Millions of years ago, natural forces pushed massive sheets of red rock hundreds of feet straight…read moreup into the air, presumably because standard horizontal dirt seemed boring. Humans eventually discovered these giant stone slabs and named the location Garden of the Gods. The gods themselves left no forwarding address, but they clearly possessed a flair for dramatic architecture. In 1909, the family of a railroad executive named Charles Elliott Perkins deeded four hundred and eighty acres of this land to the City of Colorado Springs. They attached a single mandatory condition: the park must remain forever free to all people of the earth. In a world where people routinely attempt to place turnstiles around ordinary scenery, this legal clause remains a magnificent anomaly. It was designated a National Natural Landmark in 1971. Inside the main park, paved paths such as the Perkins Central Garden Trail allow our fragile bodies to walk among giant monoliths without tripping over tree roots. Famous formations with names like Balanced Rock and the Kissing Camels sit silently against the backdrop of Pikes Peak. You can hike, ride a bicycle, scale the sandstone with ropes, or simply stand on the asphalt staring upward with your mouth slightly open. The entire landscape manages to remain accessible without feeling like a commercial theme park. The rocks are the main attraction, and they do not require artificial lighting, recorded sound effects, or ticket booths to command respect. If you spend a day in Colorado Springs, you will likely spend the rest of your life comparing every other rock formation on Earth to these red stones. Most of them will disappoint you.

I wish I could give this attraction a higher rating, but our experience was negatively impacted by…read moretiming and crowd levels. Due to scheduling constraints, we were unable to visit Garden of the Gods until mid-afternoon. Based on other reviews, this appears to be one of the busiest times to visit, and that was certainly our experience. The roadways and walkways were extremely crowded, with people frequently crossing roads and climbing on the rock formations. Parking was also completely full, making it difficult to stop and explore. As a result, we ended up driving through the park without getting out of our vehicle and were unable to fully enjoy the experience. I would recommend visiting early in the morning or closer to closing time to avoid the crowds. A midsummer Sunday afternoon is likely not the best time to experience this beautiful destination.

It's really great to see a climbing gym that has old school vibes, new equipment and ideas, and…read moreclearly cares about their staff. That's an oddly rare combo, but these guys clearly have it. I've loved every interaction with every staff member, they even have autobelays for those among us who are introverts or travelers!

We were visiting the area and we looking for something to do on a rainy day. This place was great…read more The gentleman with long hair who took care of us was very patient dealing with parents coming with a toddler having a tantrum. He was trying to find solutions to make it work and it did. They have a large space with many routes. The bouldering space is fairly large. Clean and everything in good condition. They have a small gym area. Highly recommend.

I wanted some vibes like Garden of the gods but did not want the crowds so I checked out Red Rock…read moreCanyon Open Space! I was really impressed with this open space. Parking was easy, they had plenty of spots while I was visiting. They've got something for everyone! Hiking trails, bike park/paths, rock climbing (permit needed), an off leash dog park. I specifically went for the hiking trails. They were great for my 4 year old. When I go with him I try to look for trails under 3 miles. My only complaint is I wish they had real bathrooms by the parking lot. The porta potty was pretty gross. P.s. you can see garden of the gods from this park! They are pretty close to each other!

Colorado is the healthiest state in the US (this is fact, you can look this up on the CDC website)…read moreand I can see why. With such amazing hiking available, that is free to residents and visitors, all over the state, it encourages you to get outside and enjoy what mother nature has to offer. Red Rock Canyon Open Space has a series of canyons and ridges sculpted by erosion of the area's uplifted rock strata. The ridges and canyons offer beautiful views that are photo worthy for those wanting to post to their social media (or hey, just keeping these photo keepsakes in your own camera roll is also fine too). Red Rock Canyon Open Space is dog friendly, with some off leash areas (where noted), and 11 trails that you can hike. The trails are anywhere from 1.7 miles to 5.4 miles, with a lot of pretty easy trails for those that are not as active but still want to partake in the journey. You can also see views of Garden of the Gods, which is nearby. Red Rock Canyon Open Space is not nearly as busy as Garden of the Gods (but highly recommend a visit there too, which is also dog friendly). From May 1 and Oct. 31, you can enter Red Rock Canyon Open Space between 5 a.m. and 10 p.m.; during the rest of the year, the park closes at 9 p.m. There is free parking available and also one porta potty at the beginning of the trail (but I did not use it) and also trash cans (I did not see trash cans anywhere else in this open space). My husband and I visited Red Rock Canyon Open Space with our little girl dog. We came on a Sunday afternoon, a little after 1 pm. It was an overcast day, which was nice. But it was rather busy but not crowded. We were able to find a parking spot without any trouble. We only did 2 light trails but enjoyed the views. The trails we had were pretty easy for the most part. We also did see a handful of dogs during our visit. Please note that there is hardly any shade so make sure you plan accordingly (hat to shade your face, plenty of water, etc).

To be fair, we only went for a play. So it was off hours, but the center itself is really easy to…read morenavigate. Everyone there was incredibly friendly. The play, hilarious! The center hosted a theater company that put on a one man show of Sleepy Hallow, absolutely fantastic. The center has a board with all of their upcoming activities and volunteer opportunities that was really cool as well.

Great service Great people to work with…read moreTimely repairs Would definately recommend On time Good communications

As a CC kid, you can rent and skate here fo' free!!! I love open skate times to practice figure…read moreskating, and IM hockey is the best (even though we always lose). Skates are new and good quality for the most part, but beware the old and sweaty IM gear!

The team at Liquid Descent was great!! We had a group of 36 and from the booking over the phone,…read moreemail communication, and actual trip, everything went perfectly! Our group had a great time. Next trip, I will book with Liquid Descent!! 10 for 10 recommend.

Angie was an amazing guide. Very knowledgeable and personable. Made everyone feel at ease to enjoy…read morethe day on the river. Recommend anyone wanting to raft near Denver to choose Liquid Descent and request Angie for their guide.

Amazing park! A+ Quite clean and well maintained. Cozy seating and sports sections, too…read more There is a tennis area, a golf dome, a skatepark, and a huge game field that sits adjacent to a small lake?! This park is GREAT! Quite large. Parking is available in lot or on side streets. The Labor Day Balloon Launch 3 day Festival was AMAZING!! Tons of vendors. Free to enter. Amazing balloons! Cool atmosphere. Friendly people. Early event is worth it! Highly recommend this park and event.

We just came to the park for the Colorado Springs lift off! The park was clean and a great venue…read morefor this event. Lots of people, but definitely worth the visit.

Awesome day rafting! Sam was a great guide so ask for him if you can! Everyone there was super…read morehelpful so make sure you choose RMOC for your day on the water.

Cannot say enough great things about the guides at RMOC! I just finished a 4-day kayaking group…read moretrip (both on a lake and the Arkansas River). Our guides (Allyson, Kate, Lee, and David) we're super knowledgeable, friendly, and most importantly, always kept us all safe. Many of us had zero-low prior kayaking experience and helped with everything from getting us fitted for our gear, making sure we can exit our boat if we flipped over, particular strokes, and how to navigate the rapids. Definitely recommend booking a trip with RMOC!