Colorado Springs

About Colorado Springs

Colorado Springs is the second largest city in Colorado, spread across high plains at about 6,000 feet at the foot of Pikes Peak, the 14,115-foot mountain that dominates its western skyline. General William Jackson Palmer founded the city in 1871 as an elegant resort town, and it soon drew health seekers to its dry, sunny climate and nearby mineral springs in Manitou. The view from the top of Pikes Peak inspired Katharine Lee Bates to write the poem that became America the Beautiful in 1893.

Today Colorado Springs has nearly 500,000 residents and a strong military presence, including the U.S. Air Force Academy, Fort Carson, Peterson Space Force Base and the headquarters of U.S. Space Command. It is also known as Olympic City USA, home to the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee, a major training center and the striking U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Museum downtown. The city has a relaxed, outdoorsy feel, with hundreds of miles of trails and more than 250 days of sunshine a year.

Natural wonders are the main attraction. Garden of the Gods, a free city park, has towering red sandstone fins framed by Pikes Peak, and visitors can reach the summit of Pikes Peak by the Broadmoor Manitou and Pikes Peak Cog Railway, the highest in North America, or by a scenic highway. Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, the highest zoo in the country, lets guests hand-feed giraffes with views over the city, while Seven Falls, the Cave of the Winds, the Manitou Cliff Dwellings and the quirky mountain town of Manitou Springs are all close by.