Pikes Peak

The peak reaches 4,302 metres and is not the highest in Colorado, but it stands at the edge of the range with the plains directly below, which is why it is visible from so far east and why it became the landmark for people crossing them. Katharine Lee Bates went up in 1893 and wrote the lines that became America the Beautiful from the summit view. The cog railway, running since 1891 and completely rebuilt between 2018 and 2021, climbs from Manitou Springs; the alternative is the Pikes Peak Highway, a toll road with switchbacks and a brake check on the descent. Zebulon Pike, whose name it carries, tried to climb it in 1806 and failed, declaring it unclimbable. A hill climb race runs the road each June.

What you actually see

• A summit at 4,302 metres - with the plains directly below.
• A cog railway from 1891 - rebuilt entirely by 2021.
• The America the Beautiful view - written from the top in 1893.
• A toll highway with a brake check - the driving alternative.

When to go

June to September; the summit is cold in any month. Half a day.

Honest expectations

Altitude sickness is common at the summit and some visitors need oxygen. Railway tickets sell out well ahead and reservations are required for the highway too. Weather closes both without notice. The summit is often in cloud.

Nearby

Garden of the Gods is east; Cripple Creek is west over the range.