Colorado Springs, Part I, Garden of the Gods, April 25, 2016

I had here there was is a ton of stuff to do in Colorado Springs, so one of the first stops after getting set up at the Elks Lodge #209 was to visit the welcome center.  After my visit to the center our itinerary was revised from one or two nights to three or four nights.  The Colorado Springs Elks club is nice and there are full hook ups but it they were full when we arrived so we dry camped.

We ran errands in the morning and then set out to explore the Garden of the Gods, a free local public park owned by the city of Colorado Springs.  Back in the mid-90's I spent nearly six months on assignment in Denver and I visited the Garden of the Gods on one of my days off.  It was totally different back then. I don't remember a visitor center at the Garden of the Gods or paved paths.  As I recall, I meandered through the rock formations on primitive dirt trials.  Now the park is a full blown tourist attraction, and even though it was mid-week and mid-afternoon it was very crowded. I don't remember Colorado Springs being as big and spread out as it is now.  Lots of changes.

A little history on the Garden of the Gods. Two segments of land (about 470 acres) were purchased by Mr Perkins and Mr. Palmer in 1879. Upon their deaths, their families donated the land to Colorado Springs in 1909 with the stipulation that it remain open to the public and free.    In 1995 the visitor and nature center opened. (I don't remember it ).  The park appeared well maintained and it is dog friendly.

The day was cloudy, so not the best light for photos. Overview from the visitor observation deck:

Hogbacks

 Three Graces

 Balanced rock

 Cathedral Valley

Rock climbers are allowed with a permit and proper climbing gear.  They are not allowed when it is raining or when the rock are wet.

 Kissing Camels

Sentinel Spires

In addition to the paved pathways there are other numerous dirt trail throughout the park to explore.  The day was getting late and it was time for another "brew tour" so we headed over to Colorado Mountain Brewery for a  beer sampling and dinner.