Pikes Peak is known as “America’s Mountain”. It is one of Colorado’s 14ers (14,000+ feet in elevation). For us, a trip up Pikes Peak is a must-do if we’re in the Colorado Springs area. We’ve driven to the top multiple times. We’ve also taken the Cog Railway to the top on multiple occasions. Both are incredible experiences!
You might be wondering: What can you do at the summit of Pikes Peak? A new visitor’s center at the summit was completed in 2021. There are restrooms, viewing platforms, a gift shop, and a small cafeteria area at the summit. We always get some donuts from the visitor’s center. How often can you say you ate a donut that was made at 14,000+ feet?
It was a trip to Pikes Peak that inspired Katharine Lee Bates to write the lyrics to “America the Beautiful,” and I can see why. I don’t get tired of venturing to the top of this mountain. We’ve been to the summit at least four times now, and I’m sure we’ll be back!
Driving
You can drive the Pikes Peak Highway to the summit. It is a beautiful, scenic but very windy drive up the mountain. The highway is 19 miles long with over 150 turns. There are plenty of switchbacks, especially as you get closer to the top. The recommendation is to allow for 2-3 hours roundtrip.
There is a fee to drive the highway. As of our visit in August 2023, the fee was $15/person or $50/carload (up to 5 people). Plus, a $2 reservation was required during our visit. You reserve a 2-hour window and can enter at any point during that time. At the time we visited, reservations were only required during the summer months. We were able to reserve our spot the same day we were planning on driving up the mountain.
Here’s a link to more information on driving the Pikes Peak Highway: Pikes Peak — Americas Mountain — Pikes Peak Region Attractions (pikes-peak.com).
Cog Railway
We’ve taken the cog railway on two different occasions. The cog railway is a little pricier, but you get to sick back and relax on your way up and back down the mountain. The trip up takes about 1 hour and 10 minutes. Then you have 40 minutes at the top before the cog railway departs to make its way back down the mountain. More information about the cog railway can be found here: The Broadmoor Manitou & Pikes Peak Cog Railway | Reopening in May 2021.
Biking/Hiking
Biking and hiking are other options to reach the summit. We haven’t attempted either, but you can read more about them here: Learn About Pikes Peak | America’s Mountain In Colorado USA (pikes-peak.com).
Weather
The temperature at the summit is 30-40 degrees cooler than at the base of the mountain. You’ll want to bring some extra layers along. Also, as we found on our most recent trip to the summit, the weather can change quickly. It was mostly sunny on the drive up, clouded over at the top, started hailing, got incredibly foggy, and then the sun came back out for the drive down.
During our most recent visit in August, there really wasn’t much snow at the top, but on a previous May visit, there were snow piles taller than us!
