Skiers and snowboarders ascend the Alpine Springs chairlift at the Aspen Snowmass ski resort, in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado on a partly cloudy winter day.

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Colorado Springs

Colorado Springs is an interesting beast. The town has grown by leaps and bounds in recent years, but still retains some of its small-town charms. It's absolutely gorgeous, with Pikes Peak hanging over the city, the vertical sandstone towers of the Garden of the Gods, and cute little neighborhoods that make it feel like a cozy mountain town. It's also home to a big military presence and ultra-right wing evangelicals. Beyond the politics, taking a day or two to explore everything the town and its environs have to offer, should make it onto any Colorado Top Five list.

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Attractions

Must-see attractions

Garden of the Gods

Colorado Springs

This gorgeous vein of red sandstone (about 290 million years old) appears elsewhere along Colorado's Front Range, but the exquisitely thin cathedral…
Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center at Colorado College

Colorado Springs

This expansive museum and 400-seat theater originally opened in 1936. The museum’s collection is surprisingly sophisticated, with some terrific Latin…
Cheyenne Mountain Zoo

Colorado Springs

High up on Cheyenne Mountain, the largest private zoo in the country was launched with holdovers from the private animal collection of Spencer Penrose …
US Air Force Academy

Colorado Springs

A visit to this campus, one of the highest-profile military academies in the country, offers a limited but nonetheless fascinating look into the lives of…
Red Rock Canyon Open Space

Colorado Springs

A former quarry and part of the sandstone vein that runs through the Garden of the Gods, this 787-acre park was nearly developed into a golf course and…
Colorado Springs Pioneers Museum

Colorado Springs

Colorado Springs’ municipal museum is set in the old El Paso County Courthouse, built in 1903. The collection and exhibition of some 60,000 pieces sums up…
Austin Bluffs Open Space

Colorado Springs

This beautiful reserve overlooking Colorado Springs and the Rockies beyond is strewn with distinctive rock formations dating to the Eocene period. Walking…
Will Rogers Shrine of the Sun

Colorado Springs

Set behind the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo and those massive crenelated stone gates, on a cliff about two-thirds of the way up Cheyenne Mountain, is this tower…

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Planning Tools

Expert guidance to help you plan your trip

Day Trips

There's plenty to do in Colorado Springs, but daytrippers will find all sorts of adventures in the surrounding countryside. Here's our day trip top five.

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Transportation

Exploring Colorado Springs with a car is a breeze, and public transport will keep you moving downtown. Here are the best ways to get around.

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Free Things to Do

Visit the US Air Force Academy, explore Manitou Springs, admire the architecture and art at the Broadmoor hotel, and more.

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