In the traditional sense. But definitely historic as in something that you should see. It's about…read morean hour south of denver. And well worth the drive. If you go in Winter make sure you have snow tires or chains. Be smart about this. This is colorado. Was much more advanced and creative than I had been told. I would go back again to see what kind of advancement has been made. Appears to be pretty much structurally sound. Although if you weigh over 130 lb I would be cautious in going on the scaffolding. What's that being said the majority of the structure is very stable and very secure. While you were there, please be respectful. Respectful of others. Respectful of the property and respectful of the effort that has gone into this work of art. This is one man's dream that has come to fruition. There is a donation box. It is advisable I would leave a donation. I left $20 which I thought was more than worth it to see this marvel.

One of the more attractive & fun hiking spots in southern Colorado! Bishop Castle is an interesting…read morescenic spot in the woods. I would return to this place.

Highly recommend stopping here for even a minute after seeing the sand dunes. Great way to cool off…read moreand see a beautiful waterfall! The water is shine height so we walked in our shoes in the river to the water fall, scaling the wall is slick and we had a change of shoes in the car. The water is cold so it's refreshing on a hot day! The hike from the parking lot is just 0.33 miles but it's uphill and rocky. Make sure you got good shoes and there benches for rest breaks. The walk down is much easier and goes quick. Our dog thought it was an easy hike and enjoyed the cold water too. The fall is right before you enter the sand dunes so no entry required and there are plenty of parking spaces.

Amazing hike. Not super hard. Only 1 mile round trip. Amazing views of the waterfall and of the…read moresand dunes

LOVE THIS PLACE! We enjoyed the bridge walk; the movie; and the visitor center. Gail was a bit…read moresour as she helped with a pre purchased season pass but overall, the people there were friendly and helpful.

We did the aerial gondola. I was not very brave to try out the various rides, so I rode on this…read moreride only. The price for admission did not include all the rides. Beyond the gondola, each ride cost another whopping $50 or so, and if the winds are high, you might pay for the ride, but never go on.

Great place to get natural idea of the surrounding area with maps, data and inside look at nature!…read more If you're in the area this place is a wonderful place to stop and gather data. If you're looking for trail maps, they have them. They are part of the US government and get most of their money from there, but they do have several opportunities for donations. They can help you plan out a back packing event! They can tell you also how fast bad weather can move into the area! Even fly fishing trips can also be planned out here. They can show you where you can put into the rivers. On maps they can point out public, private and state owned land. Lots of land owners will post no trespassing signs, so folks will have get in and out of the local rivers through public land. And don't forget all of the great wildlife posters for the little ones.

We found only 4 of 8 springs in Manitou Springs on a snowy March afternoon on a Saturday: Shoshone…read moreSpring (not working), Cheyenne Spring, Stratton Spring (my favorite), and this curious oddity. We would have never found it if it wasn't for a woman who saw us at the Cheyenne Spring drinking the water out of Cheyenne and trying to bottle it to take home. She said, "you gotta try the water at the Navajo Spring, it tastes like spicy carbonated water". When I asked her where it was, she said "right there!" and pointed to Navajo Spring a few feet away from where we were standing. I don't think we would have found this place unless it was pointed out to us as it's in a curious location, housed in a building where Patsy's Candy and Gift shop sits. The water here didn't taste that spicy to me, maybe more saltier than the Cheyenne's, but it was definitely carbonated. The history of this spring is fascinating. I got some information from The Mineral Springs Foundation: it was popular in the 1870s and young boys were hired to dip cups into the spring to quench the thirst of travelers and tourists. Cups and ladles on chains were also fastened to lower into the springs so everyone could taste the carbonated waters. The water from Navajo Springs were incorporated into Manitou Ginger Champagne, Manitou table water and cola drinks and were shipped all across the country by the Manitou Mineral Water Company. I was so enamored by the fact that this historical spring sits right in the middle of a candy store (outside and accessible) and right next door to an old-fashioned penny arcade! Right below our feet we could see the spring rushing by through the wooden floor slats. Amazing. Here's to 154 years of good health! I hope the springs stick around for another 150 years or more!

This was my favorite mineral spring in Manitou because of the sculpture, the interesting way we…read morefound it, and it just says "magic" to me. We only found 4 out of the 8 springs in town, but that's because we were walking around in snow and it was getting late. Prior to finding this spring (by accident) - This particular spring makes a high pitch noise that I mistook for birds screeching, so we walked over to investigate, and here it was! We also found the Shoshone Spring (not working), Cheyenne Spring and the Navajo Spring. All of these springs have their own stories. According to the Mineral Springs Foundation, this particular spring was named after Winfried Scott Stratton, who struck it rich with gold in the early 1900's. When he died he left his fortune of several millions of dollars to indigent children and the elderly. "On February 21, 1936, at a depth of 283 feet, sparkling soda water was struck flowing at 25 gallons per minute. Today, Stratton Spring stands as one of Manitou's iconic mineral spring assets along its downtown corridor, ensuring Winfield Scott Stratton's legacy. (from Mineral Springs Foundation webpage)" The water here is sparkling, but not as salty as the Cheyenne Spring. It had the mildest taste of all the springs in town and the sodium, potassium and calcium content here was less than all of the other springs.

You will find this natural spring right on the Manitou Springs strip near the traffic circle. It…read morenot only serves as a spring but is also has a nice sculpture on it. The bronze sculpture depicts a lady, known as "the maiden of the water", bending over. The statue is on a semicircular pedestal and under a semi-circular pergola. It is a very nice spring set-up and draws you to the spring. The statue, spring, and little plaza area that it is located could use a little TLC and is in need of some maintenance. It is still operational, but just needs some attention. The spring is named in honor of Winfield Scott Stratton, who became the region's first self-made millionaire in 1891, after discovering a huge payload of 1.3 million ounces of gold. In 1936 his Foundation drilled the Spring in his honor after his untimely death in 1902. The spring flows at about 25 gallons per minute and appeared to having air coming out with the water as evident from its hissing. It has a seltzer water taste, and this and water from the other springs are rumored to have healing properties. The water is an acquired taste, but drinkable. This is not a very long stop and is one of many springs in the area. This is something that you would probably just stumble across and not a destination. There is metered street parking within a reasonable walking distance from here but I recommend combining a stop here with other activities like a visit to the tourist strip, with shops and restaurants, that it is located. The good news is that you can fill your water bottles here as well as look at a nice piece of street art. It is definitely worth a look if you are in the area.

Walking into the Manitou Springs Chamber of Commerce felt like being welcomed by old friends who…read moreactually want to help you have the best trip ever. Right there on Manitou Avenue, the staff greeted us with big smiles and hooked us up with maps, guides, and the kind of insider tips only locals know--like where to find hidden waterfalls and the best spots for hot springs. They weren't just helpful, they were genuinely excited to share their town. Whether it was pointing us toward quirky shops or telling us about the famous Emma Crawford Coffin Races, they made planning our days easy and fun. It felt less like an office and more like a hub of mountain energy and good vibes. If you're heading to Manitou Springs, this is the place to start--five stars for making us feel right at home and ready for adventure.

Outstanding service!! I do appreciate all the tips provided for a great day at Manitou Springs…read more The staff was so nice and helpful. I definitely will come back when visiting. I got maps for free and the lady even highlighted great points of interest for us!

A must to visit while in Colorado Springs. The visitor center is kid friendly and has lots of…read moreeducational fun facts for kids. We took a 45 min guided shuttle tour, which was a perfect amount of time for kids! Lots of trails, I will try next time

The visitor center offers a good view of the Garden of the Gods from afar. It's two floors. At the…read morefirst floor, there's a theater that shows how the Garden of the Gods came to be. Though this is not free, it's worth checking out since the theater is small and you're surrounded by very big screens. The second floor houses the gift shop which has stuffed toys, books, shirts, mugs, rocks, and other souvenir items. The cafe and restrooms are also here. There's another part that has an exhibit of flora/fauna around the area. The Garden of the Gods is beautiful. The paths were very easy to follow. Came here in February; it was not busy but we heard that during peak seasons, it can get very crowded. This is definitely worth visiting.

If you're coming up north on 25 make sure to pull over to see the welcome sign in Colorado. It's a…read moregreat way to start the trip in a awesome photo spot.

If you're heading north on Interstate 25 coming from New Mexico, you'll notice this Welcome to…read moreColorful Colorado Sign of Raton Pass off to the right hand side of the highway. There'll be a small pullover area to park where you can safely exit your car and grab a photo with the sign. For any person looking to say they've "arrived" in Colorado, it's a playful picture moment, lol. Also, for stopping by around 10am the sun was in perfect positioning in the sky for photos. It'll be at your back and the Colorful Colorado Sign will stand out exceptionally. So...therefore, if you show up in afternoon time, it'll be a poor time to visit as you'll obviously be facing the sun, lol. If anyone out there is actually really reading this...make sure to be driving in the morning. Hahaha And when getting your pictures in, you may notice the Huerfano Butte situated in the backdrop making for a scenic setting, especially in summertime. It's actually a pretty photogenic moment. Lastly, when finishing up driving 13 miles north into the town of Trinidad, Colorado, don't forget to visit Simpson's Rest, a fantastic overlook viewpoint from high above the downtown suburbs of Trinidad. It's a terrific introduction into your Colorado explorations and wherever your next destination may be. Overall, I give two thumbs up for this Welcome to Colorful Colorado Sign of Raton Pass.