The Complete Guide to Garden of the Gods

We are experts when it comes to Garden of the Gods, ok not really, but we do go there a lot and LOVE the park so much! We want to share our knowledge with you so you can have an amazing trip. That is how the Complete Guide to Garden of the Gods was born!

What can you expect in this complete guide to Garden of the Gods? Only the best little nuggets to make your day in the park memorable. Will you be able to do everything that is listed below in a day, probably not. But give it a good try anyway. 😉

What is NOT in the complete guide to Garden of the Gods, the history of the park. WHY? Because I want you to immerse yourself into the history while you are there. I want you to watch the movie about Garden of the Gods. Walk around the Visitor’s Center and enjoy what you see. I don’t want to spoil that for you.

Why should you go to Garden of the Gods?

• Garden of the Gods opens early and closes late. This allows you to see the sunrise and the sunset
• There are lots of hiking trails for you to explore
• The park is open all year long
• Dog friendly, so much so, that dog trainers go there to train dogs. There is also an area near the front main parking lot that is a great area for dogs. Oh you can also bring your fur-baby into the Visitor’s Center. (But not in the cafe)
• Amazing views
• There are so many things to do there, see below

Which entrance is the best to enter the park?

As of right now there is an entrance that is closed. The south entrance off of 30th and Fontmore/Fillmore St is closed for road repairs. The best entrance at this time is from Garden of the Gods road, then left onto 30th street. They do have a map available that shows where the construction is at near the park.

For the longest time we entered the park off Ridge Road, from Pikes Peak ave. There is a large area that has rocks we climb a lot. The parking lot is usually not too terribly packed. And the views are awesome!

How much is it?

How much does it cost to enter Garden of the Gods… FREE! The park is free. Which is so refreshing! AND another bonus…. no timed entry ticket is needed! Whoot Whoot!!

When is the best time to go?

Summer time is the busiest season to go to the park. The best day to go to Garden of the Gods is during the week. The best time to go to Garden of the Gods is early morning and evening. The parking lots get full early. We recently went on a friday and got there right at 9am and the P2 lot was full and the couple of side parking lots were full as well.

**Local tip- Get there by 8am or go after dinner to watch the sunset. Or visit Garden of the Gods in the winter. It’s still very pretty during then too.

What can you do there?

There are so many things to do at the park. So much to see, the views alone will get you spending hours there. I listed some ideas for you below.

• Check out the exhibits in the Visitor’s Center. They have information about the rock formations and the plants there in the park. They also tell you about animal tracks and scat that might appear in the park as well.
• There are 9 hiking trails. These are all dirt trails that lead you through the amazing park. There are 2 paved trails. One is from the Visitor’s Center to Central Gardens. The other is from P2 parking lot. This is the most popular paved trail that takes you through the magnificent rock formations.
• Garden of the Gods offers guided tours. There are a few different types of guided tours. You can try out a Segway tour, Jeep tour and even an Electric Bike tour. Oh and if you want to go on foot, they have a nature guided tour as well. (All of these do have a fee)
• The Segway tour is about 2 hours long and is $92 a person. The age range is 12 and up and weigh from 90-260 pounds.
• Jeep and trolley tours need reservations. The trolley tour is usually sold out. The prices range from $20 to over $100 per person.
• E-Bike rentals and tours also need reservations. You can rent an E-Bike or take a guided tour on an E-Bike. The guided tour can range from 5-13 miles and can take about 1.5 to 2.5 hours.
• Guided nature walk is available for $5 per person. You will need to register ahead of time. This nature walk takes place every day from 10-11:30am every day.
• Garden of the Gods Trading Post is such a neat place to visit. The Trading Post will have the perfect souvenir. There are so many to choose from. The Trading Post also has a bathroom, restaurant and snack area for your convenience. In the snack area they sell fudge, ice cream and coffee.

**Related Post: 8 Best Kid Friendly Stops at Garden of the Gods

If you only had 1 hour in the park, what should you do?

Drive the whole park. Stop at some areas to take a few selfies. Then once a full loop has been made, stop at the Visitor’s Center to grab a snack and a map. Then start planning a return visit so you can spend more time at the park.

Frequently Asked Questions

Wrapping up the Complete Guide to Garden of the Gods

• Enter the park from Garden of the Gods road
• Plan to spend at least 3 hours at the park.
• Get there EARLY. The parking lots fill up by 9am
• Garden of the Gods is super dog friendly
• There are several things to do at the park, especially with kids
• Download the free scavenger hunt to enjoy while you are there (above)
• And Garden of the Gods is free to enter the park!

There you have it, the complete guide to Garden of the Gods… in a nutshell.