Colorado Springs: Garden of the Gods

Found in Colorado Springs, Garden of the Gods is a beautiful public park that contains different rock formations that formed thousands of years ago.

The public park is free and has a visitors' center across the street from the entrance. There you can learn more about the history of the rock formations, eat at the cafe, shop at the gift shop, enjoy the landscape views from the balcony, and sign up for guided tours. The guided tours include hiking, jeep tours, and horseback riding.

You can drive through majority of the park, and there are several parking lots throughout so you can access the trails. You can also park at the visitors' center and hike about 0.5 miles from there into the park. Once in the park, there is a paved path called the Perkins Central Garden Trail that is about 1.5 miles in length and takes you through the main rock formations. This trail is easy and accessible to all. Make sure to look for the Kissing Camels rock.

If you wish for a longer hike and to see everything in the park, you can take the Palmer Trail, which is 3 miles long and circles the entire park. This trail is less crowded and takes you on rocky terrain to amazing views. In the distance from Garden of the Gods is Pikes Peak, one of Colorado's 14ers. This mountain adds a stunning touch to your photos.

Throughout the park, there are picnic tables so you can eat lunch while enjoying the views. Garden of the Gods is an easy 1.5 hour drive from Denver, and makes for a perfect day trip.