36 Hours in Manitou Springs, Colorado

Manitou Springs is a cozy town between the Garden of the Gods and Pikes Peak just minutes from Colorado Springs, Colorado. I lived in Colorado Springs for two years when I was a child when my dad was stationed at Fort Carson.

I remember spending weekends exploring Pikes Peak, having picnics at the Garden of the Gods, drinking the mineral water from the fountains in Manitou Springs and visiting the animals at the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo. Some of my fondest childhood memories are from Colorado, we were always out on an adventure.

On our recent trip to Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks, we spent two nights in Manitou Springs, Colorado. From Red Rocks to Dinosaurs; this is how we spent 36 hours in Manitou Springs, Colorado:

Garden of the Gods

The red rock formation at the Garden of the Gods is designated as a National Natural Landmark. They were created during a geological upheaval along a natural fault line millions of years ago. The park is just under 1,400 acres large and looks as if the red rocks of all shapes and sizes just landed where they are.

To avoid the huge crowd at Balance Rock visit the Garden of the Gods early. We arrived at 7:00 am and had the whole area to ourselves for about 15 minutes.

The Central Garden Area has 1.5 miles of paved walking trails where you can see 13 of the most famous rocks at the Garden of the Gods including Kissing Camels. It’s a beautiful walk around the rocks and fun exploring as a family.

The Garden of the Gods Visitor and Nature Center has a variety of interactive exhibits that S loved from flora and fauna to tracking wildlife to what’s that scat.

The visitor center has a replica of the world’s only known fossil of an entirely new dinosaur species. In 1898, James Kerr, geology professor at Colorado College, found a fossil skull in one of the ridges of the Garden of the Gods. The skull was forgotten about until 1997 when a replica was put on display at the newly built visitor center. In 2006, Dr. Carpenter and his associate Kathleen Brill determined that the dinosaur skull is actually a brand new genus and species – Theiophytalia kerri. Now the Theiophytalia kerri is proudly re-exhibited at the Garden of the Gods Visitor & Nature Center.

It is free to visit the Garden of the Gods and their visitor center.

Manitou Cliff Dwellings

I have always been interested in Native American history, maybe it ties back to the years that I lived in Colorado Springs. Therefore exploring the fascinating architecture of the ancient Anasazi at the Manitou Cliff Dwellings was high on my list. The Manitou Cliff Dwellings comprised of Anasazi Ruins that date back 800-1000 years old.

The Manitou Cliff Dwellings are unique in that they were moved to their current location from the southwest corner of Colorado near Mesa Verde and Dolores to prevent looting. The project started in 1904 and was completed in 1907.

You can go inside this 40 room structure to explore and can even touch the dwelling. There are two museums onsite that feature cultural displays and an impressive gift shop.

Dinosaur Resource Center

S loves dinosaurs which is why we went, however, it was just ok. Many displays were missing captions and overall it is not a huge collection. We saw more dinosaur bones at the Science Museum of Minnesota – which is an amazing museum!

Instead of visiting the Dinosaur Resource Center, I would recommend a visit to the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo it is America’s only mountain zoo. It is also home to one of the largest giraffe herds in the world! The zoo has a huge collection of animals, over 950, amazing views of Colorado Springs, attractions and learning activities for the whole family. It was one of my favorite places to visit as a child, especially during the holiday season when Electric Safari is happening with light sculptures, warming fires and a chance to visit Santa.

Historic Downtown Manitou Springs

The town of Manitou Springs has a free shuttle and I highly recommend taking the shuttle to avoid having to find one of the very few parking spots. Manitou Springs is home to a lively artisan community with unique art galleries. A large selection of lodging options and restaurants are also available.

You will find 8 naturally carbonated mineral spring fountains throughout the historic town. The water is free for anyone who wishes to enjoy the healing benefits. Many Native Americans considered this area sacred because of its healing springs and clean mountain air.

Food

We ate dinner out both nights we were in town. Our first night we took the shuttle into downtown Manitou Springs to eat at The Loop, which was recommended to us by both the manager at our campground and the shuttle bus driver. The Loop is a Mexican restaurant located almost at the end of the historic downtown at the traffic circle. Everything we ate was delicious including Guacamole Enchiladas, Chicken and Spinach Enchiladas and Burrito from Hell.

36 Hours in Manitou Springs, Colorado - From Red Rocks to Dinosaurs: One Perfect Day in Manitou Springs, Colorado for the whole family, see what I think is the perfect agenda. | mybigfathappylife.com

The Loop is the last building on the right

Thunder & Buttons II is located in Old Colorado City, just a couple minutes drive from Manitou Springs. Their menu has a variety of options from Elk Chili to Schnitzel Sandwich to Fish and Chips. They also have daily happy hour specials. We had a cozy window seat to people watch from.