I have many great memories here. One of my favorite spots to visit is the horse stables. I have never taken a horse back ride through the park, but I certainly love stopping by to scratch a nose or two. read more

Pulling into the Palmer park area you'll wonder if you missed it, but its further up the road past the baseball fields by maybe a quarter mile. There are enough options for parking on two sides of the fenced dog run. Pros: There is a small-dog area fenced off from the large dog area with a separate entry. Both areas have a double-gate entry to prevent escapes and allow safer introductions. The large dog area is a good size and has some big logs in there for the dogs to play on, and a couple benches for sitting. Small-dog area is mostly long but has enough room, but not much for terrain. The fence is complete all the way around. There are usually some left-behind toys (sometimes a soccer ball or Frisbee, usually a few tennis balls) in the large dog area. Cons: The first entry gate to the small-dog area won't close completely due to sand buildup. It has been that way for the few times I've been there in the course of this month. I've never seen any dog-poo bags in the holders, so you'll have to make sure you have your own. Any bags you fill must be disposed of in a dumpster that is a short walk outside the dog area, near one of the parking areas, there aren't any bins in/around the dog run. Fence is fairly low, I'd guess 3.5-4 ft. high. I haven't seen any try to jump it, but just outside is the hiking area of the park, so there's plenty of land to run to. Beware the further ends from the benches, obviously not all owners feel the need to walk more than 30 feet to pick up poop. The run has a lot of sandy dirt in the front, but the mud isn't too bad after rain - more sandy. Overall this is an adequate dog park for some good off-leash time. Some inconveniences and cleanliness/maintenance bumped this down to 2 stars. read more

Palmer Park is a gem right in the heart of Colorado Springs. This is the perfect place for a trail run, or better yet - a spin on your mountain bike. Trails are all typically single track, and range from very easy to extremely technical. This year Palmer Park will again play host to the "24 Hours of COS"; a 24 hour mountain bike race, and national championship. The best time to visit the park is mid week while people are working, otherwise the trails can be quite busy. read more

Don't bother with the fenced in area as you first enter Palmer Park. Drive to the top of the hill to the Ute Crest Dog Run Area. There are lots of trails available in this area. The views are great and there are plenty of rock formations to climb around on. The main trail is open so it can get a little hot, so to cool off take one of the smaller trails. read more

Palmer Park - checking out the view - Hiking Near Me - Colorado Springs, Colorado

Dog area is very unclean, owners do not pick up after there animals. Dogs got in a fight while I was here last time and the one owner did NOTHING!! I felt bad for the dog that got attacked. This park really needs to be supervised or atleast checked on every once in a while. Toddler running around without parents in the large dog area.... cmon people!! This is a dog park not a playground!! If I could rate this a 0 I would. read more