I’ve Lived Here 20 Years and I’m Still Checking Things Off This List
I moved to Colorado Springs over twenty years ago. I’d worked for Delta Airlines, traveled to just about every major city in the country, and chose this place on purpose. West side, close to the mountains, five minutes from Garden of the Gods. I’ve ridden my e-bike through the park hundreds of times, camped on Rampart Range Road more nights than I can count, and eaten at practically every restaurant on Colorado Avenue. And I’m still finding new things to do here.
This is a Colorado Springs bucket list from someone who actually lives here — not a travel blogger passing through for a weekend. These are the 30 things I’d tell a friend to do before they move away, or the things I’d tell someone visiting to prioritize over the usual tourist checklist. Some are well-known. Some are hidden. All of them are worth your time.
Outdoor Essentials
Let’s start with the obvious. Colorado Springs is an outdoor city. If you’re here and you’re not getting outside, you’re missing the whole point.
1. Watch the sunrise at Garden of the Gods. Everyone goes during the day when the parking lots are packed and the tour buses are rolling through. Go at sunrise instead. Get there before 6 AM on a summer morning and you’ll have the park almost to yourself. The way the first light hits those red sandstone formations — the rocks literally glow. It’s one of the most beautiful things I’ve ever seen, and I live five minutes away. The Garden of the Gods Visitor & Nature Center has trail maps and parking info if you want to plan ahead.
2. Hike the Incline. The Manitou Incline is 2,768 steps up the side of a mountain. It gains about 2,000 feet of elevation in less than a mile. It’s brutal. It’s also one of those things you just have to do if you live here. Take your time, stop as many times as you need, and don’t let the college kids sprinting past you make you feel bad. The views from the top are incredible. Go early on a weekday to avoid the crowds.
3. Ride the Pikes Peak Cog Railway. I know, it sounds like a tourist thing. It is a tourist thing. But it’s also genuinely amazing. The Broadmoor Manitou and Pikes Peak Cog Railway takes you to 14,115 feet on America’s Mountain, and the ride itself is an experience. They rebuilt the whole thing a few years ago with new trains, a new summit house, and the famous high-altitude donuts. Even if you’ve driven to the top before, the cog railway hits different.
4. E-bike the Santa Fe Trail. This is my personal go-to. I e-bike a 25-mile loop from the west side, through downtown, through Garden of the Gods, and back. The Santa Fe Trail follows the old railroad grade so it’s gentle, the scenery is nonstop Front Range views, and you can stop for a beer on the way home. An e-bike makes it possible for anyone — you don’t need to be a cyclist. You just need to like being outside.
5. Camp on Rampart Range Road. Dispersed camping on a mountain ridge, thirty minutes from your driveway. No reservations, no fees, just pull off the road and set up camp. The panoramic views of the entire Front Range from up there are the kind of thing that reminds you why you live in Colorado. Bring a camp chair, a cooler, and a good sunset. That’s all you need.
6. Explore Red Rock Canyon Open Space. This is the west side’s other park, right next to Garden of the Gods but way less crowded. Red Rock Canyon has hiking trails, mountain biking trails, rock formations, and a quarry that used to supply the red sandstone for buildings all over town. It feels like a secret, even though it’s right off Highway 24. If you haven’t been, you’re sleeping on one of the best parks in the city.
7. Walk Ute Valley Park at dawn. I live near Ute Valley, and early morning is when this park really shines. The trails wind through ponderosa pines and rock outcroppings, and at dawn you’ll see deer, foxes, and the occasional coyote. It’s quiet. It’s close. And the views from the ridgeline looking east toward the city are something else when the sun is low.
8. Hike Barr Trail. This is the trail that goes all the way to the summit of Pikes Peak — 13 miles one way, 7,800 feet of elevation gain. You don’t have to do the whole thing. Even hiking a few miles up to Barr Camp is a solid day hike through beautiful forest. But if you’re fit and ambitious, the full summit hike is a bucket-list item for a reason. Start early. Bring layers. Respect the mountain.
9. Ride enduro on the forest service roads. If you’re a motorcycle rider — and I am — the forest service roads west of town are some of the best dual-sport and enduro riding in the state. Miles of dirt roads winding through national forest, barely any traffic, incredible scenery. You can connect Rampart Range Road to Woodland Park, Divide, and beyond. It’s adventure riding without the travel.
10. Catch a sunset at Palmer Park. Palmer Park sits on a mesa in the middle of the city with 360-degree views. Most people think of it as the east side’s park, but the sunset views looking west toward Pikes Peak are worth the drive from anywhere in town. Bring a blanket, find a spot on the rocks, and watch the sky turn colors. It’s free, it’s easy, and it never disappoints.
Food and Drink
The Springs isn’t a food destination like Denver, and I’m not going to pretend it is. But there are places here that I genuinely love, and I’ve been hunting for good food in this town for two decades. Here’s what’s worth your time.
11. Get the burnt ends at Front Range BBQ. I’ve written a whole article about BBQ in the Springs, and Front Range is my number one. The burnt ends are the thing to order — cut from smoked briskets, grilled up, hit with their sweet and spicy sauce. They’re limited availability, so if you see them on the board, don’t hesitate. This place has been a west-side institution for years.
12. Drink a beer at Red Leg Brewing near Garden of the Gods. Red Leg is right on Garden of the Gods Road, and it’s the perfect post-hike, post-bike, post-anything stop. Big beer garden, food trucks, a relaxed vibe. I stop here on almost every e-bike ride. Grab a pint of their Irish Red and sit outside with the foothills in the background. That’s the Colorado Springs lifestyle right there.
13. Sit on the OCC Brewing rooftop. Old Colorado City is my neighborhood, and OCC Brewing has one of the best rooftop patios in town. You’re sitting on top of a historic building on West Colorado Avenue, looking out at the foothills, drinking a locally brewed beer. On a warm evening it’s about as good as it gets without leaving the city.
14. Eat on the patio at Amanda’s Fonda. Amanda’s Fonda in Old Colorado City serves some of the best New Mexican food in the Springs. The patio is shaded and comfortable, and the green chile is the real thing — not the bland stuff you get at chain restaurants. I’m half Italian, grew up in New Mexico, and I’m very particular about green chile. Amanda’s passes the test.
15. Go on a green chile hunt. Speaking of green chile — finding the best green chile in Colorado Springs is a legitimate hobby. Everyone has their opinion. Amanda’s Fonda, Rudy’s Little Hideaway, La Casita, Señor Manuel’s — they all do it differently. Spend a few weekends doing a green chile crawl and find your own favorite. This is the kind of thing you can only do by living here.
16. Find the best breakfast burrito in town. Related to the green chile hunt but its own separate mission. The Springs has dozens of places claiming the best breakfast burrito, and honestly, the best ones are usually the little hole-in-the-wall spots that don’t have websites. King Chef Diner. Urban Egg. The breakfast burrito window at Fjord. This is a quest that never really ends, and that’s the beauty of it.
17. Do a coffee crawl of local shops. Skip the Starbucks and spend a Saturday hitting local coffee shops. Loyal Coffee downtown is probably the most well-known, but Switchback, Building Three, Piggy Pat’s, and Wild Goose Meeting House all have their own personality. Each one feels different. Each one has regulars who swear it’s the best. Do the loop and decide for yourself.
18. Hit the Saturday farmers market in Old Colorado City. The OCC farmers market runs every Saturday morning during the summer, and it’s one of the best community vibes in the city. Local produce, artisan vendors, live music, food booths. It’s the kind of thing where you go for twenty minutes and stay for two hours. Walk through the galleries and shops on Colorado Avenue while you’re there.
Day Trips
One of the best things about Colorado Springs is how much is within an hour’s drive. These are the day trips I’ve done over and over and still enjoy every time.
19. Drive to Cripple Creek and Victor. Cripple Creek is about 45 minutes west of the Springs, and it’s a legit old mining town with casinos, history, and a vibe that feels nothing like the rest of Colorado. But don’t stop there — drive the extra ten minutes to Victor. Victor is the quieter, more authentic version. Less casinos, more character. The drive between the two towns through the old mining district is one of my favorite scenic drives in the area.
20. Walk across the Royal Gorge Bridge. I’m not going to lie — the Royal Gorge Bridge is a tourist attraction and it’s priced like one. But walking across a bridge suspended 956 feet above the Arkansas River is something you should do at least once. The gorge itself is stunning. If you’re nervous about heights, that’s kind of the point. Go anyway.
21. Explore the Manitou penny arcade and taste the mineral springs. Manitou Springs is the funky little town right next to the Incline, and the Penny Arcade is a genuine throwback — vintage pinball machines, skeeball, and games that still cost a penny. After that, walk around town and taste the different mineral springs. Each one tastes different (some taste terrible, honestly), but it’s a unique Manitou experience that most tourists blow right past.
22. Spend a night at Mueller State Park. Mueller is about 45 minutes west of the Springs near Divide, and it’s one of the best state parks in Colorado. The campgrounds are well-maintained, the trails are excellent, and the elk just walk through camp like they own the place. It feels remote even though you’re less than an hour from home. Book ahead — it fills up in summer.
23. Fish at Eleven Mile Reservoir. Eleven Mile is about an hour and a half west of the Springs, and it’s one of the best fisheries in the state. Trout, pike, kokanee salmon — the fishing is legit. Even if you’re not a serious angler, the reservoir is gorgeous. Bring a kayak, pack a lunch, and spend a day on the water.
24. Visit Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument. This one flies under the radar, but it’s genuinely fascinating. Florissant has petrified redwood stumps that are 34 million years old and some of the most detailed insect and plant fossils in the world. It’s a quick hike through the fossil sites, easy for all ages, and there’s something humbling about standing next to a tree stump that was alive when dinosaurs still felt recent. About an hour west of the Springs near Cripple Creek.
Culture and Events
Colorado Springs isn’t just an outdoor town. There’s more culture here than people give it credit for.
25. Walk the First Friday Art Walk in Old Colorado City. On the first Friday of every month, the galleries and studios in OCC open their doors, pour wine, and let you wander through. Live music, local artists, and a neighborhood that genuinely supports creative people. It’s free, it’s fun, and it’s the most community-oriented thing I’ve found in the Springs.
26. Experience Territory Days. Territory Days is the Memorial Day weekend street festival in Old Colorado City, and it’s a big deal. Live music, food vendors, beer gardens, and the entire stretch of Colorado Avenue shuts down for three days. It’s rowdy, it’s fun, and it’s been going on for decades. If you only hit one festival a year in the Springs, this is the one.
27. See Michael Garman’s Magic Town. This is one of those places people either don’t know about or have been meaning to go for years. Michael Garman is a sculptor who built an entire miniature city inside a building in Old Colorado City. It’s a mix of sculpture, illusion, and storytelling — and it’s genuinely impressive. It’s unlike anything else in town.
28. Tour the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Museum. This museum is world-class. I mean that — it could be in any major city and hold its own. The exhibits are interactive, the architecture is stunning, and the stories of the athletes are genuinely inspiring. It opened in 2020 and it’s already one of the best museums in Colorado. Don’t skip it just because you’re a local.
29. Spend a day at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo. Cheyenne Mountain Zoo is built into the side of a mountain, which makes it unlike any other zoo in the country. The giraffe feeding is legendary — you hand-feed them from an elevated deck, and they walk right up to you. The views of the city from the upper exhibits are incredible. It’s one of those places that’s even better than you expect it to be.
30. Wake up early for the Labor Day Balloon Classic. Every Labor Day weekend, dozens of hot air balloons launch from Memorial Park just as the sun comes up. The whole sky fills with color. People spread out blankets, drink coffee, and watch the balloons drift over the city with Pikes Peak in the background. It’s free, it’s beautiful, and it’s one of those Colorado Springs traditions that makes you feel like you live in a special place. Because you do.
My Personal Top 5
If I had to narrow this whole list down to five things — the five I’d do again first if I was starting over — here’s where I land:
- E-bike through Garden of the Gods. Not drive through. Not walk through. E-bike. You feel the scale of the rocks, you hear the wind, you smell the juniper. It’s a completely different experience at 12 miles an hour, and it’s the single thing I’ve done most in 20 years of living here.
- Camp on Rampart Range Road. A camp chair, a cooler, a sunset over the entire Front Range. Thirty minutes from your front door. No reservations. No fees. Just you and the mountains. It never gets old.
- Front Range BBQ burnt ends. I’ve eaten at every BBQ joint in the Springs. Front Range is the one. The burnt ends are the order. End of discussion.
- Garden of the Gods at sunrise. I’ve seen it hundreds of times and it still stops me. The red rock glowing in the first light of morning, with almost nobody around. That moment is why I live here.
- Territory Days in Old Colorado City. Three days of live music, food, and the whole neighborhood coming alive. It’s the one weekend a year when the west side reminds everyone why it’s the best side of town.
You Don’t Have to Leave to Find It
That’s the thing about Colorado Springs. A lot of these bucket-list items aren’t once-in-a-lifetime events — they’re things you can do on a Tuesday after work, or a Saturday morning before the kids wake up, or a random Wednesday when you just need to get outside and remember why you live where you live.
I chose this city on purpose. I’ve been here 20 years and I’m still finding new corners, new trails, new restaurants, new sunsets. If you’re making your own Colorado Springs bucket list, start with the ones that call to you and work your way through. You won’t finish. That’s kind of the point.
About the Author: Dominic Ferrara has lived in Colorado Springs for over 20 years. After working for Delta Airlines and visiting just about every major city in the United States, he chose Colorado Springs for its scenery, sunshine, and outdoor lifestyle. He lives on the west side near Ute Valley Park, where he e-bikes, camps, and explores the mountains regularly. His recommendations come from two decades of eating, hiking, and living here — not from a weekend visit.
