Places to visit in April Mid near Colorado Springs (Denver: coupons, hotel)

[srick123]

Hi,

We are a family of 5 travelling to Colorado springs around mid April time frame. We live in Texas and would love to see snow capped mountains. We have a toddler with us as well so we cant do much adventure type activities. We plan to stay near Manitou springs.
Currently our itinerary looks something like this:
Day 1 - Royal gorge bridge and take the train that goes into the gorge.
Day 2 - pikes peak and garden of Gods
Day 3 - travel to rocky mountain national park .
Day 4 - returning back to denver to catch the flight.

I am looking for seeing more places near Royal gorge bridge or on the way from colorado springs to royal gorge.

Also for Day 3, we aren't sure if we would have to take the ride all the way up North to RMNP. If there are scenic routes near pikes peak or within an hour or two drive from Colorado springs we would like to do that instead of traveling all the way to Estes park.

Could y'all suggest some places for us to add to our itinerary on Day 1 as well as Day 3?

I looked at the mountain top zoo, but not sure if its worth to visit.

Thanks all in advance!!!

-Steve

[Mike from back east]

Day 3 has a hellacious amount of driving and IIRC the road through RMNP doesn't open until Memorial Day and with all the snow this year it probably won't open until mid-June. If you go up that way you can see Estes Park, the Stanley Hotel and maybe some of the lower areas at the park entrance. IMO not worth all that driving.

Time would be better spent heading west of Canon City to see places like Salida, Buena Vista, Gunnison and Monarch Pass, etc. There are some gorgeous mountains out that way, you might even make it up to Leadville which IMO rivals what you'd see at RMNP. You WILL see snow capped mountains, especially this year.

Day 2 might include visits to the Pioneer Museum in downtown COLO SPGS and/or the USAF Visitor Center on the north end of town at the USAF Academy. The downtown has a number of nice eateries (like Jack Quinn's Irish Pub), and even an older theater with 3 screens and it's right next to a New Orleans style eatery (Springs Orleans).

The train up Pikes Peak isn't running due to major renovation of the system but you can drive part or all the way up but not sure how the altitude would affect a toddler. The air is a lot thinner at 14,115 feet. Just as you enter the road to Pikes Peak Highway there is a "North Pole" place that might be cool for kids. Woodland Park is at the top of the pass up Hwy 24 and a nice town with good views of Pikes Peak.

As flatlanders you need to be aware of altitude sickness which is very real. You need to drink a lot of water when you get to COLO and be aware that the thin air allows the rays of the sun to do real damage to skin and eyes. The dry air will dehydrate you quickly and that includes sinus tissues. So, your list should include skin cream, sun screen, nasal spray, lip balm, sun glasses and hats to shield faces from the sun. Limit alcohol too as new arrivals will find the altitude worsens the effects of that stuff.

[beezle1]

If you have a toddler, I expect that Cheyenne Mountain Zoo will be fun, if you have time. It really is a neat zoo.

When you drive down to Royal Gorge, take the 115 instead of the interstate - much more scenic. There is a bug museum along the way, if you have any interest:
https://coloradospringsbugmuseum.com/

And maybe instead of RMNP, head up to Mueller State Park, which is closer to where you will be staying.

[bluescreen73]

As Mike said, I wouldn't count on being able to get all the way up Pikes Peak. In addition to the Cog Railway being closed, they're building a brand new summit house complex. The construction activities have limited the number of parking spots at the summit, and the city is using shuttles to get people to the top. The shuttles aren't currently running, and 2019 dates haven't been announced yet. That doesn't necessarily mean the summit is closed, though.

https://coloradosprings.gov/pikespeakshuttle?mlid=41856

Estes Park is a pretty long drive from the Springs, and, as Mike said, Trail Ridge Road won't be open. If you want to see snowcapped peaks I'll second places closer to the Springs like Buena Vista, Fairplay, Westcliffe or even Great Sand Dunes National Park.

Paint Mines Interpretive Park just east of the Springs is free, and it has a neat Badlands-like appearance.

[hollyt00]

I'll be honest. The one time we went to RMNP it was because we had the annual Parks Pass that had been very well used. Otherwise I would have questioned the value as there are a ton of *free* places that offer *better* scenery than RMNP. All suggestions above are excellent to see natural beauty outside of RMNP.

[mtngigi]

Originally Posted by srick123

Hi,

We are a family of 5 travelling to Colorado springs around mid April time frame. We live in Texas and would love to see snow capped mountains. We have a toddler with us as well so we cant do much adventure type activities. We plan to stay near Manitou springs.
Currently our itinerary looks something like this:
Day 1 - Royal gorge bridge and take the train that goes into the gorge.
Day 2 - pikes peak and garden of Gods
Day 3 - travel to rocky mountain national park .
Day 4 - returning back to denver to catch the flight.

I am looking for seeing more places near Royal gorge bridge or on the way from colorado springs to royal gorge.

Also for Day 3, we aren't sure if we would have to take the ride all the way up North to RMNP. If there are scenic routes near pikes peak or within an hour or two drive from Colorado springs we would like to do that instead of traveling all the way to Estes park.

Could y'all suggest some places for us to add to our itinerary on Day 1 as well as Day 3?

I looked at the mountain top zoo, but not sure if its worth to visit.

Thanks all in advance!!!

-Steve

If you want to extend your Royal Gorge day, this place is quite the experience: Bishops Castle: Bishop Castle - Adventure To New Heights | Official Website - you could go there first, and then head to the Royal Gorge, which is a little over an hour away. The train ride is nice, but I think you'll find there's quite a bit to see and do at the top.

Florrisant Fossil Beds might interest you, and it's a nice drive up Ute Pass and beyond: https://www.nps.gov/flfo/index.htm - from there you can continue on County Rd. 1 to Cripple Creek. There you can take a fun little train ride: http://cripplecreekrailroad.com/. Then you can make it a loop trip by heading out of Cripple Creek on Rt. 67 to get back to the Springs. When you head out of Cripple Creek on Rt. 67, there's the Pikes Peak Heritage Center. If nothing else, it's worth a quick stop for the amazing views it offers of the Collegiate Range off in the distance.

Cheyenne Mountain Zoo is really unique and worth a visit: Welcome to Cheyenne Mountain Zoo

Ghost Museum. Never been but I hear kids get a kick out of this place: Ghost Town Museum - Colorado Springs Family-friendly Attraction

Check out VisitCOS.com for lots of good information: https://www.visitcos.com/
Also, be aware that many paid attractions offer coupons on their websites, so that's worth checking out.

Not sure why some are ragging on RMNP - as a former resident of Grand County, I can assure you it's quite beautiful up there and Trail Ridge Road offers spectacular mountain views. Though I'm more partial to the Grand Lake (west entrance) side than Estes Park. That said, everyone is correct - there are truly gorgeous drives all over this state. RMNP would be a very long trip and best saved for when you have more time and can spend a few days in that part of Colorado.

That said, even though Trail Ridge Road/RMNP does not open before Memorial Day, you can drive into the park a ways depending on snow conditions, which you can check online: https://www.nps.gov/romo/planyourvisit/road_status.htm - right now you can drive into the park for 8 miles from Estes Park. Not sure when your flight leaves from Denver, but this could happen on that day, depending on your time frame. Estes Park is about an hour and a half from Denver ... or maybe consider doing that on the day you arrive, though that would make for a longer drive down to Colorado Springs.

[srick123]

Wow!!! Awesome. Thanks a lot for all of your responses. I will look at these options and finalize my itinerary soon.
Appreciate it!!!

[mtngigi]

To add: Be aware that we've been known to get snow in April - at the very least it can be cold (especially if you're heading into the mountains). It's a good idea to dress in layers. Days can start out chilly, but end up very warm. Pack accordingly.

[DrDog]

Like Mike mentioned, be aware of elevation. Going from sea level to 14k ft will result in dehydration if you’re not careful and a little hypoxia (low oxygen). So drink lots of fluids.

[otowi]

Originally Posted by beezle1

If you have a toddler, I expect that Cheyenne Mountain Zoo will be fun, if you have time. It really is a neat zoo.

When you drive down to Royal Gorge, take the 115 instead of the interstate - much more scenic. There is a bug museum along the way, if you have any interest:
https://coloradospringsbugmuseum.com/

And maybe instead of RMNP, head up to Mueller State Park, which is closer to where you will be staying.

Just a heads up, I don't think the bug museum opens until May sometime.