Exciting things are happening in Garden of the Gods Park this Fall!
Exciting things are happening in Garden of the Gods Park this Fall! Colorado Springs Parks, Recreation and Cultural Service, Colorado Springs Fire Department, and Colorado Springs Utilities, will be working hard to improve fire safety, enhance accessible parking and routes, and upgrade restroom facilities throughout the park. This project is anticipated to begin in September…
Did You Know July is Park and Recreation Month?
Since 1985, the United States has celebrated Park and Recreation Month in July to promote building strong, vibrant and resilient communities through the power of parks and recreation and to recognize the more than 160,000 full-time park and recreation professionals — along with hundreds of thousands of part-time and seasonal workers and volunteers — who…
Exciting Updates at the Garden of the Gods Visitor & Nature Center: New Parking Lot Unveiled
Written by: Christina HaywoodExecutive Director, Garden of the Gods Foundation The Garden of the Gods Visitor & Nature Center is thrilled to announce the completion of a significant upgrade to our facilities: a newly expanded parking lot! The project was generously funded by Lyda Hill, esteemed philanthropist and founder of the Garden of the Gods…
Summer is Here!
Bring on the summer fun! With summer officially here, we wanted to highlight the multitude of programs, events, and activities that can be found at the Garden of the Gods Visitor & Nature Center. With everything from adventure tours and art classes, to guided nature walks and star parties, there is sure to be something…
Archaeology Day & Windy Woes: What a Wild Week!
What a whirlwind of a week we’ve had here at the Visitor & Nature Center! The summer is quickly approaching, and of course, mother nature had to throw us a bit of a curveball to keep us on our toes. Before we get into it all, let’s move through things chronologically to show you just…
Gearing Up for the Summer!
As the busy summer season approaches, we’re putting all the pieces in place to welcome guests from all over the world to the incredible Garden of the Gods Park! For some, this will be their first time seeing the iconic red rock formations, while others may be returning to the Park after years away. But…
Spring Is Here, but What Does That Mean?
So long, Winter: Spring is here to stay! Though, let’s be honest: the change of seasons doesn’t mean much here in Colorado. In the past few weeks, we’ve been absolutely hammered with dozens of inches of snow, with some areas seeing record highs in snow totals, and it’s quite possible that we’ll see even more…
Big Changes at the VNC!
With the summer quickly approaching and our busy season on the horizon, we’re ready for another year full of excitement for thousands of guests from around the world to enjoy! To make sure that as many visitors as possible get to enjoy the Park, we’ve taken on a thrilling new endeavor of expanding our main…
The Bighorns are a Big Deal!
For decades, the Garden of the Gods has been celebrated for the beauty of the Park, the unique geography, and the looming image of America’s Mountain in the backdrop of those glorious red rocks. However, there exists something in the Garden that is just as magnificent, iconic, and recognizable as even those distinctive images. That’s…
Breaking Down This Month’s Wild Weather!
This January was a whirlwind of winter weather for much of the U.S., and we were no exception to that! Record-low temperatures, blistering wind chills, and a few blankets of snow marred much of the start of 2024, and what a sight it was to behold! But needless to say, those frigid conditions have high…
Garden of the Gods Foundation Letter – 2023
As we approach the conclusion of another bountiful year for the Garden of the Gods Park, I wanted to take a moment to express my gratitude for your unwavering support and generous contributions that have propelled us to reach remarkable milestones. It is with great pleasure that I share some exciting news and updates from…
Introducing The Visitor & Nature Center’s New Director!
The turn of the new year is always an exciting time: the holidays, new beginnings, resolutions to conquer, and so many opportunities await! Here at the Visitor & Nature Center, we have some excitement of our own to share, and that starts with us welcoming our new Director of Operations, Tracy Goodwin! With a passion…
Give a Gift to the Garden!
The season of giving is upon us, and what better time to show the Garden of the Gods Park some love! The Garden of the Gods Visitor & Nature Center is a link in a chain between the Garden of the Gods Park, the City of Colorado Springs, and the nonprofit Garden of the Gods Foundation. …
These New Bird Names Are Nothing to Flap At!
The world of scientific discoveries is an exciting one, and in the early days of our species’ endeavors into the new world, countless settlers, experts, and explorers ventured out in droves with hopes of making a discovery that would cement their names in the history books of tomorrow. But many of these early discoveries and…
What Can I Do in the Garden During the Colder Months?
The summer season is undoubtedly our busiest time here at the Garden of the Gods, and at the Visitor Center & Nature Center, we spend months planning out what the year will look like for guests as they visit in those busy warmer months. When tens of thousands of summertime visitors from all around the…
Thank You, Snook!
After 29 years of serving the City of Colorado Springs, our beloved Park Ranger, Bernard “Snook” Cipoletti retires this month, and we cannot begin to express how grateful we are for his kindness, humor, mentorship, and dedication to the Garden of the Gods. For 15 years, Snook worked with the Colorado Springs Forestry Department as…
Another Year, Another 10 Mile/10K!
Just this week, we held the 45th entry of the Pikes Peak Marathon’s 10 Mile/10K & Trail Run race through the Garden of the Gods Park, and we could not be happier with the results! With the gorgeous Park in their sights, this year’s more than 1000 runners met up bright and early to conquer…
We’ll See You Here in the New Year!
The new year is off to a great start here at the Garden of the Gods, and we’re already getting some great attention! Over at Forbes Advisor, Colorado Springs was listed as one of the best places to travel in 2023 with the Garden of the Gods and the Visitor Center’s various tour options being…
Garden of the Gods Foundation Letter – 2022
Have you visited the Visitor and Nature Center this year? If you have then you’ve probably noticed the road construction taking place to improve traffic flow to the park on 30th Street through the inclusion of our new roundabout at 30th Street and Gateway Road. Access to the Visitors Center is available from Garden of…
Fall Festivities & A Feature From Fodor’s!
Another Awesome Shout-Out! As if this year couldn’t get any better, our incredible Garden of the Gods Park has been recognized by yet another renowned travel outlet! That’s right: the travel experts over at Fodors, a world-class travel and tourism organization based out of New York city has nominated us as one of the “25…
Celebrating Our Wonderful Volunteers!
For years, the Garden of the Gods Visitor and Nature Center has depended on the dedication of our devoted volunteers to help us achieve our mission of providing for the park and its guests. Whether they are working the information desk, guiding guests to their next photo destination, or putting a smile on the faces…
Starlight Spectacular and Settling Down from the Summer!
All we can say is: WOW, what a summer! From TripAdvisor and KidsOutandAbout rankings, to the Garden of the Gods 10 Mile/10K, to the famous Starlight Spectacular, to welcoming tens of thousands of guests in the span of three months…this summer was a smashing success! Let’s do a quick recap of the Starlight Spectacular and…
A Successful Summer So Far!
Thanks, Tripadvisor! Recently, the GoG had the immense honor of being featured in Tripadvisor’s Best of the Best list, which is already incredible on its own, but it gets better: we were ranked number 9….in the WORLD. That’s higher than Central Park in New York City, Paris’ Eiffel Tower, and even Machu Picchu! Who knew…
Red Rocks, Remarkable Results, & Record-Breaking Runs!
Another day, another record! Every year, the GoG hosts the Garden of the Gods 10 Mile/10K & Trail Run race, and this year was a massive success! Before the sun even had a chance to rise, runners, joggers, and outdoor enthusiasts from around the country flocked to the Garden on 11 June to take their…
Birds of the Park
Red-tailed Hawk Scientific Classification:Kingdom: AnimaliaPhylum: ChordataClass: AvesOrdeo·: Falconifomes (or Accipitriformes)Family: AccipitridaeGenus: ButeoSpecies: Buteo jamaicensisLength: 19″Wing Span: 49″Weight: 2.4 lb (1,080 g)The red-tailed hawk can be seen flying high above the Garden of the Gods park, but most commonly observed flying around Gray Rock. Prairie Falcon Scientific Classification:Kingdom: AnimaliaPhylum: ChordataClass: AvesOrdeo·: Falconifomes (or Accipitriformes)Family: FalconidaeGenus: FalcoSpecies:…
Garden of the Gods Foundation Letter – 2021
During the second year of COVID the Visitor & Nature Center continued to see increased visitation as people were anxious to travel closer to home and be outdoors. After being open for 26 years and averaging over 1 million visitors a year, our maintenance costs continue to rise. Over the past year, the Visitor Center…
Colorado Springs ranked in the Top 10 “Emerging Destinations” list
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KKTV) – Colorado Springs has earned the number 7 spot in TripAdvisor’s list ranking the top 25 emerging destinations in the world. It was part of TripAdvisor’s Travelers’ Choice Best of the Best 2021 ranking. The list is published annually and uses reviews, ratings, and saves from travelers worldwide to “spotlight the…
Garden of the Gods Visitor and Nature Center wins Prism Award
Garden of the Gods Visitor and Nature Center in Colorado Springs was among three organizations statewide to receive Prism Awards Friday from the Colorado Institute for Social Impact. The center received a Prism Award for Social Impact Business of the Year for southern Colorado, EarthHero in Boulder received a similar award for northern Colorado and…
Noxious weeds in Garden of the Gods
Thirsty invasive plants that steal water from natural vegetation, grow quickly, and overtake recreational trails have infiltrated Garden of the Gods, a registered National Natural Landmark. With 6 million visitors each year, the historic site has become vulnerable to the spread of noxious weeds through human and pet activity, said John Stark, manager of Garden…
Visit Garden of the Gods, Colorado Springs
Early travelers were drawn to Colorado Springs for the high altitude, sunshine, mineral waters, and dry climate. Present-day travelers visit for many of the same reasons. At 6,035 ft., Colorado Springs even surpasses Denver, the mile-high city. Most travelers fly into Denver International Airport and drive 75 miles (121km) south on Interstate Highway 25 to Colorado…
Colorado Springs offers a relaxing, family-friendly getaway from Vail Valley
Perched atop a hill overlooking Garden of the Gods, the aptly named Garden of the Gods Resort offered a relaxing weekend respite after a recent stress-filled week. We arrived at the resort on a Friday afternoon with just enough time to check out our luxurious room (plush robes, private balcony and an in-room wine dispenser) and gawk…