Garden of the Gods with kids, Colorado Springs

What is there for kids at Garden of the Gods?

A paved, stroller-friendly loop among the tallest rocks, a free Visitor & Nature Center with exhibits, a film theater and restrooms, and a Junior Ranger booklet ($2.00 in the gift shop) that takes 1 to 2 hours. Entry to the park and the center is free.

• Visitor & Nature Center: exhibits on the park's history, ecology and geology, the Geo Trekker film theater ("one billion years in less than 15 minutes", the center says), the Gateway Cafe and a gift shop. Open daily 9 AM to 5 PM (to 6 PM from Memorial Day to Labor Day weekend).
• Junior Rangers: buy the activity booklet in the gift shop; a sticker patch and a signed certificate come at no extra charge, and parents can ask for a congratulation over the PA system.
• Guided nature walk: daily at 10:30 AM, 45 to 60 minutes, $5, reservation needed.
• Free audio tour: play it on headphones or in the car on the loop drive.

Is Garden of the Gods stroller friendly?

The Perkins Central Garden Trail is: a 1.5-mile paved concrete loop with less than 30 ft of climb, which Colorado's trail map rates easy for all ages and abilities. The Gateway and Foothills trails from the Overflow Lot are wide and paved too, with stair sections you can skip.

Trail	Length	Surface	With a stroller
Perkins Central Garden Trail	1.5 mi	Paved concrete, under 30 ft of climb	Yes
Gateway and Central Garden trails from the Overflow Lot	2.5 mi	Wide and paved; some stairs you can skip	Yes
Siamese Twins Trail	1 mi	Mostly gravel, narrow in places, some stairs	No; a carrier works
Ridge Trail	0.5 mi	Rocky, uneven gravel, some stairs	No

The accessible Parking Lot #4 has an ADA-compliant concrete trail into the Central Garden, the shortest paved way in. The Visitor & Nature Center has no storage for strollers, car seats or bags, so keep them with you. All trails and the map: Garden of the Gods trails.

Where are the restrooms at Garden of the Gods?

In the Visitor & Nature Center, which the park says has clean, modernized restrooms and water bottle refill stations. OpenStreetMap also maps restrooms by the main Central Garden lot, tagged wheelchair accessible, and at the Scotsman picnic area.

The Visitor & Nature Center is ADA compliant and lends three non-motorized wheelchairs free, first come, first served. Its restrooms keep its hours, 9 AM to 5 PM most of the year, while the park itself opens at 5 AM. The map on the trails page marks every restroom mapped in OpenStreetMap.

How long do you need at Garden of the Gods with kids?

The park's own trip planner offers visits from 45 minutes to 2.5 hours. The paved Central Garden loop is about 45 minutes at our 2 mph walking pace, longer with small children, and the Junior Ranger booklet takes 1 to 2 hours.

• About an hour: park at the north lot or Lot 4 and walk the paved Central Garden loop.
• Half a day: start at the Visitor & Nature Center (exhibits, film, Junior Ranger booklet), walk through the tunnel or take the summer shuttle to the Central Garden, and back.
• Busy summer day: the Visitor Center lot can fill at peak hours; a tour partner warns parking plus the shuttle may take up to 30 minutes. Details: parking and shuttle.

What about heat and thunderstorms?

In July the Colorado Springs airport averages a high of 87 °F (NOAA 1991 to 2020 normals). If you hear thunder, the National Weather Service says to go indoors: no place outside is safe when storms are in the area.

• Bring water: there are refill stations in the Visitor & Nature Center.
• The park sits at 6,400 ft. Sunscreen and hats help; a Segway operator lists "chance of sunburn and afternoon showers" as typical summer weather.
• Plan the walk for the morning or late afternoon in July and August, and head for the car or the Visitor Center at the first thunder.

Which tours take children?

• Segway: no children under 12 (Adventures Out West).
• E-bikes: for most ages and abilities; cargo bikes can carry kids (Amp'd Adventures).
• Jeep and trolley: no riding skill needed; the trolley takes 35 to 45 minutes and does not stop.

Prices and listings: Garden of the Gods tours.

Pairing it with the Cog Railway or the Highway

Garden of the Gods sits between Colorado Springs and Manitou Springs, so it fits before or after the summit. Both summit operators advise against taking infants of 6 months and younger to the top. On the Cog Railway, the railway says tickets are required for all passengers regardless of age. On the Highway, you set your own pace and can turn around. The summit is about 40 °F colder than the bottom, so bring layers even in summer. The day planner times the summit before the afternoon storms and leaves the Garden for later.

More on Garden of the Gods

Hub

Garden of the Gods overview

Free entry, hours, the trail picker and pairing it with Pikes Peak.

Map · picker

Trails

Every named trail with length, climb, surface and access, on an OpenStreetMap trail map.

Lots · shuttle

Parking and shuttle

Visitor Center and overflow lots, the free summer shuttle, the accessible lot, trailers.

Jeep · Segway · trolley

Tours

All Garden of the Gods tours compared, plus the trolley, the free guided walk and the audio tour.

Calculator

Sunrise and sunset

Sunrise, sunset and golden hour for any date, and when the sun drops behind the mountains.