Colorado Springs Travel Guide — Best Time, Things to Do & Where to Stay

Why Colorado Springs

Situated in east-central Colorado along Fountain Creek, Colorado Springs sits at an elevation of 6,035 feet (1,839 meters) near the foot of Pikes Peak, which rises to 14,115 feet (4,302 meters) at the eastern edge of the Southern Rocky Mountains. Positioned roughly 70 miles (113 kilometers) south of Denver via Interstate 25, it is the most extensive municipality by land area in the state and serves as the seat of El Paso County. The surrounding geography transitions into high plains to the east, the Palmer Divide to the north, and high desert terrain toward the south.

The area was originally inhabited by the Ute, Arapaho, and Cheyenne peoples before becoming part of the Louisiana Purchase in 1803. Driven by the Pikes Peak Gold Rush, nearby Colorado City was organized in 1859 and briefly served as the capital of the Colorado Territory. Fountain Colony was established in 1871, renamed Colorado Springs later that year, and formally incorporated in 1886. An influx of early English settlers earned the town the local moniker "Little London." Throughout the twentieth century, the city expanded through annexation and developed a prominent military profile with the establishment of bases like Fort Carson and Cold War facilities such as NORAD within the Cheyenne Mountain Complex.

Today, the local economy relies heavily on military operations, high-tech manufacturing, and tourism. Visitors to Colorado Springs can explore dozens of regional landmarks and cultural sites. Notable attractions include the scenic Garden of the Gods park, the historic area of Old Colorado City, the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, and the United States Air Force Academy. The city also features the Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center at Colorado College, the ANA Money Museum, and the National Museum of World War II Aviation.

As a center for American sports, Colorado Springs houses a U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Training Center alongside the United States Olympic & Paralympic Museum. Nearby attractions include the Flying W Ranch Chuckwagon Dinner & Western Show, the Manitou and Pikes Peak Railway, and the elevated Pikes Peak Summit Complex located at the mountain's crest. Practical details and leisure guidance are available at the downtown visitor information center.

The city experiences a semi-arid climate with an average of 243 sunny days each year. Winters are frequently moderated by warm chinook winds, though temperatures drop lowest in December, while March yields the heaviest snowfall. Summers bring warm days, cool nights, and occasional afternoon thunderstorms in July and August. Frequent local lightning strikes notably prompted scientist Nikola Tesla to build an experimental station on Knob Hill around the turn of the twentieth century.