The City
Temperatures in Colorado Springs are mild. Uncomfortable extremes in either winter or summer are rare in this dry alpine climate. The Rocky Mountains capture most of the precipitation from east-moving storm systems, giving the Pikes Peak region dry and sunny weather during most of the year. Schools and business activities, including construction, are rarely disrupted due to bad weather.

Colorado Springs, Colorado, is located at the base of scenic Pikes Peak, about 70 miles south of Denver.

Latitude: 38 degrees 50 minutes 50 seconds North
Longitude: 104 degrees 50 minutes 25 seconds West
Elevation: 6,035 ft.

Area Within City Limits: 185.7 square miles

County: 2,126.7 square miles

Hospitals: Five hospitals with approximately 935 beds

Physicians & Dentists: 826 practicing physicians, 315 practicing dentists.

Churches: Over 425 churches and synagogues in 50 denominations.

Main Cultural Attractions: 35 major museums and galleries, Colorado Opera Festival, Colorado Springs Symphony, Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center, Colorado College Theatre, Colorado Springs Dance Theatre, Da Vinci Quartet, Gallery of Contemporary Art, Pikes Peak Center, Theatreworks.

Parks and Playgrounds: 169 public areas (10,762 acres), managed by the City Parks & Recreation Department. Garden of the Gods (1,368 acres) is nationally recognized. County parks consist of approximately 3,650 acres in 5 regional parks, 2 neighborhood parks, 1 recreation area, and trailheads and access points for 70 miles of regional and park trails.

Libraries: Pikes Peak Library District-2 Main libraries, 9 branches, 2 book mobiles. Shopping Centers: 2 regional malls greater than 1,000,000 sq. ft., 33 shopping centers between 100,000 and 499,999sq. ft., 196 under 100,000 sq. feet.

Attractions
Cheyenne Mountain Zoological Society
4250 Cheyenne Mountain Zoo Road
Colorado Springs, CO 80906
Tel: 719.633.9925
Fax: 719.633.2254

 Alpine Slide... The Giant Alpine Slide is one of the most popular activities we offer in Colorado. It is universally age-appropriate and offers thrills for those who like to go fast and for those who enjoy more of a leisurely pace.
For your vacation this year, or when friends and family visit, think more. More chills. More thrills. More than 360 acres of awesome rides, shows and attractions. It's Colorado's own world wonder, the Royal Gorge Bridge & Park. At 1,053 feet high, the panoramic vistas of the Gorge are as mesmerizing as the Grand Canyon. Spanning a quarter mile across is the world's highest suspension bridge. Other renowned man-made marvels include the world's longest single-span Aerial Tram and steepest Incline Railway.

Cave of the Winds... First opened in 1880, the Cave of the Winds is the oldest attraction in the Pikes Peak region. Choose from any of our three enjoyable tours for three different perspectives on the true geological wonders of Colorado. Enjoy our guided tour through 20 beautifully decorated and colorfully lighted cavern rooms. Spacious chambers and paved pathways make the Discovery Tour a treat for the entire family. Experience a historical perspective with the Lantern Tour, the way it was done in 1895. And for the very adventurous, try the Explorers Trip. Don a helmet and explore a wild cave with an experienced caver. End an exciting day at Cave of the Winds, seated 500 feet above the canyon floor with a brilliant laser light show full of colorful, animated figures dancing among our cliffs. Cave of the Winds is open daily year-round. Laser Canyon is presented nightly from Memorial Day to Labor Day weekend. The Cave is located 6 miles west of Colorado Springs on Highway 24, exit 141.
For more information call 719-685-5444.


Cripple Creek Railroad
PO Box 459
Cripple Creek, CO 80813
Tel: 719-689-2640
Fax: 719-689-3256

Since 1891, the Manitou and Pike's Peak Railway (the world's highest cog railroad, the highest Colorado railroad AND highest train in the United States) has taken passengers to the 14,110 foot summit of Pikes Peak.
Just 70 miles from downtown Denver and 6 miles from downtown Colorado Springs, this classic Colorado train trip is open from April 11th, 2003 through January 4th, 2004.
Manitou and Pikes Peak Railway
515 Ruxton Avenue PO Box 351
Maitou Springs, CO 80829
Tel: 719 685 5401
Fax: 719 685 9033

 "Once upon a time" is alive with Christmas excitement today at the North Pole, home to Santa's Workshop. The legend of Santa Claus and his enchanted northern home comes to life as never before in this extraordinary amusement park. The North Pole recreates the most vivid images of the magic of Christmas; complete with elves, animal friends, magic shows, rides for all ages, and an entire village of colorful cottages brimming with gifts and toys. Best of all, the North Pole has its own post office where all outgoing mail is stamped with the official, North Pole, Colorado postmark. Located at the foot of Pikes Peak and just ten miles west of Colorado Springs on Highway 24, the North Pole/Santa's Workshop is open from mid-May through Christmas Eve. Call 719-684-9432 for exact days and hours of operation or visit our website

The Royal Gorge... The grins and goosebumps continue with our Old-World Carousel, Silver Rock Railway, and Plaza Theatre with Historical Display. You can enjoy our great gift shops and restaurants. Or camp, hike and bike the scenic trials. Or brave Colorado's biggest adrenaline rush, our new Skycoaster. Not to be outdone is our new Wildlife Park with American Bison and Rocky Mountain Elk. We've also expanded our exciting Mountain Man Encampment and added a fun Mule-Team Pull. Kids of all ages will love our Petting Zoo with burro rides. And for group activities there's Juniper Junction and Bighorn Mountaintop Lodge which is also ideal for overnight and extended stays. There's so much more to see and do here. It's a full-day-of-fun more. Only at the Royal Gorge Bridge & Park.

Imagine, stepping back into an 1860's frontier town today! Inspired by the original town of Buckskin Joe, the old west explodes to life at Buckskin Joe Frontier Town & Railway. Keeping the feel of the original town, costumed characters roam through the town to greet guests. Watch out and head for cover when gunfights break out throughout the day. The Buckskin Joe Gunfighters perform shows, some which are actual reenactments of gunfights that took place on the Colorado Frontier. The park has a long history of producing award winning family entertainment including saloon and magic shows. The H.A.W. Tabor Store is the last remaining building from the original town of Buckskin Joe, which was located 2 miles from Alma, Colorado. Transplanted into the heart of Royal Gorge Country, history and fun are melded together to provide visitors with an "edutaining" experience. Antiques dating back to the 1800's enhance the town's authenticity by providing character to the 30 buildings that make up Buckskin Joe. Helping to create a complete Wild West experience, the Gold Nugget Restaurant cooks up Buffalo Burgers and a wide variety of western style meals while others will "belly up to the bar" and order a sarsaparilla or a shot of Red Eye, in the Silver Dollar Saloon. Those prospectors, who try their hand at panning for gold, may end up staking a claim with actual gold at the assay office. A ride on the horse-drawn trolley will give guests an idea of what traveling was like back in the wild west. Another fascinating aspect of Buckskin Joe is its "long time residents". Many staff members and visitors to the town have had unusual experiences, which are attributed to the residents who were moved with the buildings. The History Channel highlights these experiences in their "Haunted Rockies" series. Whether visitors stay an hour or the whole day, Buckskin Joe Frontier Town and Railway, is a must see, while visiting the Royal Gorge area.

Garden of the Gods...The towering red rock formations of the Garden of the Gods Park come alive when you visit the free Visitor and Nature Center and explore the geology, plants, animals and people of this amazing 1391.61-acre regional park, located at 1805 North 30th Street in Colorado Springs. This incredible city-owned park is truly one of a kind. The site is a National Natural Landmark, having been recognized by the Department of the Interior as "a nationally-significant natural area." It offers towering sandstone formations, a wonderful view of Pikes Peak, paved and unpaved hiking paths, the historic Rock Ledge Ranch Historic Site, a living history museum, placed on the National Register for Historic Places in 1979, and many other amenities. The park was given to the city of Colorado Springs in 1909 by the children of railroad magnate Charles Elliot Perkins, in fulfillment of his wish that it be kept forever open and free to the public. As a result, this amazing park can be enjoyed free of charge. Some activities and features include guided nature walks, hiking, mountain biking and horseback riding trails, road biking and technical rock climbing.
Park Hours:
November 1 - April 30: 5 a.m. - 9 p.m.
May 1 - October 31: 5 a.m. - 11 p.m.
When Colorado Springs filed the original town plat in 1871, it included one city block as the first city-owned park. The park, known as North Park or Acacia Square is the site of the present-day Acacia Park. Colorado Springs' city founder General William Jackson Palmer generously donated 1,270 acres of parkland, bridle and foot paths, scenic drives and roadways planted with trees, to establish a significant foundation of the Colorado Springs park system. These gifts included Acacia (North) Park, Monument Valley Park, Antlers Park, Pioneer Square (South) Park, Palmer Park, North Cheyenne Cañon, Prospect Lake and Bear Creek Cañon. In 1909, the Perkins heirs gave Garden of the Gods Park to the City, adding to the beautiful parkland already established.

Meadowridge Playground... The parks of the early 1900s are a vital component of today's system, however, park users in this new millennium have 14 large community and regional parks to choose from, with activities ranging from picnicking, swimming and soccer to hiking, biking and nature enjoyment. A large variety of open space areas are intentionally left as undeveloped parkland with natural environments for citizens to enjoy. Today, Parks, Recreation & Cultural Services manages 7 regional parks, 8 community parks, 123 neighborhood parks, 6 sports complexes and 40 open space areas. Combined, there are over 12,000 acres of parks, trails and open space, and we continue to acquire and maintain more, enhancing the quality of life for the citizens of Colorado Springs.
Telephone numbers for more information:
How to reserve a park or picnic area call (719) 385-5941, or click here for more information. Park maintenance employment call (719) 385-5945 or click here for more information.

Entertainment

Colorado Springs Pioneer Museum
215 S. Tejon St.
Colorado Springs, CO 80903
PH: 719-385-5990

Rocky Mountain Motorcycle & Hall of Fame
5867 N. Nevada Ave.
Colorado Springs, CO 80918
PH: 719-487-8005

Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center
30 W. Dale Street
Colorado Springs, CO 80903
PH: 719-634-5581

Theatreworks
1420 Austin Bluffs Parkway
Colorado Springs, CO 80918
PH: 719-262-3232

Golf
Golf Courses: Five 18-hole and five 9-hole public courses, seven private, and three military courses.


Champions Golf & Games
777 Vondel Park Dr.
Colorado Springs, CO 80907
Tel : 719-593-9844

Kings Deer Golf Club
19255 Royal Troon Dr.
Monument, CO 80132
Tel : 719-481-1518

Patty Jewett Golf Course
900 E. Espanola
Colorado Springs, CO 80907
Tel : 719-385-6934

Valley Hi Golf Course
610 S. Chelton
Colorado Springs, CO 80910
Tel : 719-385-6911

Colleges and Universities

The University of Colorado at Colorado Springs is one of four campuses in the University of Colorado system. CU-Colorado Springs emphasizes a broad range of degree programs in the liberal arts and sciences and professional programs in business, engineering, nursing, education and public affairs.

In 1964, local businessman George T. Dwire offered the University the Cragmor Sanatorium and its surrounding 80 acres for the sum of $1. CU-Colorado Springs was created by an act of the Colorado Legislature in 1965, providing CU-Colorado Springs with a permanent home for its growing following of scholars.

CU-Colorado Springs aims to become the #1 comprehensive regional research university in the nation with 10,000-12,000 students. This goal is fueled by CU-Colorado Spring status as one of the fastest-growing universities in Colorado and in the nation. The university is known for its high-quality academics and engagement with its community. In recent years, U.S. News and World Report named CU-Colorado Springs a top Western public university and the American Association of State Colleges and Universities named the university one of two national leaders in community engagement efforts.

Welcome to the U.S. Air Force Academy

Home of the elite and birthplace of leaders. Since opening its doors in 1954, the goal of this four-year institution is to produce officers who have the knowledge, character and motivation essential to leadership, pride in all they do and, above all else, commitment to their careers in the Air Force. Designed for the future, the campus boasts state-of-the-art facilities, including laboratories, observatories and a library containing over 700,000 volumes. Other landmarks include the cadet chapel with its seventeen spires that soar 150 feet toward the Colorado sky. Spanning 18,000 spectacular acres nestled against the Rocky Mountains, the Academy draws thousands of visitors from around the world each year - and as you witness the beauty and the pride that have inspired so many, it's easy to see why.

 We believe that everyone who has the ability to successfully complete courses can attend college. At Pikes Peak Community College, we do not charge an application fee and the application process itself is easy. In most cases, prospective students who submit a completed application, are at least 16 years old or have a high school diploma, or a GED (High School Equivalency Diploma), or a college degree are admitted to PPCC. Just call, enroll, learn, it's that easy!
Whether your educational goal is to complete a two-year degree for transfer to a four-year college or university, or a two-year vocational degree or certificate emphasizing specific occupational or vocational skill, Pikes Peak Community College can help you.
Pikes Peak Community College
5675 S. Academy Blvd, Colorado Springs, CO 80906 USA
Tel: 800.456.6847
Fax: 719.576.7711