If you are planning to visit the amazing city of Colorado Springs with your family, you do not want to miss a trip up Pike’s Peak! It is the highest summit of the Rocky Mountains, with the peak at more than 14,000 feet elevation gain, and 38 miles to the summit.
The base of Pikes Peak is located in Manitou Springs, a town located about 12 miles west of Colorado Springs. The drive up to the summit and back takes at least 2 hours, depending on traffic and stops.
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The roads up Pike’s peak get busy, and they are very narrow and curvy. We knew we wanted to attempt the drive when they were least busy, so we were in line to head up the mountain by 8:30am. I am definitely happy we arrived that early, because the lines were very short and we did not wait long. The roads were not crowded, and all the stops we made along the way had minimal people.
As we drove back down the mountain several hours later, traffic going in the other direction was very busy, and there was a long line of cars waiting to enter the park. So definitely go early if you can.
Since the summit is so small, there is limited parking up there and you are required to have a timed permit to travel all the way up during the summer months. You must purchase this online before your entrance to the park, and they do sell out, so if you are wanting to make the entire trip to the top, make sure you plan ahead!
We drove the mountain in our Honda Odyssey and had no issues other than a nervous wife in the front seat! Seriously, if you are afraid of heights, I would not suggest this drive. There are times you look down from your window and see thousands of feet down with no guard rail. Kinda freaky.
On our descent back down the mountain, we put our van in 1st gear and had no problems with the brakes overheating when we stopped at the inspection checkpoint. Make sure you have at least a half-tank of gas, as there is nowhere to get gas in the park. Also, drive all the way up first, and then make your stops as you come back down the mountain. This will help give your brakes a rest. Do not run your AC while driving, instead roll down the windows and enjoy the fresh air. Read more driving tips here.
Devil’s Playground: 16-mile point. This is a great location to stop and take pictures, as the view is spectacular! This is the last stop before the summit, so if you are not going all the way to the top, you will turn around here. Make sure to bring jackets, it’s cold up here! We wandered around and saw a marmot sleeping on the rocks at this stop.
On our way back down the mountain, we pulled over at Glen Cove to get out and explore. This is where park rangers will perform a brake check here to make sure your brakes are not overheating during your descent down the mountain. It’s very scenic here, and a great place to get out and explore a little. We parked in the parking lot and wandered around the gift shop, used the restroom, and headed up the stairs to the south of the parking lot. There are a few trails to hike, some great photo ops, and the chance to see some wildlife up close. I definitely recommend a stop here to get out and stretch!
This is the biggest question I had before our visit to Pikes peak. With such a significant elevation change, the possibility of altitude sickness is real. I did a lot of research beforehand, and found the best suggestion to avoid it was to make sure you are acclimated to the elevation change of Colorado Springs before attempting to visit Pikes Peak, so we put this activity at the end of our itinerary. Also, staying well hydrated beforehand can help combat altitude sickness.
Since we were traveling with 3 very young kids, we were worried that if we went all the way up we would end up with someone not feeling well, so we decided not to risk it. We stopped at Devil’s Playground, mile 16 and the last stop before you start the ascent to the summit. There’s over 1,000 feet of elevation change in those last 3 miles, so you are basically driving straight up.
I am happy with our decision not to travel all the way to the top. The views from Devil’s playground were still magnificent, and honestly I was terrified driving the road we did, so I can only imagine how much scarier the last 3 miles would have been. Our kids did great with the drive up and down, and it was such a neat experience and made for some beautiful photos. Do not feel like you will be missing out if you don’t reach the summit, it’s still an incredible experience!
If you have done much research on Pikes Peak, you probably saw that they have a Cog railway that can take you up and back down the mountain. The little train is so iconic, and I wanted to experience this so badly! However, with the ages of our kids, we felt a little too nervous to be stuck on the train with other passengers for 3 hours with no breaks. I was worried one of our kids would start to not feel well, or even get sick, and then we would still have to drive the whole way back down while sitting elbows touching next to a stranger. So we opted to take our own vehicle. If my kids would have been older, I think they would have loved this experience, so definitely check it out!
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Do you have other tips or tricks for visiting Pikes Peak with kids? If so, let me know in the comments!