2-Day Weekend in Colorado Springs
A High Dynamic Range photo of the Garden of the Gods park in Colorado Springs, Colorado with Pikes Peak in the background.
Day 1 You'll See:
- Pikes Peak Cog Railway
- Garden of the Gods
- Downtown Colorado Springs
Day 2 You'll See:
- Olympic Training Center
- National Museum of WWII Aviation
- Cave of Winds
Day One
Pikes Peak Cog Railway - SET TO REOPEN 2021
The Broadmoor Pikes Peak Cog Railway provides some of the absolute best views in the entire Pikes Peak region, this rustic railway traveling just over 14,000 feet up the Mountain past waterfalls and through pine and aspen forest. Pikes Peak Cog Railway was first established in 1891, serving happy riders for 126 years now! This system runs on an Abt rack system cog railway, with 4 ft 8.5-inch standard gauge track. The average grade up the mountain is about 12%, though at some points in the 14,000-foot journey it reaches 24%. This railway is the highest in North America and one of the highest in the entire world! The base station is located in Manitou Springs, just outside of Colorado Springs.
Garden of the Gods
The Garden of the Gods consists of 1335 acres of red sandstone formations, some 300' tall, all 300 million years old. These beauties with the snowy backdrop of Pikes Peak makes for the ultimate picture-perfect Colorado scenery! While here your group can hit the hiking trails, take part in a step-on guided tour, adventure series program, a guided hike or the weekly 5K fun run, or attend a major annual event. Enjoy the 'most visited attraction in the region', the Garden of the Gods Visitor and Nature Center. Here you can pick up a free map and check out educational programs and interactive exhibits that cover the geology, flora and fauna, and people and history of the area.
Downtown Colorado Springs
Welcome to Downtown Colorado Springs, one of the most attraction-dense spots in the area, from shopping and dining attractions to museum and recreation attractions! Downtown Colorado Springs is a designated Creative District for the state of Colorado, with multiple art galleries, festivals, and community events happening here regularly. There are over 75 different dining choices and 100 unique shopping and entertainment options, including the Pikes Peak Center, Colorado Springs Philharmonic, Pioneers Museum, Money Museum, and the United States Olympic and Paralympic Training Camp.
Day Two
US Olympic Training Center
Welcome to the US Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, 1 of 2 Olympic training campuses in the United States, the other being in Placid Lake, New York. This institution is the flagship training center for U.S Olympic and Paralympic Training Center Programs. The campus houses the USA Swimming and USA Shooting Headquarters, 15 member organizations, and 2 international sports federations. There are also housing, dining, training facilities, recreational facilities, and daily services on campus, providing services for over 500 athletes and coaches within the 35 acres
National Museum of WWII Aviation
Welcome to The National Museum of World War II Aviation, the museum with a large collection of restored aircraft and artifacts from WWII. This museum serves as home base for a large selection of aircraft, most of them fully restored to flying conditions. In fact, there are over 20 planes fully restored to flying condition at the museum base! Your group can opt to take a docent-led history tour or self-guided tour while here, with options to explore the museum and 40,000 square foot Kaja Raven Shook Aeronautical Pavilion. The museum is open to the public Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday and hosts STEM programs Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.
Cave of Winds
While here your group will have several tour options below ground, and several recreation options above ground. Below ground, you can take a tour of the cave system, with 3 distinct tour options: Discovery Tour - 45-60 minutes within the lit portions of the cave, Lantern Tour - 90 minutes of candle-lit exploration, and Caving 101 - 2-2.5 hours of crawling, climbing, and walking around. Above ground, you will have seemingly endless options for recreation, with everything from shopping and dining options to zipline courses!
