What are the best trails in Garden of the Gods?
The park lists its own favourites: the Perkins Central Garden, Ridge, Siamese Twins, Gateway and Central Garden, and Scotsman and Buckskin Charlie trails. If you only have time for one, a piece on the park site names the paved Central Garden Trail as the best introduction.
Which one suits you depends on time and who is coming. The trail picker on the main Garden of the Gods page picks one for 30 minutes, an hour or longer, with a stroller or away from the busiest area. The table below has them all.
Every named trail at a glance
| Trail | Length | Climb | Level | Surface and access | Our walking time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Perkins Central Garden Trail North Parking lot off Juniper Way Loop; accessible parking at Lot 4 | 1.5 mi | Under 30 ft | Easy | Paved (concrete), wheelchair and stroller friendly. Wheelchairs and strollers. | about 45 min |
| Gateway and Central Garden trails from the Overflow Lot Overflow Parking Lot (Lot 1) at the main entrance | 2.5 mi | Low grade | Easy | Paved and wide; some stair sections you can skip. Wheelchairs and strollers; stair sections can be skipped. | about 75 min |
| Ridge Trail Ask at the Visitor Center information desk for the trailhead | 0.5 mi | Under 100 ft | Moderate | Rocky, uneven gravel, some stairs. Rocky, uneven, stairs. | about 20 min |
| Siamese Twins Trail Ask at the Visitor Center information desk for the trailhead | 1 mi | Under 150 ft | Easy | Mostly gravel, narrow in places, some stairs. Gravel, narrow, some stairs. | about 40 min |
| Balanced Rock Trail Near Parking Lot 16 (Balanced Rock and the Trading Post) | 1.2 mi | 137 ft | Moderate | Rocky gravel and dirt, often narrow and steep. Rocky, often narrow and steep. | about 50 min |
| Scotsman and Buckskin Charlie trails Ask at the Visitor Center information desk for the trailhead | 2 mi | Rolling | Moderate | Sandy and rocky. Sandy and rocky. | about 80 min |
| Bretag and Palmer trails Ask at the Visitor Center information desk for the trailhead | 2.5 mi | Under 250 ft | Moderate | Mostly gravel, uneven and narrow in places; shared with bikes and horses. Gravel, uneven and narrow; bikes and horses. | about 100 min |
| Palmer, Buckskin Charley, Niobrara and Bretag loop Ask at the Visitor Center information desk for the trailhead | 4 mi | Not published | Easy | Paved and gravel sections. Paved parts wide and flat; gravel parts steeper. | about 160 min |
| Garden of the Gods Outer Loop Ask at the Visitor Center information desk | 6 mi | Hills up to 15% | Easy | Mixture of paved and unpaved. Mixed paved and unpaved; some uneven surfaces. | about 240 min |
Lengths are round trips or loops as published by the park and Visit Colorado Springs; the Balanced Rock, Bretag and Palmer, Palmer loop and Outer Loop figures are from Visit Colorado Springs only. Walking times are ours: 2 mph on paved and 1.5 mph on gravel and dirt, without stops. Visit Colorado Springs gives about half an hour for the Balanced Rock Trail.
Is there a Garden of the Gods trail map?
Yes. Free digital full-color trail maps are available at the information desk on the 2nd level of the Visitor & Nature Center. The map on this page is drawn from OpenStreetMap data.
Which Garden of the Gods trails are paved?
The Perkins Central Garden Trail is paved with concrete and suits wheelchairs and strollers. The Foothills and Gateway trails from the Overflow Lot are wide and paved too, with some stair sections you can skip.
- Perkins Central Garden Trail: 1.5 mi, paved (concrete), wheelchair and stroller friendly. Start: North Parking lot off Juniper Way Loop; accessible parking at Lot 4.
- Gateway and Central Garden trails from the Overflow Lot: 2.5 mi, paved and wide; some stair sections you can skip. Start: Overflow Parking Lot (Lot 1) at the main entrance.
- Accessible lot: in 2025 the city built a fully accessible parking lot at Parking Lot #4 and an ADA-compliant concrete trail from it into the Central Garden.
- Visitor & Nature Center: lends three non-motorized wheelchairs free, first come, first served.
Coming with small children? See Garden of the Gods with kids.
Short, long and with a view
- Under an hour: the Ridge Trail (0.5 mi loop to the Sleeping Giant), the Siamese Twins Trail (1 mi, with Pikes Peak framed in the rock window, the park says) or the paved Central Garden loop.
- A morning: the Gateway and Central Garden trails from the Overflow Lot (2.5 mi), or the Scotsman and Buckskin Charlie trails (2 mi, rolling and rocky, with distant views of the Central Garden formations).
- Longer: the Bretag and Palmer trails circle nearly the whole park (2.5 mi); the Palmer loop (4 mi) and the Outer Loop (6 mi, hills up to a 15% grade) go further.
- Balanced Rock: the Balanced Rock Trail is 1.2 mi with 137 ft of climb on rocky, often steep ground; Parking Lot 16 is next to the rock.
Want to see it from a guide's seat instead? Garden of the Gods tours compares Jeep, Segway, e-bike and trolley tours and the free guided walk.
Can you ride a horse or a mountain bike on the trails?
Only on designated trails. Horses use the Bretag and Palmer, Buckskin Charlie and Gateway loops; mountain bikes stay on designated mountain bike trails shared with horses and hikers.
- Horses: designated trails only: Susan G. Bretag and Palmer trail loop (easy), Buckskin Charlie loop (moderate), Gateway and Susan G. Bretag loop (easy). Lot 1 (Overflow) and Lot 16 are the only lots for trailers.
- Bikes: stop at the Visitor & Nature Center activities desk for maps first. Avoid riding during or after rain or snow, and dismount when a horse approaches.
- Dogs: welcome on a leash of at least 6 ft; pick up all waste.
- Everyone: stay on official trails. The park says its soil is easily damaged and "even one person off-trail can create decades of destruction".
More on Garden of the Gods
Garden of the Gods overview
Free entry, hours, the trail picker and pairing it with Pikes Peak.
Lots · shuttleParking and shuttle
Visitor Center and overflow lots, the free summer shuttle, the accessible lot, trailers.
Jeep · Segway · trolleyTours
All Garden of the Gods tours compared, plus the trolley, the free guided walk and the audio tour.
CalculatorSunrise and sunset
Sunrise, sunset and golden hour for any date, and when the sun drops behind the mountains.
Strollers · restroomsWith kids
The paved loop, restrooms, Junior Rangers, how long to plan, heat and storms.
Sources (9)· checked 2026-11-07
- City of Colorado Springs: Garden of the Gods accessible lot and trail2026-11-03
- COTREX (Colorado trail map): Perkins Central Garden route2026-11-03
- Garden of the Gods: hiking trails2026-11-03
- Garden of the Gods: park rules2026-11-03
- Garden of the Gods: plan your visit
- Garden of the Gods: Visitor & Nature Center
- OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL)
- Visit Colorado Springs: Garden of the Gods trails2026-11-03
- Wikipedia: Garden of the Gods2026-11-03
All sources for this topic: Garden of the Gods on the facts page.
Last checked Nov 7, 2026 by Rainer Lang. Rules and prices change; confirm with the operator before you travel.