Garden Of The Gods

Oh, Colorado! It’s such a beautiful place with so much to see. Indulge in the mountain terrain, the flowing rivers, snow, wildlife and rocks. Wait… the rocks? YES, you heard me correctly! And while they may not sound exciting to most of you who like adventure or just something pretty to look at… Let me assure you, there are plenty of cool things in Colorado Springs. Garden of the Gods is one of those places. This breathtaking public park covers about 3,000 acres. Why do they call it Garden of the Gods you might ask? Well, the original surveyor of the site from the mid 1800’s claimed that it was “an area fit for gods to assemble”. Since then, the name just sort of stuck.

There are over 15 miles of trails to travel in this park. You can hike on foot, or horseback ride through the hills; you can bike ride, or even drive your car. Many people even take this opportunity to do some technical rock climbing. (Don’t worry chaperones; you have to apply for an annual permit!)

Keep your eyes peeled as you’re traveling through! The park is home to over 130 different birds and you never know what you are going to see. You could see a mule deer, bighorn sheep or even a fox. In fact, when I was recently there in May, a large deer hopped out right in front of my car. Wowzers!

Don’t forget to stop by the Visitor’s Center. Here they offer all kinds of cool gifts and memorabilia. They show a short film, and even have a café to sit and relax in. Also on display are a few discoveries that have been made over the past 200 years. I don’t want to give away all the details, but it is pretty cool if I do say so myself.

Before your adventure among the rocks is over, be sure to check out the most popular formations such as Cathedral Valley, Three Graces, the Kissing Camels, or my personal favorite, Balanced Rock and Steamboat Rock. I took this picture of the Monahans High School Choir standing next to Balanced Rock. Check it out!