The shuttle system was very poor and they need more shuttles being ran. Once back at the bottom, we had to walk the 1 mile walk back to our car as the shuttle was going to be over a 40 minute wait. The way down was extremely long (2 hours).
Once at the top you only had about 30 minutes to be out there and they only have portable bathrooms too. There was a narrative given on the way up though. The ride up was 1 hour 15 minutes and we had to stop and wait for about 30 minutes for the down bound train to pass so we could go up. If you are going to select your seat make sure to pick an “A,B,C” seat, much more to see. Once we boarded the train it was very crammed inside. We were with another couple who missed their train because of the poor parking and shuttle system. Not worth your money!! To start things off parking was impossible to find down where they told us to park and the shuttle only comes once a every 20 minutes. We ended up sitting on the top step of the stairs. There is no general seating area that lets you enjoy the views. Even though the Pike's peak house has been redone you can't see outside once you sit down. She left a bad taste in our mouths towards the whole cog experience.ģ.
When we asked her again "could we still park where we were" again the same response, "you need to drive up the hill. When we asked if we could just park where we were she said "you need to drive up the hill". A parking attendant waved us over and told us we had to drive farther up the hill. When pulling up to park we were getting ready to pull into an open space designated for the cog railway on the side of the road. A train unloads and another train is getting ready to leave and only 2 stalls!?. They still only have 2 restroom stalls for women at the train station.
The Pike's peak viewing house now has big windows and many viewing platforms that hang over the rocks.ġ. I could have used more history on Pikes Peak in general.ģ.
Not terribly entertaining but it passes the time. Tour guide on board to point out features. It's a cog railway! Not too many of them exist and this has beautiful views.Ģ.
To visit Broadmoor Manitou and Pikes Peak Cog Railway on your trip to Manitou Springs, use our Manitou Springs day trip planning tool.ġ. Awaiting you at the summit is the new Pikes Peak Summit Visitor Center, with educational interpretive exhibits, an excellent array of food choices (don't miss out on the high-altitude donuts!) and an elevated walkway leading you to the jaw-dropping views from the Northern Overlook. These are the vistas that inspired the words to America the Beautiful and have drawn generations of explorers and travelers. At the summit of America's Mountain, you'll enjoy sweeping 360-degree views of Colorado Springs, Woodland Park, Cripple Creek and Victor. Along your 9-mile journey to the 14,115' summit of Pikes Peak, a National Historic Landmark, you'll enjoy beautiful scenery that is home to a range of wildlife, from fox, coyotes and elk among the pine trees of Pike National Forest to bighorn sheep and whistling yellow-bellied marmots above timberline. The depot has two gift shops, a new restroom facility, elevator and charming platform to wait on as you eagerly anticipate boarding your designated train. The unforgettable ride starts in the charming mountain town of Manitou Springs. Closed for a three-year rebuild, this iconic attraction features a new depot, new track and new/refurbished trains. The Cog Railway is back on track and open for business.