Manitou Springs

It’s been called a “Hippie Mayberry,” and Manitou Springs is certainly an appealing blend of historic allure and New Age trappings. Manitou Springs is a gateway to Pikes Peak [1] as well as to the Garden of the Gods [2]. On a clear day the view from the 14,110-foot peak is incredible—and even inspired the lyrics for “America the Beautiful.”

There is enough to see and do in Manitou to fill a weekend or make for a worthwhile afternoon away from Denver.

Getting to Manitou Springs

From Denver [3] take I-25 south just past the exit for downtown Colorado Springs [4] and exit on Cimarron Street (which becomes Highway 24) or Colorado Avenue. The drive takes about one hour and 15 minutes from downtown Denver, but try to avoid rush-hour gridlock in Colorado Springs.

Manitou is small enough for walking around to see the historic buildings and springs. Keep in mind that it is at a higher elevation than Denver and has many inclined streets.