My guide for anyone visiting Colorado Springs!

Curated by Heather Ann Photography

I get a TON of clients who are visiting Colorado Springs and I get asked all the time about what to do, the best restaurants, the best hikes. As a local photographer and being obsessed with anything Colorado (plus loving the great outdoors), I’ve curated my favorite places to eat, hike, explore, and relax—so you can experience Colorado Springs like a local!

🌄 Things to Do in Colorado Springs

• Garden of the Gods – THE iconic red rock formations with easy trails and scenic drives that you see on every postcard. There's tons of family friendly and stroller friendly trails-AllTrails is an awesome app for filtering your favorites.  My personal faves in that area are This one and This one.
• Red Rock Canyon Open Space – Great for hiking and mountain biking. Not as crowded as Garden of the Gods and there's also a great dog park there.
• Ute Valley Park – A hidden gem with winding trails. Lots of cool rocky formations.
• North Cheyenne Cañon – Forest hikes and waterfalls. Love the Seven Bridges Trail  and you have to check out the Helen Hunt Falls.
• Cheyenne Mountain Zoo – One of the best zoos-be sure to wear good walking shoes as the paths have some decent uphill to them since it's on the mountain.
• Cave of the Winds – Underground tours and outdoor thrills. Great for kids and hot days.
• Manitou Springs – Quirky shops and the nostalgic Penny Arcade. Good area to grab a cool shirt and there's a yummy ice cream shop called Colorado Custard Company.
• SunWater Spa – Private mineral tubs with mountain views-you literally sit outside in tubs and can star gaze.  You can also book a massage.  Super cool if it's snowing outside.
• Rampart Reservoir or Palmer Lake – Paddleboarding and peaceful views-Rampart Reservoir is about an hour outside of Colorado Springs and has a $10 fee.  Palmer Lake is free but I'd get there early in the day if it's summertime as the parking gets full quick.
• Brunch at The Broadmoor – Elegant and delicious-definitely an upscale place.  You can also walk the grounds for free too and it's pretty cool.  A lot of famous people have visited.  Christmas is MAGICAL there as you can walk around and see all of the amazing lights and decor.  Every year they create giant sculptures out of gingerbread cookies.  During the holiday season you do need to see when you are able to walk the grounds as they restrict times and dates for non-guests so be sure to check their website.
• Pikes Peak Scenic Highway or Cog Railway – Stunning summit views. Depending on the time of year you may need a timed entry ticket so be sure to check their website.  They also shut down portions of the highway depending on the weather so be sure to check their status before you go!
• United States Air Force Academy – Architecture and history.  Cool area to walk around at.  Stop at the visitor center to get your pass to enter-you can't just drive up anytime you want.
• U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Museum – Interactive and inspiring. Kids have fun here-there's things for them to do.  My kids loved the timed races on the indoor track.
• Old Colorado City – Charming streets and boutiques. Cute little off-shoot from Manitou.

🍽️ Best Places to Eat in Colorado Springs

Downtown

• The Rabbit Hole – Hidden entrance, upscale food, and amazing drinks for dinner. The truffle fries are bomb and the White Rabbit Martini is amazing and comes on fire-literally. You need to make a reservation here.
• COATI – Trendy food hall with elevated eats. Has a mixture of places to choose from. Great for lunch and dinner.
• Phantom Canyon Brewing – Craft beer you can book a tour of the brewery here.  They also have a billiards hall upstairs with a bar. Great for lunch and dinner.
• Umi Sushi & Grill – All-you-can-eat sushi and hibachi. Amazing sushi and an awesome spot for lunch or dinner.
• Ivywild School – A repurposed elementary school turned food and drink hub—grab a bite, sip a cocktail and go back in time when you see their cafeteria with stage (like the good old days).  You can walk around with your beer and there's a bunch of food options plus outdoor food truck. Makes a great date night.
• Red Leg Brewing - Closest brewery to Garden of the Gods.  Fun for outdoor games, different food truck options and local beer of course.  If you sit at the upper deck you get a great view of Garden of the Gods too. Perfect for lunch and dinner after a hike at Garden of the Gods.
• Slice 420 – Bomb pizza.  That's all you need to know.
• Black Bear Diner - Breakfast is served all day and it's got great homestyle food.
• Urban Egg - My favorite breakfast place!  They are amazing for breakfast and brunch and have amazing vegan options.  Oh, and pancake flights!
• The Loft has amazing bagels and great tea/coffee.  It's a neat little spot!

📸 Must-See Sights & Scenic Spots

• Garden of the Gods
• Pikes Peak
• The Incline
• Mesa Overlook
• Woodland Park. Drive on 24 to get to the area and take Rampart Range Road all the way back to Colorado Springs for a scenic drive (the road is closed around Dec 1-April 1 so plan accordingly).
• Denver - an hour away with a zillion other things to do, see and places to eat at!

If I had one day:

To narrow it all down for ya, here's my top picks if I had to choose just a few destinations/restaurants if the day didn't include kiddos!  Keep in mind I'm a really early morning riser so my day would start super early lol.  I'd start off at Urban Egg for breakfast.  Then, I'd go drive up to Pikes Peak to the summit and then do a short hike at Garden of the Gods afterwards.  I'd drive to slice 420 for a quick bite and then go explore Manitou and maybe play a couple games at the Penny Arcade-because....nostalgia.  I'd book an afternoon sesh at Sunwater spa for either tub time or a massage and then end the day with dinner at the Rabbit Hole. 

If kiddos were included.....We'd start the day at the Black Bear Diner and then explore the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo.  We'd go to Red Leg Brewing so I could grab a beer and food while the kids can choose from a decent variety of food (to spare you from any potential whining-you're welcome).  Kiddos can play some outdoor games if they want there too.  After, we'd either drive around Garden of the Gods or walk (depends on how wiped they are from the zoo).  We'd hit up Manitou Springs for the Penny arcade if it's nice out and then stop for ice cream at the Colorado Custard Company. Dinner could be done at Red Leg Brewing again if they have an outdoor movie going on or if everyone's over the day we'd pick up a pizza from slice 420 and head back to the hotel/airbnb.  Your children will be TIRED.  Thank me later!  

Colorado Springs is more than a destination—it’s an experience and I'm obsessed with this place. Whether you’re here to elope, explore, or just breathe in the mountain air, I hope this guide helps you fall in love with this place as much as I have. If you’re planning a session with me or want help crafting your itinerary, I’d love to help, I'm an open book!  Keep checking back here for more things to do and places to eat at as I'm always adding my faves!

—Heather 
Heather Ann Photography