pikes peak highway

I am a luck resident that lives across the mountain from this beautiful Pikes Peak Highway. It is a pretty drive anytime of year.

$24 to drive 6 miles through the forest. They only cleared 6 miles because they had an inch of snow so couldn't go to the Summit. Really? Coincidentally, the gift shop is at mile 6. We're from the Black Hills of South Dakota where our scenery is free. With all the money they collected, they can't afford guard rails? They also didn't plow the gift shop parking lot (1 inch of snow) even they had two plows going. They DID however have a phenomenally fancy and (I'm sure) expensive toll booth/ park gate for the staff. Avoid this drive at all costs.

Pikes Peak Highway is incredible. The view was spectacular, sometimes it looked like you were in a plane rather than a car. There are only guardrails on very steep turns, but other times you could be driving 2 feet away from a steep, very tall, cliff... so that's scary. The food at the top is mediocre. The "World Famous Donuts" are kind of greasy and upset my stomach for the rest of the day. Drink lots of water because once you get up there you can get dehydrated really quickly! You also get dizzy very easily at the summit, and the day we went with the wind chill it was almost 50 degrees colder than it was at the base, so dress warm!!! It's one of the most breathtaking views you'll ever experience. Definitely something everyone needs to do.

But, not for the faint at heart. Buckle your seat belts and enjoy the ride of your life. But remember, when coming down, use low gears as much as possible and not you brakes. Love it! Also, for flat landers visiting Colorado Springs, give yourself a day or two to avoid altitude sickness on the peak.

This is a truly terrifying drive perhaps it is even worse when you are the passenger. I cant believe how many people drive through the mountains at such high speeds. I wonder if I am the only one who is scared. On this drive I became sick to my stomach and got very dizzy. The views are breathtaking but I was too frightened to even look over the edge. There are spots along the way that have no guard rails. I did not want to get out to take pictures- my vertigo prevented me from doing what I saw lots of other people doing. When I was brave enough to check out the views I was overwhelmed with the vastness and beauty of ancient Mountains. I can see why people are drawn to this magnificent natural wonder. If you are lucky you will come across Elk and Sheep along the way.Here are a few hints:Before you set out verify if the road is open. They can close it when there is heavy snow. Bring lots of water and drink it. Do not over eat before starting the drive up.Bring ibuprofen as you may need it for a head acheIt is freezing on the top- bring a sweater or a warm jacket Have a fully charged camera or extra batteries with an empty memory card.Bring your wallet- the gift shop is full of great items.Remember what my guide told me on the hike on Mesa Verde- "It is Harder to Go Back than keep going"

My son lives in Colorado, so he is used to mountain driving. If you have a local to drive, absolutely go. But if your idea of a big hill is one that goes up 500 feet, take the cog railway. I am 100% serious. I hit the brakes so many times, so hard, that my leg cramped. If there had been a brake pedal on my side, I would have killed those brakes. If you do ruin your brakes, or your clutch goes out (ours did) from all the downshifting, it will cost upwards of $100 for the tow truck to come out ~ more if you actually want to be towed. At the entrance gate, the rangers give advice on mountain driving. Follow it. They're good people (our car trouble caused us to meet many of them).If you are a Flatlander, the altitude will make you thirsty, light-headed, nauseated and dizzy. No one should drive in this condition. Only people who live in the mountains should control the vehicle. Bring lots of water (and drink it) & snacks (high carb & protein, easily digestible, like trail mix). Bring a coat & mittens for the summit. Stop often and get out of the car to walk around, it helps the queasiness. Breathe normally, resist the urge to try to suck in extra oxygen.Now, after all that, why go? Because it is amazing. All the pullouts to stretch your legs & cool down your brakes provide spectacular views. The view from the summit inspired Katherine Lee Bates to write America the Beautiful and the view hasn't changed. It is awe-inspiring. Pikes Peak is this odd, solo mountain. Most fourteeners have other mountains around them so the sheer altitude is less visually obvious, but not Pikes. The trip down is less hair-raising & nauseating (I think because your fight-or-flight response registers the descent as flight and stops warning you). Stop often, your brakes will appreciate it and so will your eyes. When you are above the tree line - the roadside looks lunar, so cool! When you get back below the tree line, the trees become the most beautiful sight ever. Make sure your camera battery is fully charged and there is plenty of space on your memory card.

We drove up Pikes Peak Highway all the way to the top for the first time after moving to the Springs in July. Not being used to such steep, curvy roads my wife and kids were nervous with the drive both up and down. It took over an hour each way but we're glad we did it. Don't forget to take a coat as even when it's 80 down at the bottom it was snowing and 35 at the top! Make sure your car's brakes are in excellent working condition. Well worth the $ and time. Will probably try the railway next time.

Don't think the wife would have liked it as she is scared of heights. Very cool drive and the view up top was breath taking.

Our visit to Pikes Peak was a highlight of our vacation to Colorado. And that's saying something. We had a great time each day!!The trip up the mountain starts at the toll gate near Manitou Springs. Cost for us was $12.00 per person. We had to wait much of the day to get an opportunity to reach the summit because of clouds and fog at the top so went spent time in Colorado Springs at the Garden of the Gods.We were able to begin our trip up the mountain around 4 pm. The drive up is amazing. Beautiful scenery all the way up. The scary part of the trip for me began around mile marker 13. Being afraid of heights made this a challenge. We were in a rental car without much power so the climb was slow. When we finally reached the summit, there were clouds and fog greeting us with some sleet and snow mixed in. The temperature in Colorado Spring that day was in the low 70's. Be prepared for a drastic change in weather to say the least. The visitor center at the top has the usual gift shop and snack bar. The world famous donuts are found here. Because of the weather, our views were limited. The ride back down was just as scary for me. But well worth it. Because of time limits we weren't able to stop at every pull off but still enjoyed the experience greatly. Take snacks and water and read up on what to expect from being at an altitude of 14,110 feet. Otherwise just enjoy the ride, take time to pull over for all the views and take lots of pictures.If and when we visit Colorado again, this will be on our agenda for sure!!I found it to be and unforgettable experience.

We were there last week and the Fall colors were awesome! The Aspen trees were vibrant yellow amongst the dark green evergreens. We enjoyed the adventure climbing the mountain in our SUV. Incredible views around every corner! We took our time and stopped both going up and coming down. We spent the majority of the day exploring the area and taking pictures. Make sure to take some snacks and plenty of water with you.

Colorado is full of stunning places, but this rates at the top for me. Go in the morning when it is likely to be clearer. We got a gorgeous sunny day with some changing Aspen trees. Take the road slow, be prepared (gas for the car, drinks/snacks for you), and enjoy! Go straight to the top (about 1 hr), then stop on the pullouts and the stations on the way down (in case the weather turns).

This was one of the most breathtaking experiences of my life. The ride up is beautiful,awe inspiring and scary. The view from the top and along the way is not to be believed. Definitely should be in your list of things to do in life. Nothing like it. Ok here are the buts.......first of all both my teenage daughter and I got altitude sickness. All that stuff about drinking water just makes you go to the bathroom and does nothing to help. We live at sea level and near the top we both had trouble breathing, felt weak and had headaches. We both are pretty fit. I still would not have missed this trip. The road is narrow and very twisty with no side barriers in most places. As long as you go slow it should not be a problem. You will be scared. It does take over an hour to go the 19 miles. They warn you about having a full tank of gas and using engine braking on the way down. It is hard on your car. I still would not have missed this for the world. Just do it.

We started out on just a nice late summer drive. We were headed to the Bass Pro shop in Colorado Springs (yep there's one there too!) and looked up at the Beautiful mountain, Pikes Peak. We all commented on how we had never driven to the top of Pikes Peak and so off we went on yet another short adventure. Don't be shocked by the cost to drive to the top, $12.00 per person. Just let me say, that the road is extremely well maintained, with pull outs and viewing areas, not an easy task above timber line. We laughed as we drove past a road worker who has his plow attached to his truck. "Is he expecting a blizzard?", we laughed. The top of the mountain is at over 14,000 ft above sea level and can (and did) cause some altitude sickness. I was not alone. Just remember, drink, drink, drink! We saw the famous Pikes Peak Cog Railroad arrive at the top while we were there. Do try the other famous thing that the area brags about (not sure they are that great, but you are there so why not!) their donuts!On the way to the top the weather changed many, many times. We went from 80 degrees and cloudy to rainy and foggy, then sunny and 40 degrees and finally at the top rain to snow and 37 degrees. A warning came over loud speaker at the visitor center warning bikers and cyclists to get down off the mountain ASAP as the weather was getting worse. Let me tell what understatement that was! We started down in slushy rain, soon turned to snow and then "blizzard conditions". The plow that we laughed about was on it's way up to clear the road for visitors. AWESOME for us, but for folks on summer vacation in rented cars, very, very scary. They literally stopped in the middle of the road, frozen (ha) to the steering wheel. The water, hail, snow, rain, ran down the very well thought out drainage along the side of the road. It was a great adventure with beautiful views, scary turns, and drop offs and so cool to drive the same road that race car drivers from all around the world come to reach the top of!!This I did late in life. Don't wait! It's a short drive from Denver and worth every minute!Then don't forget the Cheyene Mountain Zoo. One of the top 10 Zoos in the country!

beautiful and relaxing after all the climbing. The guides on the rail know lots of cool stuff about the mountain. I'm afraid of heights and the rail is the way to go - not scary at all and the drive IS!

This is the review of the highway itself and not a guided tour company as the link seems to suggest. My wife and I decided to drive up to the top because the leaves were beginning to change. The road is 19 miles long and is now paved all the way to the top. The leaves were changing near the bottom around the reservoir. There is a side trip to the Catamount reservoir on a dirt road that was worth it. You get a nice map as part of the price of admission and there are a lot of great views. Several suggestions. 1) Drive to the top and stop on the way down. 2) Coming down, stay in Low gear. The pickup behind this ignored their advice and their brakes were toasted. The rangers will check your temperature at the Glen Cove Inn. 3) Allow at least 4 hours, with stops. Finally, 4) the unglazed donuts at the top of the mountain were excellent. We highly recommend this trip and would do it again.