West - Colorado Springs: Requesting a suggested 4 day Colorado itinerary!

Requesting a suggested 4 day Colorado itinerary!

I've just booked a flight to Colorado Springs for an extended weekend trip in August. Plan is to fly to Colorado Springs, arrive at 9 AM on a Friday. Returning home on following Monday, departing at 5:30 PM. This gives me from 9 AM Friday, all day Saturday, Sunday, and a good portion of the day on Monday. Basically, I see my itinerary has having 4 days, and 3 nights. I am looking for a suggested day by day itinerary, what to see/do, what towns to overnight in.

I do know I want to take the cog railway up to Pikes Peak, and I want to do a drive through Rocky Mountain National Park. Also, interested in visiting either Aspen, or Summit County or both.

Following is a list of attractions that I've noticed:

•Pikes Peak
•Rocky Mountain National Park/Estes Park
•Seven falls
•Garden of the Gods
•Mollie Kathleen Gold Mine in Cripple Creek
•US Mint tour
•Coors Brewery Tour
•Molly Brown House Muesum
•Aspen
•Summit County
•Walk through Georgetown
•Georgetown Loop Railroad
•Glenwood Hot Springs

With regards to the above sights and attractions, it's only just a list of possibilities. Perhaps too many considering I have only 4 days. Also, we are open to other suggested ideas too. The only things on the list that are a "must do" is Pikes Peak and Rocky Mountain National Park. Other than that, I'd like to fill our 4 days with as much sights as possible, or as much as realistically.

Any suggestions for a day by day itinerary to see and do as much as possible?

Thank you so much.

Wow you have a lot on your list and stuff all over the state. I would greatly cut out the amount of driving and do something like this:

Day 1: Estes Park/RMNP doing the New Belgium Brewery Tour on the way. You could also do a few things in Denver on the way. I would stay at the Stanley Hotel.
Day 2: Drive from RMNP to Winter Park and stay overnight there. Do mountain stuff there (much more convenient from RMNP than Summit County and/or Aspen).
Day 3: Drive From Winter Park back to the Springs stopping and doing stuff in Denver on the way. The mint is not terribly interesting anymore. Coors is ok but I would do New Belgium as I stated earlier. Stay that night in the Springs.
Day 4: Stuff in the Springs.

Colorado Springs: Chapel at the Air Force Academy.

When you leave the Garden of the Gods Trading Post, take the road that becomes Rampart Range Road to Woodland Park. Twenty miles of incredible view. Don't have a flat (I have done so); it would be an expensive rental car rescue.

If you wander south instead of north from the Springs, the Arkansas River Canyon between Canon City and Salida. (Read some on the history of the "war" between the rival railroad companies competing to lay the one track that is possible through that canyon). While you're there, the Royal Gorge and the Old Territorial Jail.

•Pikes Peak - The Cog Railway rocks. Very cool, and (for me at least), the drive up Pikes Peak is terrifying. The train takes the fear out of the drive.

•Rocky Mountain National Park/Estes Park - Very pretty. Plan on all day. To be honest though, it is very similar to mountains elsewhere.

•Seven falls - Pretty but a rip off for what they charge.

•Garden of the Gods - Pretty and free

•Mollie Kathleen Gold Mine in Cripple Creek - 99% of Cripple Creek now revolves around gambling. Skip it.

•US Mint tour - Denver. Plan on a two hour drive to get there and park. Otherwise, highly recommend. Very cool.

•Coors Brewery Tour - Golden, CO (Somewhat near Denver). Cool if you are into beer.

•Molly Brown House Muesum - Never been there.

•Aspen - Far, expensive, and overrated. If you want to ski, go elsewhere.

•Summit County - ?

•Walk through Georgetown
•Georgetown Loop Railroad

Meh

•Glenwood Hot Springs

Meh

Manitou Springs in Colorado Springs is interesting in a touristy kind of way.

Woodland Park is nice.

LoDo in Denver (Lower Downtown) is nice, but I am guessing from your choices you are more of a outdoor/hiking/nature kind of person. You could do LoDo, the Molly Brown Museum, and the Mint all in a day. If you have time, check out the Brown Palace Hotel in Denver.

The Royal Gorge in Canon City is very cool. Again, not for me because I am terrified of heights, but many enjoy it and is close to Colorado Springs.

Though I am loathe to suggest it for personal reasons, many people do tour the Focus on the Family facility if that is of interest to you (Colorado Springs)

The Olympic Training Center is cool (Colorado Springs).

Rodeo Hall of Fame if you find that interesting (Colorado Springs).

The only other thing I would add is that many of the things you listed are nowhere near Colorado Springs. You will spend more time in the car than at the attraction.

Instead of just seeing stuff, how about doing stuff? Depending on when you're coming, rafting the Arkansas River would be a great half day or full day adventure. Several companies at Buena Vista, a reasonable drive from the Springs.

Don't forget Royal Gorge.

If you're coming here with kids, Cheyenne Mountain Zoo is fantastic.

Manitou Springs in Colorado Springs is interesting in a touristy kind of way.

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+1. Not on most people's list but we had a very enjoyable couple of hours there. They had the most unusual, creative arts & crafts fair, and that is not something I am usually into.

Or a "southern Colorado" strategy: From COS going west, Sand Dunes Nat'l Monument, Pagosa Springs, Durango, Cortez/Mesa Verde and maybe a return trip by Salida. COS to Durango is quite doable in a day and then hit Mesa Verde fairly early the next morning, before the mid-day heat really hits. Even if not your initial choice, you may want to keep it in your back pocket in case of expected bad weather in the Denver-Estes-Winter Park area of the weekend you will be here. Weather does change rapidly, so I wouldn't change plans on the chance of a thundershower, but different parts of the state can have radically different weather.

Also, I am a great fan of RMNP, but there are many places driving through the park where it is impossible to pass slow moving vehicles that are slowing down (but not pulling off) at every new vista. Assume Estes to Winter Park/Grandby could take a few hours, despite the mileage.

Possibly useful website: http://www.coloradolinks.net/Colorado_Festivals.htm

•Pikes Peak Good call on the Cog railway.
•Rocky Mountain National Park/Estes Park
•Seven falls
•Garden of the Gods
•Mollie Kathleen Gold Mine in Cripple Creek - I'd do the Argo Gold Mine tour in Idaho Springs instead. If you have kids, they have a panning demo that includes a bag of "enriched" dirt and instructions on how to pan. Follow that with lunch at the Tommyknocker brewery.
•
•Walk through Georgetown I'd do Silver Plume instead - semi-ghost town of about 400 people. Exit 226. Park at the corner of Silver and Main street and hike the 7:30 Mine road to see all kinds of interesting abandoned mine ruins and Clifford Griffin's monument (according to legend...his fiancee died the night before their wedding. He came West, managed the 7:30 Mine, spent his evenings playing fiddle music above the town, trying to forget, then shot himself through the heart one day.). There's a couple of abandoned mine boilers near a creek - cross there, then follow the gully up to timberline.
•Georgetown Loop Railroad - I haven't done it, but I hear it is fun. An engineering marvel.
•Glenwood Hot Springs The canyon is amazing - looks like something out of a Pixar movie - but it's also a long drive. I don't know if it is worth one of your only 4 days.

With regards to the above sights and attractions, it's only just a list of possibilities. Perhaps too many considering I have only 4 days. Also, we are open to other suggested ideas too. The only things on the list that are a "must do" is Pikes Peak and Rocky Mountain National Park. Other than that, I'd like to fill our 4 days with as much sights as possible, or as much as realistically.

Any suggestions for a day by day itinerary to see and do as much as possible?

Thank you so much.

You can probably do Idaho Springs, Silver Plume, and maybe the railroad in a day, especially depending on whether you do the hike in Silver Plume. I'd do the Idaho Springs hike first thing in the morning - maybe with breakfast at the bakery in Idaho Springs. August is prime time for thunderstorms, which have killed more people in the mountains than bears. You can easily do the hike, even to the top of Republican Peak (12,400') in less than half a day - it's about 3,000' of climb and maybe 6 miles.

I'd also see if there is an interesting show at Red Rocks - the beauty of the natural ampitheatre can't be overstated.

Instead of just seeing stuff, how about doing stuff? Depending on when you're coming, rafting the Arkansas River would be a great half day or full day adventure. Several companies at Buena Vista, a reasonable drive from the Springs.
Any comments on the Royal gorge railway that has meals on some routes. Any ideas on discounts??