These are the best places to travel this summer

Colorado Springs

Lonely Planet's Best in Travel 2025

Shop

Get even more with a Lonely Planet guide.

Shop Book
Skiers and snowboarders ascend the Alpine Springs chairlift at the Aspen Snowmass ski resort, in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado on a partly cloudy winter day.

Shutterstock

LONELY PLANET’S RECOMMENDED eSIM

Stay connected in Colorado Springs

with

Saily is an affordable eSIM service that helps you stay connected and secure, anywhere in the world.

Get your eSIM

Overview

Colorado Springs is an interesting beast. The town has grown by leaps and bounds in recent years, but still retains some of its small-town charms. It's absolutely gorgeous, with Pikes Peak hanging over the city, the vertical sandstone towers of the Garden of the Gods, and cute little neighborhoods that make it feel like a cozy mountain town. It's also home to a big military presence and ultra-right wing evangelicals. Beyond the politics, taking a day or two to explore everything the town and its environs have to offer, should make it onto any Colorado Top Five list.

Attractions

Must-see attractions

  • The famous giant red sandstone formations at Garden of the Gods in Colorado Springs, Colorado

    Garden of the Gods

    Colorado Springs

    This gorgeous vein of red sandstone (about 290 million years old) appears elsewhere along Colorado's Front Range, but the exquisitely thin cathedral…

  • Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center at Colorado College

    Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center at Colorado College

    Colorado Springs

    This expansive museum and 400-seat theater originally opened in 1936. The museum’s collection is surprisingly sophisticated, with some terrific Latin…

  • COLORADO SPRINGS, CO- 9 APR 2021- View of the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, an animal park located at the foot of Pikes Peak mountain in Colorado Springs, Colorado, United States.

    Cheyenne Mountain Zoo

    Colorado Springs

    High up on Cheyenne Mountain, the largest private zoo in the country was launched with holdovers from the private animal collection of Spencer Penrose …

  • G3YYM0 Cadets recite the Oath of Allegiance. June 26, 2009 - The 1,376 members of the Class of 2013 recites the Oath of Allegiance in front of the cadet chapel, family and friends during their first formation at the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colorado

    US Air Force Academy

    Colorado Springs

    A visit to this campus, one of the highest-profile military academies in the country, offers a limited but nonetheless fascinating look into the lives of…

  • Red Rock Canyon Open Space

    Red Rock Canyon Open Space

    Colorado Springs

    A former quarry and part of the sandstone vein that runs through the Garden of the Gods, this 787-acre park was nearly developed into a golf course and…

  • Will Rogers Shrine of the Sun

    Will Rogers Shrine of the Sun

    Colorado Springs

    Set behind the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo and those massive crenelated stone gates, on a cliff about two-thirds of the way up Cheyenne Mountain, is this tower…

  • Cornerstone Arts Center

    Cornerstone Arts Center

    Colorado Springs

    Colorado College’s striking, $30-million LEED–certified arts complex sits across the street from the Fine Arts Center. You’ll see sculpture on the front…

  • Memorial Park

    Memorial Park

    Colorado Springs

    Set just off downtown, with Prospect Lake surrounded by wide green lawns and ball fields, and Pikes Peak and the rest of the southern front range looming…

View more attractions

Planning Tools

Expert guidance to help you plan your trip

Best Things to Do

Colorado Springs has both urban pleasures and easy access to inspiring nature. Here are the best things to do in this mountain city.

Read article

Best Time to Visit

Plan your trip to Colorado Springs with this seasonal guide.

Read article

Transportation

Exploring Colorado Springs with a car is a breeze, and public transport will keep you moving downtown. Here are the best ways to get around.

Read article

Free Things to Do

Visit the US Air Force Academy, explore Manitou Springs, admire the architecture and art at the Broadmoor hotel, and more.

Read article

Day Trips

There's plenty to do in Colorado Springs, but daytrippers will find all sorts of adventures in the surrounding countryside. Here's our day trip top five.

Read article

in partnership with getyourguide

Book popular activities in Colorado Springs