Recommended Colorado Adventure: Pikes Peak Cog Railroad + Hiking + Stay at Barr Camp (Colorado Springs, Colorado)
Why hike up a 14er requiring 14+ miles and 7,800 feet of elevation gain...when you can hike down it?! Having already hiked to the summit of Pikes Peak many times, by different routes...it was time to try something new. This adventure allowed me to experience the mountain in a different way, and was a lot of fun!
The Cog Railroad
This adventure requires reservations and planning. I'm going to include the websites you'll need to make this trip happen at the end of this blog.
Here's the trip itinerary:
Saturday AM:
*Park at the Barr Trailhead Parking Lot (pay for at least 48 hours so no rush/stress)
*Walk the 1/4 mile to the station with gear.
*Take Pikes Peak Cog Railway to Pikes Peak Summit.
*Spend 1-1.5 hours at the new Summit House, get some donuts, and take pictures
Saturday Afternoon:
*Hike down Pikes Peak to Barr Camp
*Set up sleeping spot in cabin
*Relax with a hot drink, read a book, play a game
Saturday PM:
*Eat the famous Barr Camp spaghetti dinner
*Relax
Sunday AM:
*Eat the famous Barr Camp power pancakes
*Descend the rest of the way back to car.
*Home for dinner
The Pikes Peak Summit House
The famous Pikes Peak summit donuts!
Here are the resources you will need to make this adventure happen:
Barr Trail Parking:
https://www.manitouspringsgov.com/.../Barr-Trail-Barr...
Cog Railroad tickets:
Barr Camp reservations:
The Cirque...as seen while descending from the summit of Pikes Peak.
Barr Camp...about halfway down Pikes Peak (~6 miles).
Barr Camp spaghetti dinner.
My sleeping spot in the cabin.
The Barr Camp power pancakes for breakfast.