Garden of the Gods Trails

When you first arrive at the park stop by the Garden of the Gods Visitor & Nature Center for a free map of the park, an educational movie, and interactive exhibits. Those wishing to see Garden of the Gods Park via a tour can register for Jeep tours, Segway tours, electric bike tours, and guided walking tours. Or, if you’d rather hit the trails on your own, check out these great hiking, biking, and horseback riding trails, all of which are dog-friendly and kid-friendly!

Perkins Central Garden Trail

Trail Difficulty: Easy
Trail Length: 1.5 Miles
Uses: Hiking
Accessibility: This trail is accessible for visitors using wheelchairs, mobility equipment or strollers.

Gaze up at towering rock formations as you follow the Perkins Central Garden Trail through the heart of the park. This paved trail is accessible for wheelchairs and strollers, and is an easy, 1.5-mile loop that has less than 30-feet of elevation gain.

Siamese Twins Trail

Trail Difficulty: Easy
Trail Length: 1 Mile
Uses: Hiking
Accessibility: Trail is mostly gravel with some slight elevation gain and narrow trails. Some trail stairs are present.

This easy 1-mile round trip hike has less than a 150-foot elevation gain. Enjoy a unique view of Pikes Peak through the natural window of the Siamese Twins.

Gateway/Central Garden Trails

Trail Difficulty: Easy
Trail Length: 2.5 Miles
Uses: Hiking, Wheelchair-Friendly
Accessibility: This trail is wide and paved, making it a great option for wheelchairs and strollers. There are some sections with stairs, but you do not have to climb them to enjoy the trail.

This easy, low-grade, 2.5-mile hike from the main entrance that follows the paved Foothills Trail connects with the paved Gateway Trail. The trail crosses the road to start the Central Garden Trail where you can explore short loops at the base of the tallest rock formations. (1.5 miles total)

Balanced Rock Trail

Trail Difficulty: Moderate
Trail Length: 1.2 Miles
Uses: Hiking
Accessibility: Rocky, uneven gravel and dirt trail that is frequently narrow and steep.

This moderately challenging route has 137 feet of elevation gain and takes about 1/2 an hour to complete.

Palmer/Buckskin-Charley/Nobrara/Bretag Trail

Trail Difficulty: Easy
Trail Length: 4 Miles
Uses: Hiking, Running
Accessibility: The paved portions of this trail are accessible as they are wide and mostly flat, but the sections where the trail turns to gravel there are also increases in grade.

This 4.0-mile loop is made up of three different trails and is a popular area for hiking, running, and walking.

Ridge Trail

Trail Difficulty: Moderate
Trail Length: 0.5 Mile
Uses: Hiking, Running
Accessibility: Trail has rocky and uneven gravel terrain with stairs in some sections.

This moderate, 0.5-mile loop has less than a 100-foot rise in elevation. The path leads to the foot of The Sleeping Giant rock formation.

Scotsman/Buckskin Charlie Trail

Trail Difficulty: Moderate
Trail Length: 2 Miles
Uses: Hiking, Running
Accessibility: The surface of the trail is sandy and rocky.

This is a moderate trail that loops through the park. Enjoy distant views of the Central Garden formations from these rolling, rocky trails.

Bretag/Palmer Trail

Trail Difficulty: Moderate
Trail Length: 2.5 Miles
Uses: Hiking, Running, Mountain Biking, Horseback Riding
Accessibility: Mostly gravel. Sections of this trail are uneven and narrow.

This 2.5 mile hike has less than a 250 foot elevation gain and circles nearly the entire Park. Please note, the trail rolls through rocky terrain.

Garden of the Gods Outer Loop

Trail Difficulty: Easy
Trail Length: 6 Miles
Uses: hiking, walking, biking
Accessibility: Mixture of paved and unpaved terrain. Some uneven surfaces can be difficult for those with mobility needs.

This 6-mile trail has quite a few hills, some as steep as a 15% grade and the park is at 6,400 feet elevation.