Garden of the Gods
3 / 5
Garden of the Gods Park in Colorado Springs is one of those places that just stops you in your tracks. Towering red rock formations rise straight out of the ground, bold and beautiful. Even better, It’s completely free to visit.
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We did a tour which included Glen Eyrie Castle, a historic estate built by Colorado Springs’ founder, General William Jackson Palmer. It’s now a bed and breakfast and general access is limited to guests. We weren't allowed to go in the castle itself either. The guy who sold us the tour said it was a good spot for wildlife — bighorn sheep, deer, antelope — but we didn’t see anything.
That said, there was one advantage to the tour, our guide took us to Balanced Rock, and snapped a photo of Danny and me holding it up. It was starting to tip, but don’t worry—we saved the day. That 700 ton rock wasn't going anywhere under our watch.
After the tour, we walked the Perkins Central Garden Trail, a paved path that winds through some of the most iconic formations. It’s the kind of place where every direction looks like a postcard. Upon arriving, the parking lot was packed and cars were circling like vultures.
This place even has its own dinosaur. A skull was found in 1878, misfiled for decades, and finally identified in 2006 as a brand-new species: Theiophytalia kerri. We saw a replica at the visitor center.
The park became public in 1909 when Charles Perkins’ family donated the land to the city, but not without rules. It had to stay free to the public, the name “Garden of the Gods” had to stay, no alcohol allowed (despite old bottles from Perkins himself being discovered), and no helicopters over the park, unless it’s the military or Perkins’ family out for a scenic ride.
That evening back at Norris Penrose RV Park, we wandered over to the horse stables. Tall, weedy grass was growing just out of their reach, so I pulled some up and passed it over the fence. Double duty. Campground landscaping and horse-approved snacks.
That said, there was one advantage to the tour, our guide took us to Balanced Rock, and snapped a photo of Danny and me holding it up. It was starting to tip, but don’t worry—we saved the day. That 700 ton rock wasn't going anywhere under our watch.
After the tour, we walked the Perkins Central Garden Trail, a paved path that winds through some of the most iconic formations. It’s the kind of place where every direction looks like a postcard. Upon arriving, the parking lot was packed and cars were circling like vultures.
This place even has its own dinosaur. A skull was found in 1878, misfiled for decades, and finally identified in 2006 as a brand-new species: Theiophytalia kerri. We saw a replica at the visitor center.
The park became public in 1909 when Charles Perkins’ family donated the land to the city, but not without rules. It had to stay free to the public, the name “Garden of the Gods” had to stay, no alcohol allowed (despite old bottles from Perkins himself being discovered), and no helicopters over the park, unless it’s the military or Perkins’ family out for a scenic ride.
That evening back at Norris Penrose RV Park, we wandered over to the horse stables. Tall, weedy grass was growing just out of their reach, so I pulled some up and passed it over the fence. Double duty. Campground landscaping and horse-approved snacks.