How to Spend a Weekend in Colorado Springs

Colorado Springs is Colorado’s second biggest city behind Denver. It sits at the foot of the Cheyenne Mountains that create a beautiful mountain backdrop to the city. 

​John and I love popping down to Colorado Springs for a fun day or quick weekend getaway. We also like to take first time Colorado visitors to help mark off some of the highlights of the state.

​In this blog post I will share some of our favorite things to do in Colorado Springs!

Garden of the Gods.

Riding the Pikes Peak Cog Railway.

Where to stay:

If you plan to spend a weekend in Colorado Springs, there are a few different places I recommend staying. You can book a normal stay in a hotel or Airbnb, or you can go glamping!

Cronin Mountain 

If you don’t know what glamping is, it’s short for “glamorous camping”. At Cronin Mountain, you can sleep in luxury canvas tents complete with beds, heaters, and bathrooms. The glamping resort is tucked away in the secluded wilderness inside the Cheyenne Mountains just 30 minutes above town!

One of the glamping tents.

Our picnic atop Croning Mountain.

Read more from our glamping trip at Cronin Mountain and see more in my YouTube video below. Use code TACOS15 for 15% off your stay on

​The Broadmoor

​If the full-blown luxury stay is more your thing, then I recommend staying at The Broadmoor Hotel. It’s a historic Colorado hotel with a rich history and stunning grounds. 
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The Brroadmoor Hotel. Photo from The Broadmoor Hotel's website.

The Broadmoor also offers a mountaintop experience in an all-inclusive resort, a ranch stay, and a fly fishing camp available for rent if you have the means and can find availability!

Book your own stay at The Broadmoor Hotel here: www.broadmoor.com

The Brroadmoor Hotel. Photo from The Broadmoor Hotel's website.

The Ranch at Emerald Valley. Photo from The Broadmoor Hotel's website.

Things to Do in Colorado Springs:

Hike Seven Falls 

 
​Another thing to do on The Broadmoor property is to hike to Seven Falls. Seven Falls is a stunning waterfall with seven tiers.

​It is a nice and easy hike up a gradual path through the canyon, and at the end, there is a restaurant, gift shop, and stairs up to some overlook platforms!

Learn more about the hike to Seven Falls in my blog post here!

​Visit Garden of the Gods 

One of the most iconic spots in Colorado is Garden of the Gods. These famous red rock formations are on websites, postcards, and company logos all across the state. 

These rocks are not only gorgeous to see, they are very easy to access and extremely easy to explore. We love Garden of the Gods so much that  John and I even took our engagement photos here!

Read our “Garden of the Gods Guide” for the best viewpoints, first timer’s tips, and driving directions. Plus watch my video below from the time I went horseback riding through the park with Academy Riding Stables!

​Ride The Pikes Peak Train 

Another famous Colorado spot is Pikes Peak. Although it's not the highest peak in Colorado, it is one of the most visited mountain peaks!

You can drive, hike, or ride the train to the top. When you ride the train up, you receive a nice history lesson about the first sumitters, Pikes Peak’s role in the song “America the Beautiful”, and so much more!

Watch more from our ride up to the top of Pikes Peak below and book your own seat on the train here.

Visit Manitou Springs

Although not technically Colorado Springs, Manitou Springs is nearby. This is technically the location of the train station to ride up to the top of Pikes Peak. There is so much to do in Manitou, but here is how you can spend an afternoon:

• Walk around town and try the springs! It’s called Manitou Springs for all the different varieties of minerals in water. You can walk around and try all the different springs on an easy walk around town.

• Hike the Manitou Incline. If you really love stairs and grueling workouts, try hiking the Manitou Incline. I have never attempted it and never plan to. It seems a little too intense even for me. It’s an Olympic training site, and that’s what makes it so famous. Learn more about the climb here.
• Cave of The Winds is an above and underground adventure area. Visit the caves below the surface then ride a zip line over the canyon above. See more about Cave of the Winds on their website here!
• See the Manitou Cliff Dwellings. Again, another thing we have never done is see the Manitou Cliff Dwellings. Very similar to Mesa Verde, these are ancient Native American homes tucked away into the nearby cliffside. Learn more about the cliff dwellings here.​

The Penny Arcade in Manitou Springs.

Tasting the springs in Manitou Springs!

I hope this guide helps you plan a memorable trip to Colorado Springs. It is such a wonderful city full of truly iconic, picturesque places to visit!
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