A big reason why we were staying in Manitou Springs was not only for Pikes Peak, but also for the close proximity to “Garden of the Gods.” I was incredibly lucky to see this a few years ago with dear friend Jason Rasmussen, so I knew I wanted to see it again with Craig. He had been here as a child, so it was a first for us together. So many places I have seen without Craig on my road trips always makes me want to do to repeat them WITH him. Its definitely a different experience with a friend vs the spouse, so I was super excited to show him all my favorite spots.

On the drive back from Montana, Craig and I had fallen back in love all over again. And we found that we LOVED the National Parks we visited on the way home, so this was VERY much up our ally! As we parked, found the lost easily, we watched what many like to call “pure stupidity.” Folks, I don’t know what yall are thinking when you see wildlife. They are NOT our friends, they are NOT our pets, they are to be admired from a distance with admiration and respect.  That ALLLLLL being said, we drive in the parking lot where a large, male elk is hanging out by the fence line. And for some insane reason, people felt that those wood 2x4s would keep them from being impaled by its antlers. Seriously, they were ready to pet it.  I blame Santa, people think it’s one of his reindeer. Well, nobody died, thankfully.

A beautiful September day, we walked the paved paths around the beautiful formations of red rocks. This place is a slice of Heaven, and we had so much fun walking hand in hand, taking tons of pictures. It’s such a nice place to explore on sidewalk, or you can go off path to climb, with permission of course. It is very well preserved and with Pikes Peak off in the distance, the landscape is something out of fairytales.

It is free to visit, and the parking is very limited. The main lot has several spots, but there are several small lots sprinkled off the main road throughout the park. We found several locations of scenic overviews; it was just tricky trying to pull over for those “once in a lifetime” shots. BE VERY AWARE of other cars coming and going, as we got caught up in the moment and it’s easy to step out on what was a quiet area one minute and heavily trafficked the next. 

You have to check out this place once in your life, it is so beautiful and so much fun to take pictures in. Also be aware it was very warm inside the walking paths park area, but a perk here is that there is a restroom next to the main parking lot. Check out “Garden of the Gods” next time you’re in Colorado!

****Side note, thanks to EVERYONE who have donated to my hard work. This is what I do for a living, and it is a passion for me, so tossing me a couple bucks below helps me SO MUCH with everything needed. If you can’t, please consider subscribing to the blog, LIKING the blog post, and sharing any content you enjoy– it helps me out SOOOO much! I love being able to bring you all these amazing places so that YOU can do them as well. I work mostly on donations so thanks again.

Published by Amy Joy

Inspiring adventure and joy, one day at a time. View all posts by Amy Joy