A 20-Year Local's Guide
Colorado Springs, the way locals actually live it.
The honest picks, the hidden spots, and what to skip, from someone who has actually lived here for twenty years.
This Week in Colorado Springs (Oct 19 - Oct 25)
What's actually on around town this week. It's Halloween season so a lot of this is Halloween stuff, I keep a bigger list of those in my Halloween events guide if you want more picks.
-
Fourever Fab and Sixtiesmania: A Journey Through the '60s
I'm not usually one for tribute bands, but if you grew up on the Beatles and the Stones this is a fun night out. Just go in knowing it's a tribute act, not the real thing.
-
Movies Under the Mountains: Hocus Pocus
Free outdoor movie night and the kids love it. Bring a blanket, that patio gets cold once the sun's down in October.
-
Boo at the Zoo
Worth the ticket, the zoo does Halloween right. Buy your timed slot ahead of time, they do sell out most nights.
-
Emma Crawford Coffin Races & Festival
My favorite free thing on this list. Teams race coffins down Manitou Ave and it's exactly as goofy as it sounds. Get there early, parking in Manitou fills up fast on this one.
-
Pumpkins in the Park
Good free Saturday for the family in Old Colorado City. Pumpkin patch, crafts, and the zoo even brings some animals down.
-
Six Feet Under Horror Film Fest
Not for the kids, but if you like horror movies this is a real local film fest with a costume contest, not just a theater rental.
-
Colorado Springs Sunday Market
Last Sunday market of the season. Good coffee and local produce before everything shuts down for winter.
Where do you want to start?
Tell me what kind of trip this is and I'll point you straight at the right guide, no digging required.
Who's writing this
I'm Dominic, and I've lived in Colorado Springs for more than 20 years. I've hiked these trails in every season, eaten in every corner of this city, and figured out where the crowds go and where the locals actually spend their time. This site is what I'd tell a friend if they called and said "we're coming to the Springs, what should we actually do."
No sponsored top-10 lists, no recycled tourist-board copy. Just honest guides to the restaurants, hikes, drives, and neighborhoods I actually use, updated as prices and hours change. Start with the guides below, or browse the places directory for individual spots. More about me.
Why people end up loving it here
Garden of the Gods is 1,300 acres of red rock, free to walk, and it still catches me off guard on a normal Tuesday drive into town. Pikes Peak rises to 14,115 feet right behind it, and the Cog Railway gets you to the top without the hike. Add 300-plus days of sunshine a year and the whole Front Range within an hour's drive, and you've got a place that rewards actually getting outside. Old Colorado City and Manitou Springs carry most of the local character, galleries, historic shops, and small breweries, while downtown keeps adding more reasons to stick around after dinner.
Right Now: Fall Into Winter
It's October. Here's what I'd actually be doing around town the next couple months.
Where the Fall Colors Actually Are
The aspens turn fast up here. Where to go and how not to miss the window.
What Winter Here Is Really Like
It's milder than people expect, and some of the best days all year happen in January.
Ski Resorts Within Reach
You don't have to drive to Vail. Here's what's actually close.
Most Popular Guides
The six guides readers come back to most, for nights out, drives, trains, trails, and day trips.
Nightlife: Bars, Clubs & Night Activities
Where to go out after dark: the best bars, dance clubs, breweries, live music and late-night eats, by neighborhood.
8 Scenic Drives Worth Your Gas Money
Real routes near Colorado Springs, from paved Pikes Peak Highway to backcountry Rampart Range Road, with timing and road-condition tips.
Pikes Peak Cog Railway: Tickets & Tips
2026 prices, $20 depot parking, which seat to book, and when driving up is the smarter call.
Garden of the Gods: Parking, Trails & Tips
It's free. Where to park, when to go, and current hours, checked October 2026.
12 Best Hiking Trails, Ranked by Difficulty
Distance, elevation, parking tips, and what to pack for the altitude, for trails easy to hard.
7 Day Trips Most Tourists Never Find
Hidden day trips from Colorado Springs worth the drive, picked by someone who's made them.
Dom's Honest Picks
No rankings committee, no sponsored spots. Just what I'd tell you if you asked me straight.
-
Best tacos
Forget any taco list that skips the gas station spots. These 9 are the ones I actually drive across town for.
-
Best coffee
Most "best coffee" lists around here are the same chains in a different order. This one isn't.
-
Best breweries
We've got more breweries than this town knows what to do with, and I've been to most of them.
-
Best views
The view everyone photographs from the parking lot isn't the best one. I'll show you where to actually walk to.
-
Best Italian food
Took me 20 years to find real Italian in this town. It exists. Here's where.
-
Best hot springs nearby
Not every hot spring within driving distance is worth the gas. A few of them absolutely are.
Skip This, Do This Instead
Local tips nobody puts on a billboard.
Skip
Circling for parking at Garden of the Gods after 9 a.m.
Instead
Walk Red Rock Canyon Open Space next door. Same red rock, free, and you'll actually find a spot.
Skip
Booking the Cog Railway just because it's the famous thing to do.
Instead
If you've got a car and a few hours, drive the highway yourself and keep the money in your pocket.
Skip
Calling dinner and a movie "date night."
Instead
There are 11 better date night ideas in this town, and locals actually use them.
Skip
Guessing your way through a BBQ joint on Yelp photos.
Instead
Read where to go and what to skip first. It'll save you a bad plate.
Featured Places
A few individual spots from the places directory, the ones readers search for most.
The Broadmoor
Open since 1918. You don't have to book a room to enjoy it, that's the local secret worth knowing.
Wyatt's Pub & Grill
The neighborhood pub on the Rockrimmon side, a cold beer and a burger after Ute Valley Park.
Piglatin Cocina
Pork-forward Latin American fusion on Dublin Boulevard: Cuban sandwiches and the signature Piglatin tacos.
Hilton Garden Inn Colorado Springs North
Modern, easy highway access, and close to the Air Force Academy.
Explore More
Places Directory
Businesses and attractions in Colorado Springs covered on this site: restaurants, hotels, and local attractions.
Browse places →All Guides
Every Colorado Springs guide on this site in one list: food, hiking, neighborhoods, events, and trip planning.
Browse the blog →🏔️ Get the free Colorado Springs Local Cheat Sheet
A 20-year local's shortlist, best taco, best hike, the Garden of the Gods timing trick, and more. Plus a short weekly email on what's happening around town. Free.