Cheyenne Mountain Resort is your launch pad for the perfect Colorado vacation. Lucky for us, our home in Colorado Springs is smack-dab in the middle of the state, making it the perfect base for day trips and all things summer vacation. So we’re devoting two blogs to our top 20 launch-pad adventures. We’ll count down from 20, so read all the way through for our top picks! The hardest part will be choosing which trip to take while you’re here!
20. Colorado Wolf and Wildlife Center- 45 minutes away
If you’re an animal lover, this day trip from Colorado Springs is definitely up your alley! Wolf & Wildlife Center experts will guide you on an educational tour to learn about wolves, coyotes, foxes, and other wild Colorado animals. Along the way, you’ll learn forest conservation efforts and other environmentally conscious behaviors to help support the habitat’s creatures. You can choose from the standard tour where you see the animals from a distance or a more intimate meet and greet where you can get up close and personal with the wolves.
19. Indian Peak’s Wilderness- 2.5 hours away
Spend a day along the Continental Divide in the Indian Peaks Wilderness area near Rocky Mountain National Park. The wilderness area includes an eye-popping glacier and plenty of hiking in the alpine tundra. Fish, bird watch, or just enjoy nature passing before your eyes. Snow can impact the region well into July so be prepared for just about any type of weather.
18. Bent’s Old Fort National Historic Sight- 2 hours away
Bent’s Fort wasn’t a bunker, but a trading site in southeastern Colorado along the Santa Fe Trail. Fur trappers came to the fort to trade with the Cheyenne and Arapaho tribes, and travelers would stop and rest on their way through.
History buffs can visit the fort as part of a perfect Colorado Springs day trip. You’ll love the living historians dressed in period costumes, who give a great feel for what it might have been like there in the 1840s.
17. The Broadmoor Seven Falls- 10 minutes away
The Seven Falls are the only waterfalls in Colorado to be listed on National Geographic’s International Waterfalls list. The impressive falls cascade 181 graceful feet. To view them, you’ll first need to climb 220 steps, then get on the hiking trail to the top. Along with hiking the falls, you can zipline, rappel, or cross a rope bridge. If you need a break, stop in the restaurant and gift shop on your way.
16. Pike’s Peak Highway- 30 minutes away
Pikes Peak is one of Colorado’s 58 “fourteeners.” Those are mountains that are 14,000 feet or higher. It’s possible to climb Pikes Peak, but it’s much easier to drive up. The iconic roadway winds 19 miles up the mountain, with plenty of spots to pull off and appreciate the scenery or look for wildlife like bighorn sheep. There are even lakes along the way where you can take a break to fish. When you get to the top of Pikes Peak, on a clear day you can see five states below the curve along the horizon. Summer guests must park at Mile 16 and take a free shuttle to the top.
15. Manitou Springs- 15 minutes away
True to its name, Manitou Springs offers relaxing hot springs that make for an easy day trip near Colorado Springs. You can take a dip and relax, or explore any of the town’s other amenities. For a real change of pace, stop in the Penny Arcade to play vintage pinball games. If you want to test your heart and lungs, try hiking the Manitou Incline, which gains almost 2,000 feet in elevation in less than a mile.
14. Frisco- 2.5 hours away
Frisco is a small town tucked into the mountains next to Lake Dillon. Adventurers and relaxation seekers will find plenty to do here, whether taking a boat ride on the lake, renting a paddleboard for an afternoon, or renting a bike around the. Of course, Frisco also has plenty of hiking and mountain bike trails to explore, too. Or you can simply spend the day shopping and checking out the inviting coffee shops and eateries downtown.
13. Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument- 1 hour away
Learn about Colorado’s prehistoric times at Florissant where you can see petrified tree stumps, learn about the volcano that erupted in the area, and check out the Fossil Learning Lab where rangers demonstrate how they uncover fossils. The affiliated Hornbeck Homestead shares more about the life of a single mother who raised her four children there in the mid-1800s.
12. Arkansas Headwaters Recreation Area- 2.25 hours away
The Arkansas River boasts more than 152 miles of river that are perfect for rafting, with more than 80 Class II-V rapids. If whitewater isn’t your thing, you can also float on the river, mountain bike, picnic, rock climb, and even pan for gold in the Arkansas River valley. It’s a longer drive from Colorado Springs, but well worth it.
11. Denver- 1.5 hours away
Denver makes for an obvious day trip from the Springs, but there are many more activities to do in Denver than you can do in the afternoon. Start by going for a drive in the Rocky Mountain Arsenal Wildlife Refuge before working your way down to the
hip and happening RiNo art district, and exploring the Denver Art Museum and Denver Botanical Gardens.
And that’s only half of our list! There’s so much to see and do when you stay at Cheyenne Mountain Resort, one visit simply won’t be enough. Read our next post to learn what tops the list!
