Exploring Colorado Springs with Kids: Red rocks, wild trails and curious critters

Garden of the Gods Visitor and Nature Center is located within the Garden of The Gods Park, a registered National Natural Landmark in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Surrounded by impressive sandstone rock formations with views of snow-capped Pikes Peak against a brilliant blue sky, visitors will be in for some wonderfully-dramatic views. The Center offers solo-adventurers, groups of friends, and families traveling with the children a great opportunity to learn about the park through dynamic and interactive museum exhibits, HD movies at the Geo-Trekker Theatre, and free park maps. Open-Air Trolley, Segway, and Jeep tours are a great way to explore the park when traveling with kids, and are available by reservation.

1805 North 30th Street, Colorado Springs, CO, Phone: 719-634-6666, Garden of the Gods Video

America the Beautiful Park Fantasy Playground is a playground and intimate community park that is located in Colorado Springs, Colorado. The playground is equipped with turntables hammocks, and spinner bowls that provide plenty of thrills for all who play. Nearly 100 students from Washington Elementary, Globe Charter, Columbia Elementary, and Bristol Elementary schools helped create some of the park’s interactive art pieces, called Quirks. The park features additional amenities beyond the playground, such as restroom facilities, walking paths, and a picnic pavilion. Visitors will also have access to Pikes Peak Greenway Trail and the Midland Trail. Families who are traveling to Colorado Springs with kids will want to add this unique experience to the list.

126 Cimino Drive, Colorado Springs, CO, Phone: 719-385-2489

Red Rock Canyon Open Space is a sprawling, 1,474-acre city park located in Colorado Springs, Colorado. The park is situated along the western portion of the city, south of U.S. Route 24 and adjacent to Manitou Springs. Red Rock Canyon is made up of a series of ridges and canyons that were sculpted by the erosion of the region’s uplifted rock strata. The canyons and ridges offer sheltered enclaves and beautiful views for inspiration, different types of terrain for various recreation, and a piece of sedimentary geology dating back more than 240 million years on display for education. It’s a perfect day-trip for the whole family (kids included), with opportunities for climbing, hiking, and horseback riding.

3550 West High Street, Colorado Springs, CO, Phone: 719-385-5940

Situated at an elevation of nearly 6,800 feet, Cheyenne Mountain Zoo is recognized as America’s highest zoo in relation to sea level. This sprawling zoological park is located southwest of downtown Colorado Springs, Colorado. The zoo is home to a variety of fish, mammals, plants, reptiles, amphibians, and birds for visitors to explore and learn about. Cheyenne Mountain Zoo features a number of kid-centric activities, such as Budgie Buddies, Animal Shows, Giraffe Feeding, and the Mountaineer Sky Ride. The zoo also offers ‘EdVentures’ for kids and teens, where they can partake in School Break Camps, Starlight Safari Evenings, Keeper Shadows, Internships, and fun Summer Camps.

4250 Cheyenne Mountain Zoo Road, Colorado Springs, CO, Phone: 719-633-9925

May Natural History Museum is an enduring roadside museum that features a collection of various tropical insects in Colorado Springs, Colorado. This premier insect museum is situated at the bottom of the Rocky Mountains and features one of the world’s largest displays of tropical insects. This is a fun little stop for anyone traveling with children, as they’ll be wowed by the museum’s 7,000 insects on display. They’ll be able to see and learn about everything from large tropical spiders and insects to thousands of vibrantly-colorful moths and butterflies. School groups and families have been visiting this fascinating roadside museum for decades.

710 Rock Creek Canyon Road, Colorado Springs, CO, Phone: 719-576-0450

Cripple Creek & Victor Narrow Gauge Railroad reveals wonderful scenery around every curve of the track as the 100-year-old steam locomotive transports visitors back to the days of gold mining in Cripple Creek and Victor, Colorado. The track heads south out of Cripple Creek, continues beyond the old Midland Terminal Wye, then over a trestle that’s been reconstructed and past several historic mines, before terminating near Anaconda – a deserted mining camp. The trip takes approximately 45 minutes, and children under the age of three ride for free. This roundtrip railroad excursion is a great experience – a real treat for history and railroad buffs, children, and the entire family.

520 East Carr Avenue, Cripple Creek, CO, Phone: 719-689-2640

Ghost Town Museum is a model town that features historic structures and artifacts in Colorado Springs. The museum is committed to offering an authentic Wild West experience to visitors and families within the Pikes Peak region. The artifacts and buildings that were recovered from the Pikes Peak area have been preserved in an indoor environment for generations. There are several fun activities that are perfect for families traveling with kids, such as cranking a butter churn, taking some shots at the shooting gallery, playing antique arcade games, and panning for real gold. The museum is also equipped with a gift shop that has t-shirts, treasures, trinkets, and much more.

400 South 21st Street, Colorado Springs, CO, Phone: 719-634-0696

Bear Creek Regional Park and Nature Center is a sprawling regional park that is located in Colorado Springs. There are miles and miles of scenic trails that are perfect for walking, running, hiking, cycling, and horseback riding. The ponderosa pine forests, scrub oak thicket, mountain creek, meadows, and abundant wildlife within the foothills attract adults and children from all over to come and explore Bear Creek Regional Park. The Nature Center assists in educating the general public, families, and kids on nature related topics through a number of interactive exhibits, birding classes, nature camps, and a working honey bee hive.

245 Bear Creek Road, Colorado Springs, CO, Phone: 719-520-6387

Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument is a United States National Monument that is located in Florissant, Colorado. Situated beneath a verdant mountain valley within central Colorado, visitors will find one of the most diverse and richest fossil deposits in the entire world. There are numerous petrified redwood stumps and thousands of plant and insect fossils that reveal the fascinating story of an extremely different, prehistoric Colorado. Families traveling with children will want to check out the visitor center; kids typically enjoy exploring the fossil displays and interactive exhibits there. They can also earn cute badges by completing a fun and informative Junior Ranger book.

15807 County Road 1, Florissant, CO, Phone: 719-748-3253

Memorial Park is a sprawling lakeside park located in Colorado Springs. This multi-use park features multiple tennis courts, basketball courts, baseball fields, multi-use sports fields, and sand volleyball courts. There is also a bicycle velodrome, aquatic center, and ice skating center. The park is equipped with picnic areas and a modern playground that can all be reserved for larger groups. In the heart of the park sits Prospect Lake, which is surrounded by the 1.25-mile Prospect Lake Fitness Trail, perfect for walking, jogging, and biking. Kids with skateboards, inline skates, and BMX bikes will be thrilled with the park’s complimentary 40,000-square-foot Memorial Park Skate Park.

1605 East Pikes Peak Avenue, Colorado Springs, CO, Phone: 719-385-5940