Garden of the Gods | Colorado Springs Adventure

As the weather is starting to feel more like fall, we are trying to get outside and do more sightseeing and activities. Colorado has so much to offer; I could probably do a different trail every day for a full year if not longer. Although we have seen many wonderful places, there is still a lot left to explore.

Garden of the Gods is one of those ‘must do’ adventures. I have been here once or twice before, but the gigantic rock formations continue to amazing me each time.

This particular trip to Garden of the Gods was over Labor Day Weekend. Traditionally, Colorado Springs hosts a hot air balloon festival every year at Memorial Park during this particular weekend. However, thanks to COVID this year, the hot air balloon launch sites were spread around the city instead of at a central location. My friend Allison and I were hoping to take our kids to Garden of the Gods to get a good view of the balloons along the horizon in addition to a short scenic hike among the rock formations.

Unfortunately, we didn’t see many hot air balloons. Instead, her boys enjoyed exploring and climbing on some of the rocks while my little one happily watched from the comfort of the stroller.

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Garden of the Gods is also always full of wild life. My husband has seen a bear there on one of his (very early) morning jogs. Luckily a bear sighting was not part of our experience, but we did see several deer jumping fences and grazing, multiple bunnies, and maybe even some high flying bats (or more likely birds). It is always neat to see some of natures creatures.

Naturally, I brought my camera. I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to capture a few photos of a willing family or a sweet baby boy.

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We enjoyed a nice casual morning strolling through Garden of the Gods. The breeze was blowing and some of the wildflowers were in bloom. It is a popular destination, especially over holiday weekends, and for good reason. The massive rock formations are quite impressive and seem a bit intriguing poking out from the base of the mountains. Their history is documented on plaques along the trails and make for an interesting read. Millions of years ago, this area was completely flat, which is hard to imagine while gazing at the giant rocks.

Garden of the Gods will always have a special place in my heart. At the top of one of the formations, the rocks are weathered to look exactly like two laying camels kissing. Appropriately, this section is called “The Kissing Camels.” As my husband and I met at Campbell University where the mascot is a camel named Gaylord, the idea of two kissing camels etched naturally into an ancient rock formation speaks to me. If you have not had a chance to see if for yourself, you should. I promise, you will not be disappointed!