Garden of the GodsEvery visitor to the Colorado Springs area should at least drive through Garden of the Gods. The terrain of the Garden of the Gods looks like what you've probably seen on those old John Wayne westerns. The unusual rock formations were created several hundred million years ago with red and white sandstone, originally deposited horizontally, but eventually tilted vertically by the same forces of nature that built Pike's Peak. In the sandstone, geologists have found evidence of ancient seas, ancient mountain ranges, alluvial fans (from moving water) and sandy beaches. Fossils from marine life, plants, and dinosaurs have also been found. The origin of the name name "Colorado" comes from the colors in the sandstone.  Formations in Garden of the Gods are known as hogbacks, because they they resemble the backs and spines of a hog. The biggest hogbacks are several hundred feet long. The highest hogback, North Gateway Rock, is 320 feet tall. The most famous formation in the park is Balanced Rock, a huge rock balanced on a small base of mud.
The favored activity in the park is probably sightseeing while driving through the park, one side to the other and maybe back again, because it's just so easy to do. Very few people visit the park without taking advantage of the photo-ops. I suppose that over the last one hundred plus years, millions of photos have been taken of people "holding up" rocks weighing tons. There are 15 miles of hiking trails in the park, both paved and unpaved. Maps of the trail are available in the visitors center, or you can just pull off the road when you see some interesting and just start hiking. It is permitted to climb on the rocks, but "technical climbers" must register at the visitors center. Colorado is very friendly to horseback riders, and this park is no exception. If you have a horse trailer, park it at the South Spring Canyon Picnic Area. Pick up a map of riding trails at the visitor's center. Wildlife enjoy the protection of the park - deer, coyotes, foxes, and other animals are often spotted. The best time to see them are early in the morning or late in the afternoon. Rattlesnakes are also common, so be careful on the trails.
|
If you have more time you will want to stay awhile. Entrance to the park is free; the children of the original owner, Charles Elliot Perkins (the president of the Chicago Burlington & Quincy Railroad), carried out their father's wish and made "free to the public" part of the contract when they donated the land to the City of Colorado Springs in 1909. 
