This Colorado Park is Filled with Red Rocks Is One Of The Most Beautiful Places You Have Never Heard Of

Garden of the Gods, a Colorado Springs National Natural Landmark covering 1,367 acres, is full of striking rock formations.

Natural red rock formations are beautiful and worth exploring. Bryce Canyon, Red Rock Canyon, Arches National ParkAnd Red Rocks Park and Amphitheatre All of these places are considered some of America’s most beautiful. However, it is not the only thing that makes this site so special. Colorado Springs The 1,367-acre underdog could actually be home for some of the most intimate and immersive experiences on the 1,367 acres Garden of the Gods.

Although it may not be household-famous, the park was designated as a National Natural LandmarkVisitors to the region have been drawn for many years by the beautiful scenery. six million visitors a year. And in recent years, its picturesque sandstone and limestone formations — in shades of red, pink, and white that capture more than 300 million years of geological history —have found a spotlight on Instagram, helping it nab the No. 2 spot on Tripadvisor’s top attractions in the U.S.

Admittedly, I was guilty of dismissing the park during my overnight stay in Colorado Springs on a recent visit. My time was spent focusing on the interactive nature of the park. U.S. Olympic and Paralympic MuseumThe newly restored?? opened in 2020. Broadmoor Manitou and Cog Railway Pikes Peak can be reached reopened in 2021My room has a twilight lakeside view. The Broadmoor. I was so captivated by each experience that I extended my Colorado stay. After I discovered that it took only 20 minutes to drive around the Garden of the Gods main circle, I decided to push my departure further.

I eventually drove through a residential area from Garden Drive on Highway 24, thinking I had taken a wrong turn. In a matter of seconds, the landscape was transformed into something so amazing that I immediately pulled off the road to take it all in.

The bright orange-red hues of the geological marvels were displayed in every direction, and they were all laid out in front. Near my feet, there were numerous lava-like, round stones that wound up and down around me. These stones led to several jagged towers of stone in the distance. It was like something out of a movie. Lord of the Rings mixed with the whimsicality of Dr. Seuss’s fictional formations.

I was more taken in by the bright colors the further I drove. Soon I found myself driving past two enormous monoliths of stone. It was so immersive that it felt like I was on a Disneyland ride. Then, I remembered that these were glacier remnants from the Pleistocene Glacier Age.

It was more than a simple loop. I found myself constantly stopping to take in the stunning scenery. On the south end, I ducked under the Balanced Rock, which looks like it’s hovering on a tiny pedestal because the softer rock at its base has eroded more over the years. I found myself wandering down a small path in the middle of the park and discovered that I was on a hiking trail leading up to Keyhole Window. This sandstone arch offers 360-degree views. And despite the sun setting by the time I got to Perkins Central Garden Trail, an easy and relatively flat 1.5-mile loop, I was able to explore a section of it, tracing the bases of some of the park’s tallest formations, like the Tower of Babel, Kissing Camels, and Sentinel Rock (also known as Twin Spires).

The primed-for-Instagram park is no doubt filled with Mother Nature’s best work, but what makes the experience so special is the variety of ways to engage with the red rocks. Just on my abbreviated visit, I had  driven through, cruised around, walked on top of, and hiked through the formations, inherently creating a bond with these ancient stones in different ways.

The park offers a variety of experiences and is a great example of how to tap into this diversity. vehicle tours On a 1909 trolley, and Jeeps Segway tours electric bike toursAs well as climbing, horseback riding, nature walks, and self-guided audio tour. Even the Garden of the Gods website has a personal planner It will create a bespoke itinerary by entering your interests and time (from 45 minutes up to three hours).

The price will not be a barrier to entry, no matter what. Perkins bought 240 acres of land after General William Jackson Palmer founded Colorado Springs in 1871. Perkins made a decision to keep the land as it was, and not to build anything on it. After his 1907 death, his children honored their father’s love for land and donated it the city, with the stipulation it must always be free to visitors.

Perhaps the best way to capture the essence of Garden of the Gods is through its origin. It may invoke biblical images of Eden but it is actually a result of a conversation between two surveyors who were working in the area in 1859. M.S. Beach exclaimed that it would be perfect place for a biergarten, but his colleague Rufus Cable said, “Biergarten! It is the perfect place for Gods to gather. We will call it the Garden of the Gods,” according to the park’s site.

Since that origin story, the park has kept the promise that “it shall remain free to the public, where no intoxicating liquors shall be manufactured, sold, or dispensed, where no building or structure shall be erected except those necessary to properly care for, protect, and maintain the area as a public park.” And that’s exactly what has helped it retain its magic after all these years.

 

 

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