The star attraction in Manitou Springs is also the biggest – literally. Pikes Peak towers more than 14,000 feet over this resort city of roughly 4,800, and many of the most memorable adventures on the mountain start in Manitou.
One of the best ways to get to the summit is on the Broadmoor, Manitou and Pikes Peak Cog Railway. The world’s longest cog railroad and the highest railroad in the Northern Hemisphere, the Cog shut down completely between 2017 and 2021 for a complete overhaul. Three new trains were acquired and four already in Colorado were renovated. A new cog system was installed and a snowblower was purchased. The depot, which dated from the 1890s, was remodeled, retaining the historic look and feel of the original–which was still in use- while adding customer-friendly 21st-century amenities. Following the overhaul, the trains can carry 2,800 passengers a day.
Ticket sales are now almost exclusively online. Last-minute decision-makers can still buy tickets at the depot, but will pay a surcharge. And in the peak summer months, the railway may sell out days in advance. It runs year-round, though, so a return trip in the fall or winter might be warranted.
Other ways to the top. Visitors can also hike or bike up Barr Trail, take a jeep or van tour, or drive an open-cockpit, 3-wheeled motorcycle called a Slingshot. Hikers can stop overnight at Barr Camp, about halfway up the 13-mile trail. Visitors can also drive to the top but reservations are required from May 23 to Sept. 30.
In late summer, the cardiovascularly fit can run a half-marathon to the top or run up and back down for a full marathon. To participate in the Pikes Peak Ascent or Marathon – or both for the very hardy – runners must be at least 16 years old and have completed a qualifying event. This year’s Ascent takes place on Sept. 20, and the marathon the following day.
At the top. Besides the sweeping views as soon as you step off the train, the new Summit Visitor Center offers warmth, (it can be cold up there, even in the summer), high-tech exhibits, a gift shop, viewing platforms, indoor and outdoor dining areas – and the highest fryer in North America, which uses a special recipe to produce 500,000 donuts a year at altitude. Visitors can ask for fresh-from-the-fryer donuts tossed in sugar and spices such as cardamon, cinnamon, nutmeg and cocoa for an even sweeter summit experience.
Back in the valley. The Springs part of Manitou’s name comes from the eight mineral springs in the city. Prized for their healing properties, Manitou’s waters used to be bottled and sold to connoisseurs as far away as New York, to heal from illnesses such as tuberculosis. The Chamber of Commerce & Visitors Bureau at 354 Manitou Ave. offers self-guided maps for a one-mile walking tour exploring all eight springs. After the walking tour, SunWater Spa offers soaks in cedar hot tubs filled with the mineral-rich waters from one of Manitou’s springs.
Other ways to enjoy Manitou’s uniqueness include traditional, long-running events like the Fruitcake Toss in January, the Commonwheel Artists Co-Op’s Labor Day Weekend Art Festival, the Emma Crawford Coffin Races and the 10th Heritage Brew Festival, both in October.
New to Manitou Springs. The Heritage Museum and Mineral Springs Foundation have hosted a Waterfest celebrating Manitou’s mineral springs since 2023.
In 2023, the city was designated the world’s first certified municipal Pollinator District™, dedicated to preserving pollinators such as birds, bees and butterflies. Activities have included a Pollinator Palooza in 2024, where residents and visitors were asked to take pictures of pollinators in Manitou Springs and submit them to Visit Manitou Springs to win prizes.
Manitou became a Colorado creative district in 2017 and last year installed five murals and four sculptures along Manitou Avenue, including a guitar made from scrap metal pieces and a cast iron chair suitable for sitting.. An app-guided walking tour is available, and other tours of Manitou’s public art are in the works.
