Garden of the gods
Why the name?
Located in Colorado Springs, Colorado, Garden of the gods was the next stop on our list. Garden of the gods is an outlier when it came to making this trip. It is neither a National Park nor state park in Colorado, but rather a registered National Natural Landmark. I think what was so interesting for me was the name. I wanted to know why it was called Garden of the gods and sure enough we were able to find out while walking around. There was a sign that is pictured above tucked away between two rocks. The name basically came from cowboys crossing the land trying to make it to Pike’s Peak. They said the land was so beautiful it was fit for a God, and thus Garden of the gods was born.
It reminds me of an actual getaway and you forget you’re in the city once you’re inside. Just down the street there’s places to eat, and industrial parks, and shops. Aside from the great views that you get while being inside the park. It also happens to be FREE! The parking is free too (Don’t park in the parking lot at the bottom of the hill, it’s a long way up!) If you keep heading up past the entrance sign there's another parking lot that has a restroom as well. Just look for the Main Parking Lot on the map.
What to do?
There are many biking and hiking trails all throughout the park (14 to be exact). There’s even a few that are tucked away behind small swinging gates that are reserved for the more experienced hikers and climbers - but if you happen to be climbing, make sure that you carry your permit that can be obtained from the visitor center right before heading up the hill.
If you aren’t into hiking or riding through the canyon you can take the scenic route and enjoy the view from the car. There are some pretty narrow and steep winding roads as you head up and down the path. There are pullouts too, so you can take pictures too, like I did below.
Valley View
Along the roadways there are many things you’ll be able to see. We decided to stay on most of the North end because we were kind of in a crunch. That means we unfortunately didnt get to see blanced rock, atleast the one in Utah and we didn’t get to see Steamboat Rock. It actually looks like the bow of a boat when you stand on the edge so you can pretend to be Jack and Rose with someone else.
My favorite rock formation that we got to see was probably the Kissing Camels (pictured below). Although I could not get the best picture you still get the idea of where the camels are.
Kissing Camels
Charles Perkins Plaque
The rock formation above has a plaque that reads:
The Garden of the Gods
Given to
The City of Colorado Springs in 1909
by the Children of Charles Elliot Perkins
In fulfillment of his wish that it be kept forever free to the public.
Considering that the make the commitment to remain free is HUGE. It is estimated that the Garden of the gods receives six million visitors anually. Considering most parks charge $20 to $30 for entrance can you imagine how much that is?
Well most of their money is made from hiking permits or through the Visitors center that goes right back to the park maintenance. There’s also that gift shop that I spoke about earlier, or trading post as they call it. You can find some great things including clothing, art, and other accesories that are tailored to either the park or Colorado in general.
You can also find some cool things made by indigenous people too including dream catchers, afghans, onyx knives, Theres also tourquoise jewlery everywhere, it’s something that indigenous people tend tend to wear because it is believed to have healing powers and it represents life.
There’s also a cafe and coffee shop in the back if you want to grab something to eat. They have some great tasting jerky and huckleberry licorice if you just want a snack. Right around the cafe you’ll find a donation booth that has all 50 states on it - it’s a race to see which state is donating the most. Unfortunately California didnt make the top of the list. Either people in California aren’t visiting or they’re cheap 😂. Looking at my sister and I, I’m starting to think it’s the latter. Or it could be that they don’t have any cash - thats the only reason I didn’t donate. I promise.
View from rest area (fountain formation)
From the main parking lot, this is the view that you are welcomed by where you can find the restroom and water fountains.
Fountain Formation Timeline plaque
The Garden of the gods fountain formation is estimated to be around 320 to 300 million years old. It is a rock formation reminiscent of a fountain made of sandstone (shown in the above photo). It was caused by heavy erosion of Ancestral Rocky Mountains.
