Where to See Wildflowers in Colorado Springs

Surrounding the cities of the Colorado foothills are mountain vistas erupting from long stretches of prairie. The sight in itself is astonishing, but it gets even better in the spring. When wildflowers come out to bloom and show their colors after a long winter tucked away, the mountains light up with a vibrance unseen since the year prior. 

Of course, it’s one of the best times of the year to get outside. This list of wildflower hikes in Colorado Springs is a start towards a longer journey of finding every last petal of every last flower and taking in its beauty. And the best part is that you don’t have to look far when seeking out where to see wildflowers in Colorado Springs. With a camera and identification book in hand, it’s time to set out on the trails and see what’s out there.

Garden of the Gods Park

Come springtime, Garden of the Gods has shoots of color popping up in every direction you look. It’s one of the best places to go throughout the entire year, so of course, it makes the list of where to see wildflowers in Colorado Springs. 

This region is perfect for day hiking in Colorado. There are guided walks throughout the day, and you can book hiking tours that will allow you to get a full experience and understanding of flora and fauna along the way. 

The Palmer, Buckskin-Charley, Niobrara, and Bretag Trail loop is an easy four-mile loop throughout the park where you can tour several of the park’s most outstanding features. If you want to get out for some outstanding sights but only have a couple of hours, this is one of the best picks.

Indian paintbrush covers the landscape here along with multiple varieties of wildflowers – such as Colorado blue columbine and bluebells – making it a diverse color scape that can impress anyone who passes through.

Red Rock Canyon Open Space

Located right on the limits of Colorado Springs, Red Rock Canyon Open Space offers another quick getaway to see some of the most spectacular wildflowers the area has to offer. It’s an easy place to get to and has miles of trails to offer. 

Any combination of the various trails can make a great loop to explore and see a variety of different sights like beautiful rock faces to climb and open fields that just recently lost their snow. You may spot some Arrowleaf balsamroot or Rocky Mountain bee plant amongst the Indian paintbrush and other delicate flowers.

Photo by Kevin Bree on Unsplash

North Cheyenne Cañon Park

Here’s another gem that sits so close to the city but makes you feel like you’ve driven hours to find wilderness. The North Cheyenne Cañon Park is a short ten-minute drive from the heart of Colorado Springs and has wildflowers aplenty to offer anyone who comes looking. 

This park is full of granite cliffs and waterfalls, providing a luscious environment for flowers to grow and thrive. The park is 1,000-feet deep in the granite canyon, following the creek the entire way. The water draws an array of birds and wildlife that makes this park unique. 

The Daniels Pass Trail system is a newer part of the park where you can go deep into the woods and find flowers that have stayed hidden for many years without trails to blaze the way. The Mount Muscoco and the Mount Cutler trails are also great options for getting a higher vantage point and seeing the landscape from a new perspective.

Pikes Peak

Pikes Peak may define the area surrounding Colorado Springs. It was what gold miners looked to when they first made their way west, and today it’s one of the most popular 14ers climbed in the state. Pikes Peak is an easy way to get up high and see wildflowers for miles on end as well as right in front of you on the trail. 

The Elk Park trail will take you along open meadows and a beautiful creek that provides an ample environment for wildflowers of all different types. As you move up the mountain, the flora changes with elevation, which can give you the chance to see an even wider variety of flowers on a single trail. 

Here you’ll find Columbia monkshood, Indian paintbrush, orange Agoseris, mountain bluebells, arctic yellow violet, darkthroat shooting star, and the list goes on. Be sure to bring a wildflower identification guide in order to find as many as possible because this is the spot to tick off a lot of boxes in the hunt to discover them all. 

This is likely the only trail where you’ll find a good amount of snow alongside the wildflowers. It can provide a stark contrast that is unlike many other regions in the area and draws visitors from all around.

Photo by Alexis Gethin on Unsplash

Ute Valley Park

Mere minutes north of downtown Colorado Springs is Ute Valley Park. This hidden gem is surrounded by humanity but can still make you feel as if you’ve left the city. All along the trails of this 538-acre park, you can find a blast of color from the many wildflowers in the area. 

Within the park, you’ll likely see some Mariposa lily blooms, prickly pear cacti, and faerie trumpets that are common in the area. While this park might not offer massive mountains to climb, it’s a fantastic representation of what the area is truly like – all within the city limits.

Best Spring Activities in Colorado Springs

In the Spring, the entire state begins to thaw, which opens up a wide variety of new activities. As things start to warm up and life begins to thrive in the new weather, more and more people travel to the area as spring is undoubtedly the best time to visit Colorado Springs

The spring brings out all of the best in the city as wildflowers start to pop up, the trails dry out, and everyone is enjoying the longer daylight hours. This is a time to get outside and see everything that the area has to offer, so we have brought together some of the best spring activities in Colorado Springs for everyone to enjoy this region as much as we do. 

Wildflower Hunting

Springtime means flowers, and when talking about Colorado Springs, it means many things. This is one of the best things to do in Colorado Springs throughout the year, and the season is upon us! The snow has disappeared and made room for all new life to pop up and dazzle us with its colorful displays. 

Many of the best hikes in Colorado Springs will be covered in wildflowers during this season. Hiking along Pike’s Peak will provide an overview of the area that will let you absorb all of the colors at once. Adding a wildflower identification book to the experience is a great way to learn more about the area and become more engaged during a hike. 

Garden of the Gods

Whenever anyone talks about hiking in the area, it’s guaranteed that Garden of the Gods will come up. This is what the region is best known for, and rightfully so. This Natural Monument is a stunning display of the local geology and is full of trails to guide your experience through the area. 

In the springtime, the red rock stands in front of mountains that are still holding on to the last remnants of winter, making the red pop out even more than it does in the summer. 

guided hike through the Garden of the Gods is one of the best ways to learn about the region’s incredible geological formation and natural features while getting to explore as much as possible. 

Cheyenne Mountain Zoo

Feeding giraffes isn’t necessarily one of the first things that come to mind when looking at activities in Colorado Springs, but the area offers this unique experience. The Cheyenne Mountain Zoo is tucked into the side of a mountain overlooking Colorado Springs. There’s an impressive array of different animals that inhabit the zoo, such as Amur leopards, Australian Parakeets, and giraffes. 

After visiting with all the wildlife, you can jump on the Mountaineer Sky Ride that will take you up high to show off the beautiful region in all of its color and glory of spring. 

Photo by Kevin Bree on Unsplash

Colorado Springs Food Tour

While a food tour is one of the best things to do year-round, we love it as an option for things to do in Colorado Springs in the springtime. The city is full of fantastic food and drink locations worth visiting. On a local food tour, you can get a little bit of everything before heading home and letting your belt loose. 

Sprng weather makes for the perfect experience outdoors. You can easily walk around downtown from restaurant to restaurant without sweating heavily or shivering your way down the road. It’s an excellent time to stroll around and digest the most recent meal!

Climb a Fourteener

A Colorado classic for the most adventurous of visitors is to go and climb a fourteener. The term ‘fourteener’ refers to a mountain with an elevation above 14,000 feet. Some of these are challenging hike that requires an early rise and challenging climbs, but Pikes Peak is the easiest, most family-friendly, and closest to Colorado Springs. 

You can hop in the car and be near the summit of Pikes Peak in a matter of hours, but you can also camp along the road at designated campgrounds to make a weekend trip out of the climb.

While the trail is much easier than others, it’s still necessary to make sure you are well-prepared for the hike. Afternoon storms can start in the spring, and you’ll want to make sure you are off the trail in time before the weather rolls in. 

Rock Climbing

Rock climbing is one of the favorite sports for all Colorado locals. If you’re new to the sport, a guided rock climbing tour is the perfect introduction to both the area and the sport. In the spring, the rock is dry, and the colder temperatures provide the ideal climbing climate. 

If you’re an established climber that climbs more than they eat, check out Garden of the Gods, Cheyenne Canyon, and Red Rock Canyon. They’re all in the vicinity and have some world-class climbing that is less frequented than other spots in Colorado. 

Glen Eyrie Castle

Finally, the springtime has everyone feeling on top of the world, so you may as well feel like a king or queen in the Glen Eyrie Castle. The original founding father of Colorado Springs, General William Jackson Palmer, built this massive castle for his wife, but it is now open for tours. 

This Victorian Castle sits on over 700 acres of pristine Colorado land. Several different events are created to provide various unique experiences to the guests. There’s something for everyone at the castle, from tea tours to writing workshops. 

Tips for Hiking on Muddy Terrain

Spring hiking in Colorado Springs, or just about anywhere in Colorado, is synonymous with mud hiking. Many of us ask the question, can you hike in the mud? The answer is a resounding yes, but there are a lot of particular tips for hiking in the mud that comes in handy to help any user get the most out of their time on the trail. 

Just because the trails are muddy doesn’t mean you have to stay at home and settle into couch life. Getting out is entirely possible! Learning how to manage mud season takes some adjustment time, but it gives you a whole new world of places to hike in the springtime. Mud season isn’t going to stop showing up, so it’s time to adapt. 

Photo by Caspar Rae on Unsplash

Pick the right trail

The best move for hiking in the mud is to do a hefty amount of research and preparation. Some trails will stay wamps throughout mud season, and others may be in better condition than others. If you pick the right trail, you may not even encounter much mud on the hike. 

To pick the right trail, head online and look into certain trail conditions. Some trails will be better positioned to drain quicker or dry out faster from the sun. South-facing trails, for example, get a huge amount of sun and will be much more likely to provide a solid, less muddy, trail surface. 

The internet is another great resource for discovering trail conditions in the spring. Many hikers head out and report back to different social media groups, where they will describe what the trail looks like throughout the season. You’ll likely find others have gone out and checked before you have even considered going out, so use the information they’ve provided to save yourself some time. 

Head out early

As the temperatures rise, ice turns to mud. If you can, getting out on the trails earlier in the morning means that the mud is likely to be a bit more firm and stable to hike on. Further on in the day, you’ll find yourself trekking through deeper and softer mud. 

Heading out early also gives you a jump on the crowds of people that are all trying to get outside after a long winter. Trails tend to deteriorate throughout the day as use increases. If you get out early, you’ll find the trail in the most pristine condition that it will be on that day.

Choose to get muddy

One of the best, but hardest to follow, tips for hiking in mud is to “make the trail deeper, not wider.” This concept generally means hiking straight through the mud rather than trying to walk around it off of the trail. While this is best for the trail, it’s hard to commit to getting yourself covered in mud that can often come up and over your boots. 

Taking care of trails often means not putting yourself first. In mud season, it means accepting the mud and owning it. You’re most likely going to get muddy anyway, so commit and get really muddy. Bring some plastic bags that you can throw your boots into when you’re finished with the hike, and the car upholstery will be grateful. 

Since getting muddy is just about the only option on the menu, it’s good to learn how to clean hiking boots well. Hiking in mud season means cleaning boots more often; otherwise, the mud will work its way deep into the boots and potentially ruin them. It’s a simple process but takes a bit of time to do once the hike is over. 

Protect your feet

Cleaning your boots is one way of protecting your feet in the long term. It’s equally important to prepare for the hike, as it is to prepare for cleaning up after the hike. 

Mud is likely going to make its way to your feet. Even the most waterproof boots can struggle up against some seriously thick mud, so you need to be prepared for the likelihood of getting wet feet. In mud season, it’s necessary to bring along a couple of extra pairs of socks to throw on throughout the hike or at the end and an extra pair of clean shoes to drive home in.

If the trail is completely obliterated and covered in soupy mud, bringing boot liners is a good option for protection. Boot liners are simply plastic bags that go between your boots and socks as a completely waterproof barrier. They aren’t comfortable, but they’re effective. 

Wet feet can be more than uncomfortable; they can be dangerous and painful if they stay wet long enough. Go prepared and knowledgeable about what to do when your feet get wet on the trail or at least have a quick exit to the car. 

Bring the right gear

On top of simple plastic bags, a couple of other pieces of gear will help make hiking in the mud more accessible. 

For starters, gaiters are a great addition to hiking in the mud and are perfect for spring hiking in Colorado Springs, as you may encounter some snow along the way. Gaiters are like sleeves for your ankles that strap over your boots and fasten around your calf. They function to keep anything from getting inside your boots, even when you get above the top of the boot. 

Gaiters will help you to keep anything from getting inside your boots, but they won’t help you when the mud makes you slide around like walking on ice. This is where a solid set of trekking poles comes in handy. 

Bringing trekking poles will give you a better sense of balance in the mud. You can take great care without them, but the moment your feet slip, you’ll look like a frosted chocolate cake rather than a happy hiker. Trekking poles add more contact points with the ground and improve your balance. 

How to Know if Snow is Safe for Hiking

After a long, snow-filled winter, every hiker is itching to get out onto the trails without trudging through feet of snow. The spring is a time filled with temptation and desire to do the thing we all love to do the most: strap on our boots and get outside.

As the world begins to thaw, it’s of the utmost importance that everyone remembers how snow can still be dangerous, even when there isn’t much of it. If you come to a point on the trail covered in snow, is it safe to traverse across, or should you turn around and find another route?

There are dangers to hiking in the snow that can often be avoided. Sometimes the shortest way isn’t the best, and when you’re tired it can be tempting.

We’ll look into the ways to determine the safety levels of the snow, as well as how you can prepare for hiking in the snow. Many of these safety tips remain the same as if you’re hiking on a summer day without any snow in sight, but they are still important to keep in mind. If there’s one thing to remember here, know that in any scenario, it’s best to choose the least risky option and come back to try another day.

Avalanche forecast

Hiking in the snow can be one of the most dangerous activities in the winter, especially when the snowpack is unstable. With the right training, any user can head out and determine safety levels and decide what they feel comfortable doing in the backcountry. Even users with a high level of training need to approach the trails with caution as avalanches can be unpredictable. 

One of the best resources for any user hiking in the snow is the avalanche forecast. The Colorado Avalanche Information Center (CAIC) works closely with different snow forecasters across the state to obtain thorough information that can help keep people safe in the mountains. 

The forecast is easy to read and incredibly helpful, even if you don’t have any formal avalanche training. Although the snow may be gone down low in the cities, the peaks hold onto snow for a huge chunk of the year, meaning avalanches are always possible. 

Before heading out in the spring, the avalanche forecast should be the first thing you check while checking the weather forecast for the day. The conditions can change quickly overnight and throughout the day, so check again today, even if you went hiking yesterday. 

Crossing steep terrain

Avalanches generally occur on specific angled slopes, which means crossing steep terrain becomes much more dangerous. Even without snow, steep slopes can be tricky and dangerous. This is likely to happen where the trail doesn’t get much sun, but the snow has built up on the trail that acts as a ledge on the steep hillside. 

When crossing steep terrain, use your trekking poles to provide extra balance and use your feet to kick steps into the snow. This will give you better traction and control over how your feet are positioned. 

Depending on how steep the slope is and how much snow there is, you may require crampons and an ice ax to self-arrest (stop yourself when sliding down the mountain). Generally, if a large amount of snow spreads down the mountain and you are not an experienced mountaineer, this is the time to head back and find another way.

Avoid taking risks on steep terrain. This is where you can slip and slide for hundreds of feet uncontrollably if you don’t have the proper training and gear. Please don’t risk it. Enjoy the view you have and turn back around to try another day.

Photo by Moriah Wolfe on Unsplash

General dangers

Snow brings along several different changes in the terrain that you need to be aware of and look out for. You no longer know what you’re actually hiking on top of or how high you are from the ground. Air pockets can form under the snow, and as the temperatures rise, it can be easier to fall into these pockets and struggle to get out. 

The three biggest dangers to be aware of are snow bridges, tree wells, and hazards due to spring melt. 

Snow bridges

Snow bridges form over creeks and other small spaces in the terrain. Running water and open-air will remove the snow near ground level, leaving a “bridge.” Unlike the Golden Gate, these bridges are highly unstable and often won’t support a single person, let alone a long traffic jam of cars. 

If you see a snow bridge, try not to cross it. If you must, move slowly after testing each step and don’t let more than one person cross at a time. There are often better options around. You may just need to look. 

Tree wells

In areas with high levels of snow, trees create spaces near their bases that can be incredibly hazardous for anyone moving through the terrain. The branches don’t let the snow gather as heavily underneath the tree, which leaves a gap that is a tree well. 

Whenever hiking near trees with heavy levels of snow, stay away from the base of trees. It can look completely uniform but, in reality, has nothing underneath it. These wells can be impossible to escape, especially when alone, as hikers can become entirely buried. Give trees a wide berth when hiking in the winter. 

Spring melt

A huge amount of Colorado’s water comes from the snow in the winter. The snow builds up and then quickly melts as the temperatures rise in the spring. This spring thaw or melt can often lead to dangerous flooding in communities and on the trail. 

The increase in melting snow also creates more snow bridges and more open-air pockets underneath the top layer of snow. While these aren’t as deep and dangerous as tree wells, it opens the door to falling deep in the snow and struggling to get out. 

Spring melt means that formerly frozen lakes that you may have been skating or skiing across may be deceivingly thin. Once temperatures start to rise, it’s best to steer clear of any large bodies of frozen water. Even when things look frozen, the thaw can be hidden underneath a thin layer that will break at your first step. 

Choosing the right gear

If you’re going to choose to go out in the snow, it’s important to bring the right gear. One of the most important pieces of gear is some form of flotation. 

Flotation refers to staying up on top of the snow rather than post-holing (walking in the snow up to your hips). Different forms of flotation can be snowshoes, cross-country skis, touring skis, or a splitboard. These gear pieces will help you stay on top of the snow rather than falling deep into any hidden air pockets. 

Hiking poles with snow baskets are also an incredible tool for moving safely through the snow. As we mentioned earlier, they add a huge level of balance that can help you cross dangerous patches of snow and stay upright when you hit an icy spot. Even if you prefer to hike without poles in the summer, they make for a great addition in the winter. 

Hike or stay put?

In the end, the decision to hike across a certain patch of snow is up to you. The best thing you can do is learn how to identify the dangers such as snow bridges, tree wells, steep slopes, and results of spring melt. 

There’s no guarantee that any patch of snow will be safe to cross, but you can work to build up your skills and knowledge about snow travel. Provide yourself with a base level of knowledge in the morning by checking the avalanche forecast. This will give you a great starting point for making decisions in the snow.

Remember that the snow can be dangerous and unforgiving. If you are ever in doubt or uncomfortable with a situation, it’s time to turn back and wait a few more weeks for the snow to melt. The trail isn’t going anywhere, and will wait for your return with a snow-free welcome. 

Tips for Getting Outside Daily (even in cold weather)

It’s a proven fact that getting outside on the regular has immense benefits for mental and physical health alike. Even knowing all of these facts, it can still be one of the most difficult events to break the barrier of the doorway and step outside. On top of the day-to-day difficulty, the cold weather adds an entirely new obstacle to overcome.

We can be tough on ourselves and often think that it only counts if we go outside and hike a five-mile trail, bike for at least an hour, or do an overnight trip with friends. The biggest mistake we make here is not being kind enough to ourselves in the midst of everything going on every day. Here are some tips for getting outside daily to help everyone work on boosting their mental and physical health, even if it’s only for a short period of time. 

The Benefits of Getting Outside

Studies upon studies have looked into how the outdoors is beneficial for the mental wellbeing of humans. Programs like the Children and Nature Network work to bring these benefits into public knowledge, but here is a shortlist of the benefits these programs are trying to make common knowledge. 

  • Improved relational skills
  • Reduced stress, anger, and aggression
  • Increase in Vitamin D
  • Promotes resilience
  • Increased self-esteem
  • Decreased depression

If you’re in the same boat as a lot of us, seasonal affective disorder is a real issue that needs managing when the winter hits. SAD, rightfully named, results in increased levels of depression as the days get shorter and the cold keeps us bundled up inside. 

All of the mental health benefits of the outdoors work towards relieving the symptoms of SAD and can even target the root causes by exposing your brain to the natural elements and helping it produce the chemicals needed to keep yourself strong through the winter. 

In addition to the interactions of nature and mental health, we see these tips for getting outside daily as a way to connect yourself to the world around you and engage in more environmentally responsible behaviors. In the long run, getting outside helps preserve our world to continue enjoying it. 

8 Ways to Get Outside Daily

Enjoying nature all winter can be made easy when you find the activities you love to do. Here are eight ways that can easily help you find your way outside every day. Remember that only 20 minutes of outdoor time a day can start to bring about all of these benefits that we’ve been discussing. A combination of these activities, or a single one, can easily reach your goal of 20 minutes. 

Walk your dog

Whether you have a dog or not, a walk outside is an easy way to take time to yourself and decompress or prepare for the coming day. Starting your day with a walk can help to clear your mind and allow you to go into the day with a positive mindset that can shift your entire mood all day long. 

Grab some tea or coffee to go

Hot drinks in the cold weather are a savior to us all. Hot drinks can act as hand warmers and can heat us up while we drink. Using a hot coffee or tea as an excuse to get outside also allows you to stay warm if it’s a chillier day. Take a walk or find a bench, but be sure to drink that coffee outside. 

Plan lunch at the park

Meeting others for a lunch date is common as we often have the time to take a quick break from work. Plan to meet a friend at the park where you can each take turns bringing lunch every other week. It’s a great way to catch up with friends and utilize the outdoor spaces that most cities offer. 

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Ride to work

Riding a bike to work is one of the best ways to help you reach your physical fitness goals and boost your mental health. The Netherlands is considered to be the cycling nation of the world. Over 27% of all trips are made by bike. The obesity rate is one of the lowest in the world. Some studies show that swapping out only 12% of short car trips with a bike ride can increase lifespan by 14 months. 

Take your break outside

Throughout the day, everyone needs to be taking mental breaks. Everyone knows what it feels like to be burnt out at the end of a long work day. These short breaks are the perfect opportunity to step outside and get some fresh air. Even if you stand there, the fresh air also has impressive health benefits. 

Find local hikes

If you’re looking for more adventurous ways to get outside, local hikes should be on the menu. Getting outside in cold weather can be made easy when you know what to expect and how to prepare. This time outside can be a quick in and out trail, but you can also extend the trip to last for miles. 

Do normal tasks outdoors

Try bringing your normal everyday tasks into the outdoors. Put a nice bench on the porch or in the yard or find a cafe with outdoor seating and start reading the newspaper there. Any work done without the quiet of an office space can also be moved outside. 

Plant a garden

Gardens are incredible for helping people get outside because it gives them a reason and purpose to go out. Tending to a garden takes immense love and devotion, meaning time. If you start a garden, it can be a reason to get out and spend long chunks of time in your yard working for something that you can enjoy later on. 

Most Accessible Trails in Colorado Springs

Whenever travel is on the menu, there’s a lot that goes into finding the right thing to do for your adventure. For some, that includes finding the best wheelchair accessible trails. If you’re looking for a spot with accessibility in surplus, Colorado Springs is worth taking a look at. 

The town is well-known for its stunningly beautiful trails and majestic landscapes that become the backdrop of day-to-day life. There are plenty of activities to do in the winter for anyone interested in the outdoors or city life. One of the best parts of these trails and activities is that several of them that are ADA accessible, as well as easier trails that often appeal to families with small children. 

We’ll take a look into the best ADA accessible attraction in Colorado Springs but won’t stop there. This list has a wide array of options that will allow for a longer visit and different styles of activities. 

Cottonwood Creek Trail

The Cottonwood Creek Trail is an excellent choice for anyone looking to explore the city with a wheelchair. The trail runs for 6.3 miles along the northern end of Colorado Springs. The best part? The trail is mostly paved, with only a few areas of dirt or gravel path. The section between Rangewood Drive and Union Boulevard is gravel, but the rest is paved. 

There are plenty of recreation areas along the trail, such as large playgrounds, grassy fields, and seasonal bathrooms. You get a mix of residential feeling along the walk, with some expansive views running alongside the creek with mountains as your backdrop. 

Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument

While it isn’t directly in Colorado Springs, anyone in the area shouldn’t miss this destination. Just around 40 minutes from the city, you’ll find the Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument. This historical monument is filled with over 1700 different species of fossils. You’ll even run into petrified Sequoia trees, bigger than you can imagine. 

This place is wonderful for wheelchair and family-friendly accessibility. It’s an incredible opportunity to fill your trip with education as well as an easy cruise on a paved trail. 

Garden of the Gods Park

Garden of the Gods is one of the largest attractions that brings thousands to the region each year. It’s completely understandable why. The park is filled with red rock structures that tower over an incredible landscape and create a unique environment only minutes outside downtown Colorado Springs. 

The park has an intricate trail system, which is handicap accessible. A few trails stand out as some of the best options for a day hike that accommodates everyone in the family. Before heading out, be sure to read up on how to pack for a day hike to have the best possible experience without forgetting all the essentials. 

Perkins Central Garden Trail

This short 1.1-mile loop is located within Garden of the Gods Park and is the perfect opportunity to see a lot of distinct features of the park. It’s often listed as the best trail for wheelchairs out of all the 15 miles of trails that you can find in the park. The loop is primarily level and completely paved. 

Along the route, you’ll see Kissing Camels, South Gateway Rock, Three Graces, and Sentinel Spires. These are well-known and sought-after attractions, all easily reached in the short mile-long loop.

If you’re hoping to find even more accessible trails in the park, check out some other guided hikes in Colorado Springs to get the most out of each hike as well. 

Olympic Training Center

Athletes come from across the country to use the magnificent facilities in Colorado Springs. This center offers year-round guided tours of the entire Olympic and Paralympic Training Center, where you can see the entire center in only an hour. It’s a perfect fit for a quick trip on a day when the weather may not be perfect for getting outside. 

The grounds of the training center are highly ADA accessible, especially as many of the athletes coming to train here are in wheelchairs themselves. The facility was designed for ease of use and accessibility, so it is well worth checking out whenever you’re in town. 

Pikes Peak Greenway Trail

Running 15 miles throughout Colorado Springs is the Pikes Peak Greenway Trail. This is the connector for other long regional trails in the north and south and provides access to parks and other trails scattered throughout the city. 

The trail is a mix of different surfaces. There are sections that are paved and some that are dirt and stone, but it’s still a highly accessible trail. People ride road bikes along the entire path and never have an issue. Since it’s in the middle of the city, it’s mainly a flat trip. 

Follow this trail to America the Beautiful Park, a famous 30-acre area with breathtaking views. There are plenty of other ways to utilize the Pikes Peak Greenway, and we encourage you to explore the trail system for yourself. 

Colorado Jeep Tours

Finally, if you want something completely different and still accessible for many, Colorado Jeep Tours are a great choice. You’ll get to see a wide variety of terrains within the area, all from the comfort of an off-road Jeep. 

Accessibility includes American Sign Language videos on every tour and a three-point harness seat belt equipped in the front seat for anyone with mobility issues. Don’t worry about leaving your service dog behind, as they are more than welcome to join. 

How Can I Keep Snow Out of My Boots While Winter Hiking?

Warm and dry feet can make all the difference when winter hiking. Keeping the snow out of your boots is critical in achieving optimal levels of comfort and happiness on the trail. Walking through feet of snow and keeping your feet free of snow can seem like a difficult task, but fortunately, there have been many that have come before us and figured out the secrets to happiness. 

Keeping the snow out of your boots comes down to finding the right waterproof footwear, wearing the right accessories, such as gaiters, and layering your waterproof pants in a way that sheds snow away from the boot. The key is a combination of these different techniques rather than a simple answer. The result is guaranteed to make winter hiking a favorite rather than a dreaded activity, no matter the process. 

Wear Gaiters

Gaiters, commonly confused with alligators in common conversation, are designed to keep stuff out of your boots. This can be dirt, rain, and in our case today, snow. Gaiters are a simple design requiring only a low level of research before strapping them on and getting out on the trails. 

No matter what activity you’re doing in the outdoors, whether it be summer or winter, gaiters can be beneficial. They add a high layer of protection for various winter activities and should be considered an essential part of winter gear in general. 

Gaiter Type

While all gaiters will work to keep your boots clear of debris, certain gaiters are made for different activities. It’s important to get the right style of gaiter for what you are planning on doing simply to have the best experience possible. 

Colorado Springs has such a wide variety of terrain and climates throughout the year that you can potentially use these gaiters all year long. Not all hiking in Colorado Springs will require gaiters to be on your gear list, but they are a helpful addition, especially when you are attempting to walk through the snow. 

Hiking gaiters are made of lightweight and breathable fabrics that help to keep out most small-scale debris. This can be light rain, small rocks and pebbles, and dirt or grit. These are a good choice for summer trips that lean closer to the “dry” side of things. 

Mountaineering gaiters incorporate a much more heavyweight fabric that offers protection against snow and the cold. If keeping snow out of your boots is the number one priority, these are the gaiters for you. 

Trail running gaiters are much more lightweight and function mainly to keep small pebbles and dirt out while running on a trail. These may be beneficial for running on a packed trail in the winter but won’t do much for you if you are post-holing to your knees in deep powder. 

Gaiter Height

There are three central heights that you’ll find on the gaiter market–over the ankle, mid-calf, and knee-length. For winter hiking, knee-length gaiters are the best option, as you will likely find yourself trekking through deep snow with even deeper pockets that you don’t expect. These will keep most snow out of your boots but can lead to some sweaty calves amid summer. 

Gaiters will be your ultimate protection for keeping snow out of your boots. These are a great addition to a snowshoe setup where you will be floating on top of the snow but can sink in softer patches. As we mentioned before, snow protection is a combination of different tactics. 

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Waterproof Footwear 

Keeping the snow out of your boots when it’s in the frozen snow form is an easier task than keeping it out once it’s grabbed onto your boot and starts melting. This is where it’s important to have a pair of the best hiking boots. This is another primary key to keeping your feet dry during winter hiking. 

There are plenty of reasons to keep your feet dry while hiking, and in the winter, these reasons become even more important. 

Find a pair of waterproof boots that are durable enough to withstand the snow. There are several different styles of waterproof boots on the market, and we suggest doing a hefty amount of research into finding the right ones for you. 

Without waterproof boots, all of the snow that you shed away from the inside of your boots will find its way inside through the fabric of the boots. Not all, or really any, boots will keep the snow from getting inside around your ankle, but the right boot can stop the snowmelt from penetrating. 

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Layer Waterproof Pants

Another small hack to keeping snow out is wearing waterproof pants and basing them correctly. If you’re already wearing gaiters and waterproof boots, this final level of protection will further ensure happy, dry, and warm feet during winter hiking. 

To keep everything as dry as possible, it’s essential to ensure that your pant leg isn’t dragging through the snow and absorbing that moisture when your body melts it. For that reason, tucking both pant legs into socks before throwing a waterproof layer on top is a great move. 

Gaiters should be the final step in the process (other than putting on snowshoes if you’re wearing them). Waterproof pants will add an additional layer of protection underneath the gaiters and between your legs and the snow. They also help shed snow away from your body rather than soaking it in and channeling the snowmelt down into your feet.

How Early Should I Book My Summer Tours?

Snow is still falling around us, and multiple layers are required to step out the door, but yet, summer is still sneaking up quicker than we can imagine. Thoughts of booking summer outdoor tours in Colorado Springs may seem like dreams of a time unknown rather than something that needs to happen now. 

It’s an easy mistake to make. Putting off booking tours because it doesn’t seem likely that people will make their plans so far in advance is something that only needs to be experienced once to never do again.

Summer in Colorado is one of the most luxurious times and places anyone can find on the entire planet. Tourist season skyrockets, so booking tours needs to happen as soon as possible. 

When to Visit Colorado Springs

Every city has its attractions. Colorado Springs has many things to do, whether in the height of summer or the midst of a long winter. It all depends on the types of activities you like to do. 

The spring and fall offer cooler weather with fewer crowds, while the winter brings about some of the best snowsport terrain. The summer is different, though. Families have lived for the summer.

Remember getting out of school and knowing that you’re on summer break? Name another feeling that comes close to the exhilaration kids feel on the final school bell. It’s hard to match. 

For most, it’s safe to say that summer is a time for going out and being active. We’ve spent our winter hibernating, or at least skiing for a few hours and hustling back in to escape the cold. When the temperature starts to rise and the day gets long, there’s more reason to get out and stay out. 

Summer is the peak of the tourist season for Colorado Springs. People can find activities in every corner of the city and move out of the city limits to find more. Due to the huge level of demand, booking tours early on, maybe as soon as you finish reading this, is important to finding the best outdoor tours in Colorado Springs. 

Sunshine and more sunshine

When kids get out of school and families can take the time to vacation, everyone is out and about. It’s the summer, so people naturally want to find the sunshine and feel the warmth on their skin as they hike out and find gorgeous backdrops for family photos. 

Colorado averages 300 days of sunshine per year. Put that up against almost anywhere else in the United States, and you’ll be glad you’ve chosen Colorado. Temperatures hover between 70-80 degrees Fahrenheit, making it the ultimate climate for summer travel. 

The only part of the summers in the mountains that needs special attention is the near-daily mountain storm. Up high in the peaks, there’s a large possibility for afternoon storms that roll in and are gone before you can even process the fact that it just rained. With the right amount of planning, you can arrange your day to avoid the high peaks in the afternoon. 

What to do in the Summer in Colorado Springs

With the summer comes a plethora of options, especially for outdoor tours. Colorado Springs is surrounded by natural beauty. One of the best activities to explore the area is getting out and hiking in any local park. Garden of the Gods and Pikes Peak will be more crowded in the summer, but they’re spectacular places to visit. 

Summer outdoor tours in Colorado Springs can take you to more isolated places. Local guides know the places to go that are still magnificent but don’t draw as much of a crowd. These guides are one of the few places to get information that can’t be found with a quick Google search. 

Book a tour ahead of time and lock a place in with mountain biking or guided zipline tours to expand upon what the typical family vacation may encompass. Trying something new is always a safe bet in the summer, and it can be reassuring to have a guided tour helping you explore that new activity. 

It’s safe to say that there’s something for everyone to do in the summertime in Colorado Springs. If you’re looking for something outdoorsy and adventurous, there are almost too many options to choose from. Those who feel more drawn to a foodie or city-based adventure will find that the town itself has a ton of local restaurants and shops that are full of energy throughout the summer months.

The summer is full of different festivals like the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb, Manitou Springs Wine Festival, the Royal Gorge Whitewater Festival, Pikes Peak or Bust Rodeo, and the El Paso County Fair. These events are perfect for planning your summer vacation around. Once you’re tired enough from hiking to the summit of Pikes Peak, you can sit back and watch cars do it instead. 

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When to Book Summer Tours

The best time to get a summer reservation with the best outdoor tours in Colorado Springs is now. Spots fill up quickly, and planning the perfect vacation requires a lot of time spent thinking ahead. 

Last-minute bookings with us are difficult to snag. Typically, bookings are completely filled up from Easter all the way until Thanksgiving. With Easter just around the corner, we wanted to remind you to book your tours today and start looking forward to soaking in that Colorado summer sun!

Cold Weather Injuries and Treatments

Social media and winter photography can make the winter seem like a wonderland filled with nothing but adventure and fun. The other side of the winter can be a dangerous trek for anyone who might not properly manage cold injuries. Knowing the signs of hypothermia and how to treat it are a small portion of the necessary skills to have under your belt before heading out into a snowy landscape. 

By the end of this, you may ask, “is it safe to hike in the winter?

We want to assure you that hiking in winter is a safe thing to do, so long as you come ready for the cold. Without this preparation, many cold weather injuries can get those who come ill-prepared. To ensure you don’t end up in a dangerous situation, here is a list of the most common cold weather injuries and how to treat them. 

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Hypothermia

The most commonly-known cold injury is likely to be hypothermia. We talk about it as a precautionary tale to anyone going out in the cold, but very few people are fully aware of what it is and what to do about it. 

The idea of hypothermia is simple. The prefix ‘hypo’ means less than normal or below. Thermia relates to temperature, and when applied to us, it’s our body temperature. Hypothermia then is having a body temperature that is lower than normal. This starts to happen in prolonged exposure to cold environments. Your body can’t make enough heat to make up for the heat loss, resulting in a decrease in overall temperature.

Once your body temperature reaches 95 degrees or below, you are considered hypothermic. Measures to prevent reaching this temperature should be taken beforehand, but once it’s reached, the job is focused on warming someone back up and preventing further heat loss. 

There are three main stages that hypothermia can be classified into. The first sign of hypothermia is what you can expect. There will be shivering and reduced circulation. In the second stage, there will be a general slowness that the body takes on. There is a slow pulse, slow movement, a state of confusion, and delayed thinking processes. The final stage is where one may lose consciousness and become unresponsive. 

Becoming hypothermic can threaten one to stay inside all winter long. Still, there are plenty of basic treatments that will allow you to travel around in the winter without ever feeling threatened. 

How to treat hypothermia:

  • Slowly rewarm with skin to skin contact
  • Learn how to make a hypo-wrap (like a warm person-burrito)
  • Take preventative measures to stay dry and warm
  • Use movement to warm up
  • Get to safety

Frostbite

Another one of the most common cold weather injuries is frostbite. This specific injury can range from frostnip to third-degree frostbite and limb loss. While most frostbite cases will fall closer to the frostnip side of things, it’s important to prevent any injuries before they happen. 

Frostbite can happen in surprisingly warm conditions. If it’s raining and your skin is exposed, it’s easy to grab a minor case of frostnip or frostbite in temperatures up to 50 degrees. Unless you’re drinking it, all water becomes your enemy at such low temperatures. Any tissue that reaches 28 to 30 degrees Fahrenheit will take on the symptoms of frostbite, but they can be observed earlier on as well. 

The first symptoms to look out for are numbness, tingling, and pain when rewarming the area. It’s common to get blisters when experiencing second-degree frostbite as well as a wooden or waxy feeling. Third-degree is a much more extreme scenario that often leads to loss of digits. 

Like hypothermia, the most important part of treating frostbite is preventing it. Wearing warm and dry gloves, scarves, and hats that cover the more commonly-exposed areas of the body is the best way to stop yourself from experiencing this injury. Bringing multiple sets on a long trip will help ensure that you stay dry and can switch out when necessary. 

After a cold weather injury like frostbite, you will likely have issues with that body part for the rest of your life. Because of this, we must repeat that prevention is the absolute best way to “treat” any of these injuries. 

How to treat frostbite:

  • Rewarm the area with skin to skin contact
  • Only thaw the area if there is no longer a risk of it re-freezing
  • Do not use excessive heat to rewarm
  • Keep all exposed skin covered and dry
  • Seek medical attention

Chilblains

For anyone that spends long periods in the wilderness, chilblains may be all-too-familiar. It may be a foreign concept for most, but it is still a risk. 

Chilblains are spots on the skin that result from extended periods of time with moisture and lower, non-freezing temperatures. The skin will develop small spots that are itchy, swollen, tender, and often painful. 

One of the best ways to diagnose this injury is rewarming and observing. While many of the symptoms are similar to frostnip or low-level frostbite, these symptoms aren’t resolved when rewarmed. 

The more often your skin develops Chilblains, the more likely it will happen in the future. 

How to treat Chilblains:

  • Rewarm the area and keep it dry
  • Prevention measures such as keeping dry and warm

Trench Foot

The final cold weather injury on our list is trench foot. This happens when feet are wet and cold for an extended period of time. They start to look like old raisins, full of deep wrinkles and crevasses that will be very painful. 

This can happen in the field for a variety of reasons. Anyone who gets their feet wet in the snow and fails to get dry quickly may experience low levels of trench foot. If it goes on all day, this can be a serious injury that isn’t comfortable or fun to even look at. 

How to treat trench foot:

  • Dry the feet and apply baby powder
  • Change socks often
  • Keep the feet clean
  • Stop hiking and go to an area to rest

Hiking with your Dog in the Winter

Leaving your dog at home isn’t a real option for most of us. You may tell others that your dog doesn’t do well away from you, but the truth is always that you don’t do well away from the pup. Regardless of the reasoning, hiking with your dog in the winter is an enjoyable experience for everyone involved. 

Winter hiking can be strenuous for seasoned hikers all around the world. Some are more accustomed to it, while others are better adjusted for tropical climates. The fact holds true when we start talking about your furry best friend as well. Certain dogs love the snow, while some won’t even leave the house and brave the cold. 

This quick guide serves to help first-time snow pups become lovers of the cold rather than learn to fear it. Soon enough, your dog will be crying to get outside when the flakes start falling. 

Paw protection

Before all else, your dog is going to feel the cold in its paws. Even with years of rough roads to toughen up their pads, the snow can be detrimental to a dog’s winter hiking experience. 

Many dogs that aren’t accustomed to winter will get snow trapped in between their toes, causing them to stop and try to remove it quite often. It’s a difficult thing to work with and is much better to prevent before having to pick snow out of their paws every ten minutes. 

One of the best ways to protect paws is to try on booties. A lot of different companies make booties, but they all fit differently. Remember that your dog’s front and back paws might be different sizes, so some booties only come in pairs.

There are other options for the dogs who rip the booties off immediately or have the kind of paws that booties fall straight off. In the North, the most popular solution amongst sled dogs is a salve called Musher’s Secret. Although it isn’t much of a secret anymore, it’s the perfect layer that protects snow from building up and damaging paws. 

Bundle them up

Malamutes and Huskies are well-equipped with a thick fur coats to keep them toasty all winter long. Even your Golden Retriever or Australian Shepherd might have enough hair to get them through more mild winters. If you’ve fallen for a short-haired pup, it might not be long before you see them shivering and trying to cozy up next to you. 

Many dogs love to be swaddled in a warm winter jacket that adds another layer of protection from the elements and helps trap the heat they produce while running around. In winter, hiking with your dog isn’t about making a big fashion statement, but it may require adding to your dog’s wardrobe.

Higher caloric intake

When people start asking, “is it safe to hike in winter?” they inevitably find an article that talks about eating. Food is the body’s main fuel source to produce heat, and the same goes for your dog. 

So, before you head out onto the trail, give your pup a few extra handfuls or scoops of their kibble. It can make a huge difference in helping to keep them warm and energized for a longer hike.

Even when your dog is fit and ready to go on long summer hikes, the winter is much more demanding when it comes to energy spent. Bring along a lot of high-fat treats (think “salmon jerky”) that will give a boost of energy to help your pup warm up. 

Train them properly

Another added danger on the trail in the winter is skiers and snowboarders. In the summer, your dog may avoid mountain bikers on the trail, but many dogs see skiers as a person to play a game with. Train them to stay away from skiers and other people moving quickly through the snow. 

Skis use a sharp metal edge on both sides to help dig into the ice. In the wrong circumstances, that metal edge can easily hurt any person or dog, especially at high speeds. 

It’s best to keep your dog on a leash, even if they are used to having free range. The transition to winter hiking with your dog can be a big one, and they need to learn the new environment before being left to roam freely. 

Have a backup

Bringing a dog along can sometimes be like bringing a small child. When they decide that they don’t want to hike anymore, you won’t be hiking anymore. So, you need to come prepared with a backup plan. 

One day your pup can be ready to take on any level of snow, and the next, they will be shivering at the sight of it. If you have another hike planned that might be drier or slightly warmer, head in that direction. Recognize that you need to be flexible and make smart decisions for your dogs because they won’t always do the same. 

Modify your first aid kit

One of the biggest parts of hiking safety is having first aid training and the supplies you’ll need. First off, a first aid kit is a must for any hiking, regardless of the season. When you add your dog into the mix, you “need to modify it to become a human and dog first aid kit. In the winter, hiking with a dog means learning proper hiking safety and first aid. 

A lot of doggy first aid is the same as human first aid. You’ll want to add extra gauze pads, athletic tape, cotton balls, gloves, and the rest of the normal gear. More dog-centered first aid would mean packing some of the following:

  • Hydrogen peroxide – Useful for inducing vomiting if they found anything they shouldn’t have gotten into.
  • Towel – Wet dogs are dangerous in the winter. They can freeze quickly, and it’s best to get them as dry as possible, fast. 
  • Soft muzzle – Any mouth injuries may be inflamed by eating snow, which they will likely try and do. This can also help reduce the licking of other wounds. 
  • Rubber booties – To protect any wounds that happen on their feet, have some rubber booties to cover them up. 

We all prefer not to even think about our dog getting injured, but the truth is that it’s possible. It’s best to come prepared and ready to treat anything as the vet is a bit more out of reach when you are in the mountains. 

Visibility

Visibility means two separate things here. First off, a whiteout snowstorm and blinding sunlight bouncing off the snow can be dangerous for your dog’s eyes. Second, short days mean longer nights, and you want to find your dog if they ever get loose in the dark. 

If you’ve hiked in the snow, you know how bright the white landscape around you makes everything. It can be difficult to see, which is why mountaineers wear those silly goggles with peripheral protection. 

Fortunately, you can get a pair of goggles for your dog for both function and fashion that makes them look ready to hit the ski slopes. Goggles will help to protect them from the dangerous UV rays that can quickly damage their eyes as well as the cold snow pelting through the air. They’ll look cool and be able to keep their vision.

Long, dark nights and winter go hand in hand. Maybe you don’t live somewhere like Alaska, where there’s barely any sun to be seen in winter, but the chance is still higher that you will get stuck out in the dark. 

Any time you go out with the potential of finding yourself in the dark, it’s best to have something like a light-up collar for your dog. This way, if they get loose, you can track them through the woods by the bobbing neon green light. It will simply help to ease your mind and know where they’re at throughout the entire hike.