Is Garden of the Gods Free?

Why the park is free

The answer goes back to Charles Elliott Perkins, who bought 240 acres here in the 1870s and later owned 480. He died in 1907. In 1909 his children conveyed the 480 acres to the City of Colorado Springs, according to the park’s history, on three conditions:

• the land remains free to the public;
• no intoxicating liquors are made or sold there;
• no buildings go up beyond those needed to care for the area.

Entry is still free, and the park rules still list no alcohol. The park now covers about 1,341 acres (the city’s figure; other sources give 1,334 to 1,367). The City of Colorado Springs owns and manages it, while the Garden of the Gods Foundation, a nonprofit, runs the Visitor & Nature Center.

Garden of the Gods is not a national park or a state park, although some trip planners call it "Garden of the Gods National Park". It was designated a National Natural Landmark in 1971, which recognizes the site without changing who owns it. The national park page explains the difference.

What costs nothing

• Entry and parking. Every lot in the park is free, including the Visitor Center lot, the overflow lot across Gateway Road, the Main (North) lot, the South Garden lot, the Scotsman Picnic Area and the Balanced Rock area. See parking and shuttle.
• The park roads. Anyone with a car can drive the one-way loops, about 6 miles on the Garden Drive and Juniper Way loop, at the 20 mph limit.
• The trails. More than 20 miles of trail, including the paved 1.5-mile Perkins Central Garden Trail.
• The Visitor & Nature Center. Exhibits on geology, plants and animals, the Ute (Nuu-ciu) people and the park’s history, and a replica of the Theiophytalia kerri skull. Restrooms are there too.
• The summer shuttle. Two ADA-compliant vans loop the park about every 15 minutes in season.
• Loaner wheelchairs. The Visitor Center keeps two, lent free on a first-come basis.

Free and paid, side by side

What costs money nearby

The Geo-Trekker film. The Visitor & Nature Center shows "How Did Those Red Rocks Get There?" in its Geo-Trekker Theatre. The film runs under 15 minutes, starts every 20 minutes and carries a fee; the exhibits around it stay free. The Visitor Center page has the details.

The guided nature walk. A short guided walk leaves daily at 10:30 am and lasts 45 to 60 minutes, according to the park. A fee applies and reservations are required.

Rock Ledge Ranch Historic Site. The city-owned living-history museum beside the park interprets the years 1775 to 1909, from an American Indian area to the Galloway Homestead Cabin and the Orchard House. It charges its own admission and runs a summer program.

Pikes Peak. The 14,115 ft summit next door is not free. The 19-mile Pikes Peak Highway charges admission, and in 2026 vehicles passing Mile 7 between May 22 and September 30 also need a timed-entry permit; a shuttle from Mile 7 has run on set summer dates. The Broadmoor Manitou & Pikes Peak Cog Railway sells its own tickets. The Pikes Peak cost page explains how the charges work, and the city’s Pikes Peak Highway page has the current rates.

Guided tours. Six GetYourGuide products on this site include the park: jeep tours, a Segway tour, an e-bike tour, a Pikes Peak jeep tour and a day trip from Denver. None of them buys access to the park, which is already free. What they sell is the vehicle, the guide and, on some, a place the park alone does not include, such as Helen Hunt Falls, Manitou Springs, Miramont Castle or the Pikes Peak summit. The tours page lists them and which tour sets them side by side.

Hours and rules that come with free entry

The park opens at 5 am every day and closes at 9 pm from November 1 to April 30 and at 10 pm from May 1 to October 31. The Visitor & Nature Center, at 1805 N. 30th Street, opens 9 am to 5 pm in winter and 9 am to 6 pm from Memorial Day weekend to Labor Day weekend. The park rules page lists the conditions of a free visit: dogs on a leash of 6 ft at most, waste picked up, no alcohol, nothing taken, and no travel off the trails. Drones need written consent from the city.

For readers who want a guide

A visit needs no tour. For a driver, a guide’s commentary on geology and history, or a different pace, the ways to see the park page describes each option, free ones first, and the jeep tours and Segway and e-bike tours pages cover the paid ones.

This page carries no booking links. The park needs no ticket, and nothing on this page depends on buying a tour.

Frequently asked questions