Parking and the Free Shuttle

The Visitor Center lot and the overflow

According to the park’s directions and parking page, the lot at the Visitor & Nature Center has fewer than 200 spaces and often fills in summer and on holidays. When it is full, the overflow lot across Gateway Road takes the extra cars, and a pedestrian tunnel leads from there to the Visitor Center without crossing the road. Oversize vehicles use the outer section of the overflow lot. Horse trailers park in Lots 1 and 16, per the park rules page.

Lots inside the park

The official park map names several parking areas along the loop roads:

• Main Parking Lot (North): the North Main Parking Lot (Lot 2) has a restroom building that opened in 2019 (City of Colorado Springs).
• South Garden Parking Lot: the city states that about 5 miles of trail for hiking, mountain biking and horseback riding can be reached from it.
• Scotsman Picnic Area: with a summer restroom, per the park map.
• Balanced Rock area: by the rock itself; see the Balanced Rock page.

Visit COS also lists parking at the Spring Canyon Trailhead and the High Point Overlook. A city waterline and accessibility project that began in October 2024 included about 3,200 square feet of accessible asphalt parking near the Central Garden, according to the city’s project page. The paved Perkins Central Garden Trail, 1.5 miles round trip, starts in this part of the park; see the Perkins Central Garden Trail page.

The free summer shuttle

The park’s free summer shuttle page describes two ADA-compliant 14-passenger vans running a continuous loop about every 15 minutes, with four stops:

• Visitor & Nature Center
• Central Garden
• Parking Lot 1/Overflow
• Rock Ledge Ranch entrance

The season runs roughly from Memorial Day weekend to late August, plus Labor Day weekend in recent years; check gardenofgods.com for this year’s dates. Hours have varied too: the park gave 9 am to 5 pm for the 2023 season and 9 am to 5:30 pm for 2024, and Visit COS lists 9 am to 4 pm. The 2026 dates were not published at the time of writing. The shuttle links the overflow parking with the Central Garden, which saves a second search for a space there.

When the lots fill

The park recommends early (before about 8 am) or late (after about 4 pm) visits for light and thinner crowds, and the same hours ease parking. The park opens at 5 am every day of the year and closes at 10 pm from May 1 to October 31 and 9 pm from November 1 to April 30. The park has also held “Motorless Morning” dates, when roads close to vehicles from 5 am to noon, and early-bird hike and bike mornings from 5 to 8 am; dates change each year, so the park information page is the place to check before a morning visit. The best time to visit page covers the seasons.

Accessibility

The shuttle vans are ADA-compliant, the Perkins Central Garden Trail is paved, and the Visitor Center lends two free wheelchairs on a first-come basis, per the park’s accessibility page. The Visitor Center page has the details.

Letting someone else park

A tour removes the parking question, but each listing handles the start differently. The Colorado Springs: Garden of the Gods Luxury Jeep Tour lists hotel pickup and drop-off on the private tour only. The Colorado Springs: Garden of the Gods and Foothills Jeep Tour lists hotel pickup and drop-off among its includes as well as a meeting point next door to Rudy’s Hideaway Restaurant; confirm the arrangement when booking. The Segway tour meets in front of the Visitor Center, so its guests arriving by car still need a space there or in the overflow lot. The jeep tours page sets the jeep options side by side.

Frequently asked questions