Kutsu Point14,115-foot summit · 35 min to the gate from the ridge
Pikes Peak, America's Mountain
It fills the eastern sky from the ridge. The Pikes Peak Highway gate is about 35 minutes away, and from there the toll road switchbacks to the 14,115-foot summit, a view so sweeping it moved Katharine Lee Bates to write 'America the Beautiful.' Drive to the top, or ride the cog railway up from Manitou Springs, and stand on one of the most famous mountains in the country.
What to do
- 01
Drive the Pikes Peak Highway to the 14,115-foot summit and the new visitor center
- 02
Ride the Broadmoor Manitou and Pikes Peak Cog Railway to the top and back
- 03
Stop in Woodland Park or Manitou Springs on the way for lunch
Know before you go
- Summit access and the cog railway usually require a timed reservation. Book ahead.
- The top is a true 14er: near-freezing, thin air, and fast weather even in July. Bring layers and water.
- Best for
- The bucket-list day, big views, anyone who wants to say they stood on a 14er
- When to go
- The highway is open year-round to varying elevations; full summit access is best May through October.
- Official site
- coloradosprings.gov/pikespeak
35 min to the gate from your front door
Reach it, and still be back by the fire.
Kutsu Point sleeps sixteen on forty private acres, the perfect basecamp for Pikes Peak and the rest of the Front Range.
More nearby
Your dates
Bring everyone.
Check the dates, hold the week, and get the whole group up the mountain.