Colorado Springs is full of amazing and unique areas to lace up your hiking boots and hit the trails, many of which are completely free!

With Pikes Peak and the Rocky Mountains in the distant background, you’re bound to get phenomenal views on every trail in the area.

In this post I share with you 6 parks full of beautiful hiking trails that are all free to visit and within a 30 minute drive of Colorado Springs. (With a bonus hike at the end!)

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1. Garden of the Gods 

Garden of the Gods is probably the most popular park that calls Colorado Springs home.

People travel from all parts of the state (and country) to see the glorious orange rock formations seemingly shooting up from the ground.

The parking lots tend to fill up quickly, especially on the weekends so plan to get there early.

There are shorter and paved trails well suited for people of all ages and abilities plus trails with more incline and rockiness for all the hikers looking for more raw nature and solitude.

Whichever trail you decide to take, you won’t be disappointed.

A lot of the trails here intertwine with one another so often I would start at one trailhead and go from trail to trail to see all the notable rock formations.

The road going through the park is incredibly scenic, so its worth it just to take a drive if you aren’t up for hiking.

It goes in between rocks with awesome views at every turn. Garden of the Gods is a must see if you’re traveling to Colorado Springs. 

Here were some of my favorite trails at Garden of the Gods:

• Siamese Twins Loop Trail
  • 0.5 miles
• Garden of the Gods Outer Loop
  • 6 miles
• Perkins Central Garden Trail
  • 1.1 miles
• Upper Loop Trail
  • 0.4 miles
• Scotsman Trail
  • 3.8 miles

2. Red Rock Canyon Open Space

Just a short drive from Garden of the Gods, Red Rock Canyon Open Space is yet another free park full of trails zipping through orange rock with unique green plants.

Another unique feature of this park is a quarry that can be seen on several of the trails.

This is a beautiful spot to hike and tends to be less crowded than Garden of the Gods so it’s a nice alternative if you’re looking for more quiet hikes in the red rocks. 

Here are a few of my favorite hikes from Red Rock Canyon:

• Mesa Trail to Red Rock Canyon Loop
  • 3.3 miles
• Contemplative Trail to Sand Canyon Trail Loop
  • 1.8 miles 
• Red Rock Canyon Trail (leads to Quarry)
  • 0.6 miles
• Red Rock Rim Trail to Red Rock Canyon Trail
  • 2.3 miles
• Lower Hogback Trail
  • 0.6 miles

3. Palmer Park

Palmer Park is a relatively large park located right in the middle of Colorado Springs.

It offers amazing views of the distant mountains with tons of cool rock formations on every trail. There are so many lookout points on the various trails where you’re able to see Pikes Peak and Garden of the Gods.

If you’re interested in rock climbing this park is known for being a great place for that. Or if hiking is more your style then there are plenty trails in Palmer Park.

This is a great place to visit if you’re just looking for some short trails to get active or if you want more of an all day hike.

Many of the trails intersect with one another so again, I found myself starting at one trailhead and exploring everything I wanted until I got tired. But here are a few of the trails I loved:

• Templeton and Mesa Trail Loop
  • 3.1 miles
• Grandview and Cheyenne Trail
  • 3 miles
• Yucca, Mesa, and Edna Mae Bennett Short Loop
  • 1.8 miles
• Palmer Park Outer Trail Loop
  • 7.4 miles
• Greencrest Trail Loop
  • 1.5 miles

4. Ute Valley Park

Ute Valley Park is a small park in northern Colorado Springs where hikers and rock climbers alike can enjoy the views and unique rock formations. You’re even able to see Pikes Peak on several trails throughout the park.

I’ve found that Ute Valley is much less crowded and lesser known than the other parks I’ve discussed so far in this post.

So if you’re looking for peace and quiet, this is the place you’ll want to check out.

Some of the hikes I enjoyed at this park were: 

• Ute Valley Park Loop
  • 3.7 miles
• High Arches Trail and Ute Valley Regional Park Trail Loop
  • 1.5 miles
• Ute Valley Black and Blue Loop
  • 2.4 miles

5. North Cheyenne Cañon Park

Unlike Cheyenne Mountain Park, North Cheyenne Cañon Park doesn’t charge an entrance fee and it is still just as beautiful.

I spent a lot of time hiking here because of the variety of trails and the incredible summit views.

North Cheyenne Cañon Park is located southwest from Colorado Springs, about 15 minutes from downtown. It’s full of pine trees, waterfalls, and includes a scenic drive through the park.

This is a great place for people who want longer mileage trails or short scenic walks making a visit here perfect for everyone! Bonus points that it’s free!

This ended up being probably one of my favorite parks to hike near Colorado Springs, I couldn’t recommend it enough!

Here are some of the best trails in North Cheyenne Cañon:

• Seven Bridges Trail
  • 3.5 miles
• Mount Muscoco
  • 3.7 miles
• Mount Cutler
  • 1.7 miles
• St. Mary’s Falls Trail
  • 5.9 miles
• Silver Cascades Falls Trail
  • 0.6 miles

6. Austin Bluffs Open Space

While I was in living in Colorado Springs, my friends and I always referred to this park as Pulpit Rock. As I’m writing this I’ve just found out that the official name for this area is actually Austin Bluffs Open Space.

The main attraction here is a tall rock formation called Pulpit Rock and the views of the city from up on these rocks are insane.

This is an excellent spot to watch the sunset and to see the city lights begin to sparkle at night.

There are a few different trails that take you to the summit of Pulpit Rock and I’ve outlined my favorites below:

• Pulpit Rock Summit via Black Sheep Loop (my favorite!)
  • 1.7 miles 
• Pulpit Rock via North Meadow, Rim, Butler, and Lori Cohen Loop
  • 4 miles
• Pulpit Rock Park Loop
  • 5 miles

Bonus Hike: Manitou Incline

• 4 miles 
• Reservations required (free)
• Depending on when and where you park you may have to pay. This fee can be anywhere from $10-$15

If you’re looking for a challenge during your stay in Colorado Springs, you should put the Manitou Incline on your itinerary. Although it isn’t free, it’s still a popular hike to do in the area.

It’s located in Manitou Springs, just about a 20 minute drive south. This trail used to be a functioning railway.

It was used to haul construction materials to the top of the mountain by cable cars to build a hydroelectric plant in the early 1900’s.

Later on, it was bought out and used as a tourist attraction that would take people up to Mount Manitou Park. In 1990 the railway was hit by a rockslide and was no longer able to support cable cars resulting in the closure of the attraction.

Hiking The Incline in Colorado Springs

Today, only the wooden stairs remain and it has became one of the most popular hikes in the area.

The Incline consists of over 2,700 steps while gaining over 2,000 feet in elevation. To say this is a challenge for the average person is an understatement.

However, it is very much worth the work, the views from the top are incredible (especially during sunrise!) and you’ll feel so rewarded after completing it.

As for coming back down, you can either go down each of the 2,744 steps again, or once you get to the summit there is a trail to your left that will more gradually lead you down the mountain.

Each time I did the incline I opted to take the Barr Trail back down which makes it a 4 mile round trip.

It was a nice cool down from the strenuous workout with beautiful mountain views. And it’s less crowded than the way coming up. 

That will conclude my guide to my favorite free parks for hiking Colorado Springs!

All these places are perfect for spending some time in the great outdoors suitable for all my fellow budget travelers out there. I hope you enjoy all these hikes as much as I did and thank you for reading!