Pikes Peak, Cripple Creek and the Royal Gorge

Route description

Manitou Springs, a Victorian spa town at the foot of Pikes Peak, is 10 km west of Colorado Springs on US-24. Try the free mineral springs around town. The Broadmoor Manitou and Pikes Peak Cog Railway leaves from here for the summit, a 3 hour return trip that should be booked in advance. If you prefer to drive, the Pikes Peak Highway starts about 10 km further west at Cascade.

The Pikes Peak Highway is a 30 km toll road that climbs to the 4,302 m summit, with a new visitor center at the top. From late May to September, a timed-entry permit is needed to drive beyond mile 7, and rangers may check brake temperatures on the way down, so use low gear. Large motorhomes can make the drive, but it is tiring; weather at the top can turn to snow in any month.

Continue west on US-24 to Florissant and turn south on Teller County Road 1 for Florissant Fossil Beds, where giant petrified redwood stumps stand in a meadow. The same road runs on to Cripple Creek, a former gold camp that now has casinos, and nearby Victor, with mine overlook trails. Both towns sit at about 2,900 m.

From Cripple Creek, two unpaved Gold Belt roads descend to Cañon City: Phantom Canyon, narrow with old tunnels, and the Shelf Road, with steep drop-offs. Neither is suitable for RVs. With a large vehicle, go back via US-24 west to Hartsel and CO-9 south through Guffey to US-50. The Royal Gorge Bridge is just off US-50, west of Cañon City, which is home to the Museum of Colorado Prisons.