How Long Does It Take To Hike Down Pikes Peak?

On a good day, the average hiker can make it up in about

6-8 hours

. In the summer, the experienced folks at Barr Camp, which marks the middle of the hike, recommend you get to Barr Camp as early in the day as possible and try get to the top and be back below the tree line by 1 p.m. What do they recommend in the winter?

How do you get down after hiking Pikes Peak?

Hiking to the top is an impressive feat in itself, so there’s no shame in

relaxing in a car

in order to get back down. Rocky Mountain Ride provides daily shuttles from the summit of Pikes Peak back to the Barr Trail trailhead parking lot in Manitou Springs.

Is Pikes Peak a difficult hike?

It’s a long, hard, 13.5-mile climb uphill with a gain of about 7,400+ feet in elevation

. Basically, it’s a half-marathon in hiking form. Please only attempt hiking Pikes Peak if you are healthy, able to hike long distances, able to navigate difficult terrain and able to perform high-cardio activity with low oxygen.

How many miles is Pikes Peak hike?

Check out this

25.00 mile

, out and back trail near Manitou Springs, Colorado. Generally considered a challenging route, it takes an average of 15 h 6 min to complete. This is a very popular area for backpacking, camping, and hiking, so you’ll likely encounter other people while exploring.

Is it hard to breathe on Pikes Peak?

It’s high enough to get altitude sickness

Unless you’re acclimated to this altitude, you’re bound to feel the effects.

The air is thin at the summit and holds about 60% of the oxygen your body is used to

. Prepare to feel out of breath as soon as you get out of your car.

Are there bears on Pikes Peak?

During the summer,

it’s not uncommon to see black bears roaming through local neighborhoods looking for leftovers

. If you were wondering why Coloradans have their trash locked down tighter than their mountain bikes, it’s because of these guys!

Can you hike up Pikes Peak and take a train down?

Choose Your Adventure

Enjoy the breathtaking views, but make no mistake, this is an adventure and an experience that you make your own. Options abound if you prefer to forgo the round trip experience on the train:

hike up, ride the train down

. Take the Cog up, bike down.

Can you take a train down from Pikes Peak?

You can book tickets now

. The Cog Railway has been climbing Pikes Peak since 1891, offering visitors incredible views of Pikes Peak – America’s Mountain. The railway was temporarily closed for renovation and will soon resume service with 9 miles of newly constructed track and refurbished Swiss cog rail cars.

How do I train to hike Pikes Peak?

Get out a few days per week with a loaded backpack. Gradually build up from just 1 hour of sustained hiking to as many as 8 hours of total effort

. Walking on dirt or rocky trails, preferably uphill, is the best way to emulate the challenges that await you on the slopes of the Peak.

What is the best time to go up Pikes Peak?

The day of your hike, start early-early, like before the sun comes up. You want to be off the mountain by the afternoon. A general rule of thumb for high-altitude climbing in Colorado is to be headed down the mountain

before noon

, due to afternoon showers and storms, even in the summer.

Is there always snow on Pikes Peak?

Pikes Peak tends to have its own weather at any given time, and frankly, when you’re the biggest thing for miles, you can do what you want!

Occasionally it will snow on the Peak in July

, or be beautiful and sunny when it’s snowing in town.

What class is Pikes Peak?

Pikes Peak is a very busy mountain, largely due to its proximity to Colorado Springs and its

class 1

route.

Where is the best view of Pikes Peak?

North Cheyenne Canon Park

This picturesque 1,600-acre pack is one of the best hidden gems of the Pikes Peak area. Cut 1,000 feet into the solid granite face of Pikes Peak, this park is home to wide variety of plants and wildlife, as well as some great hiking and sight-seeing.

Which Colorado 14er is the easiest to climb?

Pikes Peak

is arguably the easiest 14er in Colorado, but if you are looking for a little more help on your first mountaineering trip, be sure to check out our Pikes Peak guided hiking tour.

Do people get sick at Pikes Peak?

Because of this, few of our visitors experience altitude sickness on our trips, but they can if they venture to nearby Pikes Peak before or after. Fortunately,

altitude sickness is not inevitable for most people

. All you need to do to protect yourself is take certain steps ahead of time.

Is Pikes Peak worth the drive?

Driving up Pikes Peak Highway is definitely more of an adventure than taking the railway

. The 19-mile highway is lots of fun and you may even feel a little bit of an adrenaline rush driving up the steep curvy mountain roads with death drops on both sides. Or at the very least it will get your heart pounding.

Will my car make it up Pikes Peak?

There will be no guarantee that you will make it to the summit by car after Sunday until the end of September

. During construction of the new Pikes Peak Visitor Center, visitors were shuttled from the Devil’s Playground to the summit due to lack of parking.

What animals live at the top of Pikes Peak?

Pikes Peak abounds with fascinating wildlife, and visitors frequently see

elk, deer, and yellow-bellied marmot

en route, plus Pikes Peak is home to one of Colorado’s largest bighorn sheep herds.

Are there moose on Pikes Peak?

Pike National Forest is home to some of the most abundant wildlife viewing in the region that range from turkeys to Moose

.

Are there mountain goats on Pikes Peak?

A must see for all Colorado visitors!

We were fortunate to encounter a herd of mountain goats who stopped traffic as they meandered across the road

. Great vistas from the top as well as many of the pullouts along the way.

Is Pikes Peak lot Open?

The Pikes Peak Shuttle parking lot at Denver International Airport

will remain open

, providing travelers using the airport with more than 8,000 parking spots. The lot has been open since Thanksgiving, but it was closed for much of 2021 because of a shortage of shuttle bus drivers, according to a DIA news release.

How long is Garden of the Gods drive?

Drive a car

Driving yourself through Garden of the Gods is free and only takes

about 20 minutes

(depending on how fast the car in front of you is going!) We still recommend you stop by the Trading Post for a map, but the loop is pretty easy to follow and most of the main formations are visible from the road.

Can you hike at the top of Pikes Peak?

There are two trails that take you to the Summit of Pikes Peak – Barr Trail and the Crags Trail

. Both are long and strenuous hikes, but with proper preparation and good planning, the hike is sure to be an exciting adventure that you’ll always remember.

What’s so special about Pikes Peak?

Pikes Peak is

the 31st highest peak out of 54 Colorado peaks

. It is the farthest east of the big peaks in the Rocky Mountain chain, which contributed to its early fame among explorers, pioneers and immigrants and made it the symbol of the 1859 Gold Rush to Colorado with the slogan, “Pikes Peak or Bust”.

Is Pikes Peak cog railway worth it?

Each experience is worth it!

However, if you are visiting the area, I recommend you put the Pikes Peak visit as late in your visit as possible. This is not something you want to do the second you step off the plane from Florida or Ohio. I recommend driving: it costs less than the individual train tickets.

How much does it cost to drive up Pikes Peak?