A Local’s List of the 9 Best Hiking Spots in Colorado Springs!

Hello everyone! I’m excited to write today’s post…one could say I’ve done a lot of research on it! I’ve lived here off and on for a total of 4.5 years, and even though I would never imply that I’ve “seen it all”, I most definitely have hiked my little heart out in and around most of Colorado Springs.  Unfortunately, my hiking has been derailed a lot these past several months due to the record-breaking snowfall the state has received!  I’m so excited that it’s now July and hiking season is fully upon us!

While I may not be a Colorado native, I am definitely a Colorado Springs local, and I figured it was time for me to come up with a list that isn’t necessarily an all-inclusive list of the hiking around here, but one that does cover what I consider to be the best hiking around the area!

The criteria I used for the list was that it had to be a reasonable driving distance from the Springs (the furthest one is close to an hour and a half from the Springs) and it had to have a WOW factor of some sort.  This was a fun list for me to make and I hope it helps you find a place to have your next adventure!  Please keep in mind, the following suggestions are just my opinion!

So without any further ado, here’s my list of the Best Hiking Spots in the Colorado Springs Area!

1. North Cheyenne Canon Park

If you are looking for a place to hike that is actually located in the Springs, North Cheyenne Canon is definitely the Gold Standard.  North Cheyenne Canon is located just a short drive off Highway 24.  There’s a huge network of trails to be found at this park, so you’ll have plenty of options to choose from if you hike here.  Some of my favorite hikes are 7 Bridges, St Mary’s Falls, Mt Buckhorn (officially labeled “Upper Captain Jack” off High Drive), and Upper Columbine to Middle Columbine.  I also like Helen Hunt Falls when I’m playing tour guide to family and friends from out of state.  The forests here are beautiful, the views are outstanding, and there are plenty of trails with water features in this area.  It’s definitely worth checking out if you’re in the area.  Here’s a pretty good map of the hiking in this Park and the surrounding area.

2. Cheesman Canyon 

Cheesman Canyon is one of those places where you could be happy just laying out on a blanket, closing your eyes, and listening to the soothing sound of the river running by you!  It’s actually best known and used for fishing… I think my husband and I were the only people here who came here to hike! This trail is a good distance away from the Springs (Google places it around an hour and a half away), but it’s a beautiful drive along the way and once you get by the river the scenery is totally worth it! The trail follows the river throughout Cheesman Canyon and eventually winds its way up to the Cheesman Reservoir.  We didn’t hike all the way to the dam and reservoir, but we greatly enjoyed the scenery hiking beside the river.  This hike is incredibly beautiful and 100% worth the drive from the Springs!

3. Green Mountain Falls

Ahhh Green Mountain Falls. This is one of my favorite places to hike around Colorado Springs! The hiking trails in this area are not easily accessible, as you have to hike a strenuous uphill road just to get to the trailhead from parking – but it’s so worth it!  We usually like to hike the Catamount Trail, which goes through a section named “Garden of Eden”…which is pretty breathtaking, as its name suggests. This trail is best used during the summer and fall, as snow is prone to linger on the ground in this area for a long time.  There are waterfalls located close to the trailhead that makes for a great photo op as well.  This is definitely an area that you won’t regret making time for on your visit to the Springs!

4.  The Crags Trail

The Crags Trail is an awesome trail located in Divide close to Mueller State Park.  The trail is fairly level for the majority of the hike with a final incline that takes you to the area known as “The Crags”.  The top affords you 360-degree views of the surrounding landscape!  I hiked this trail during the fall (as you will tell from the pictures), and it was so beautiful with all the changing Aspen! This is definitely one of my favorite hikes around Colorado Springs, and I hope you will check it out – it’s definitely worth it!  (For directions and details, check out the post I wrote on this hike!)

5. Raspberry Mountain Trail

The Raspberry Mountain trail lies very near to the Crags Trailhead in Divide, CO.  The best feature of this trail is the up-close view of Pikes Peak – aka, America’s Mountain – which is quite a pay-off for all your efforts! The forests are thick and beautiful in this hike with a section that goes through a meadow that makes me feel like Julie Andrews in the Sound of Music!  The efforts to get to the top of this mountain are more intensive than the Crags Trail, however, once you get to the top of Raspberry Mountain you yet again have awesome 360-degree views! My husband likes Raspberry Mountain better than the Crags, and I lean towards the Crags over Raspberry Mountain…so what I’m saying is I guess you’re gonna have to hike both to see which one is best!  (Check out the post I wrote on Raspberry Mountain for tips and directions!)

6. The Ring the Peak Trail System

The Ring the Peak trail system is a network of trails that surrounds Pikes Peak.  It has many access points and offers miles of hiking! I love the sections I’ve done of Ring the Peak because they always have awesome views and beautiful forests! It also goes by the Reservoirs off Pikes Peak Highway, and each time I’ve hiked it, it’s been fairly quiet with little traffic! This is the best map I’ve found of the trail system, and I like to access it from point 4 and 5.  The forests and views of Pikes Peak alone make these trails worth checking out!

7.  Devil’s Head Fire Lookout

The Devil’s Head Fire Lookout is an iconic, Must-See Colorado Trail! It’s very frequently listed as one of the top trails to hike in Colorado, and it’s located a short distance from Colorado Springs! This trail is nothing but an uphill battle all the way to the tower, but it’s an awesome experience to climb the 143-step staircase and explore around the Lookout once you get to the top!  The road to this trail isn’t open all year, so make sure you check that it’s open before you go! I highly, highly recommend doing this hike if you are in the Colorado Springs area!

8.  Spruce Mountain Open Space

I like to think of Spruce Mountain Open Space as my secret hiking place in the Springs.  It’s not – it’s totally not, but, y’know, I like to think it is! If you go during the weekday (and not on weekends) you have a good chance of finding that it isn’t very crowded, unlike a lot of the other popular places to hike in the Springs.  Spruce Mountain is the only place I chose that isn’t in the mountains.  Spruce Mountain is a butte that lies close to Palmer Lake, and it has some pretty nice views of the rolling green hills as well as a distant view of Pikes Peak!  Make sure you hike the Upper Mountain Loop if you go! It’s not as worth visiting there if you don’t!

9.  Rampart Reservoir

Rampart Reservoir is located near Woodland Park, which is very close to Colorado Springs.  It’s a place that a lot of people like to fish, kayak, canoe, and hike! There’s a trail that goes around the whole perimeter of the lake that my family and I enjoy hiking. The trail weaves in and out of the forest with nice lake views the whole way. There is fire damage around the lake and this area in general, but I’ve always enjoyed being there regardless!  The drive up to Rampart Reservoir offers an amazing view of Pikes Peak, and keep in mind, this is also a great spot to see some awesome fall colors!

Sidenote:

You may wonder why I didn’t include Garden of the Gods, Red Rocks Open Space, and a few other places that are actually in the Springs.  While Garden of the Gods and Red Rocks Open Space do have nice trails with nice views, they are so crowded….like, unbearably crowded.  The massive throngs of people are a big turn off to me, and truthfully I don’t hike those areas very often.  North Cheyenne Canon can get pretty crowded, but it’s literally the best that the Springs has to offer (in my opinion), and so I bear the crowds every now and then to hike there.  That being said, Garden of the Gods and Red Rocks Open Space are pretty standard places that you’ve gotta see when in Colorado Springs, so it’s understandable if you forego some of these stops to make time for those!

Well, that’s all I’ve got for right now! I hope that this has encouraged some of you to hike in one or some of these locations!! If you do please leave me a comment and let me know what you thought about them!!

Until next time!