Which Colorado Springs areas work best with a dog?
Downtown Colorado Springs is small and friendly, with Monument Valley Park and its creekside trail running along the west side. Old Colorado City, a few minutes west, has a historic main street with patios and is close to both Garden of the Gods and Red Rock Canyon Open Space. Manitou Springs is the quirky mountain town at the foot of Pikes Peak, walkable but steep. The Broadmoor area in the southwest is quiet and upscale. Most chain hotels sit along Interstate 25, particularly near Garden of the Gods Road and the Interquest area by the Air Force Academy.
Where can I take my dog in Colorado Springs?
Garden of the Gods allows leashed dogs on all of its trails, and it has one designated off-leash field on the east side of the park. Bear Creek Dog Park is the local favorite: about 25 fenced acres of hillside with a creek running through it. Red Rock Canyon Open Space has two signed off-leash loops among sandstone ridges, and Palmer Park includes an off-leash area on its mesa top. North Cheyenne Canon Park has shaded leashed trails to waterfalls. Leashed dogs can also ride up the Pikes Peak Highway in your car.
What should I know about altitude, weather and park rules?
Colorado Springs sits above 6,000 feet, higher than Denver, and the summit of Pikes Peak is over 14,000 feet, so give a dog from lower elevations a day or two before any strenuous hike and bring water everywhere. Dogs must be leashed outside designated off-leash areas. Not every park is open to them: Cheyenne Mountain State Park keeps dogs off most of its trails, and the Manitou Incline does not allow dogs. Summer afternoons bring lightning storms, so hike in the morning, and watch for rattlesnakes on sunny, rocky trails.
How do pet fees work at Colorado Springs hotels?
Colorado Springs is a drive-to holiday and military town, and its hotels are mostly mid-priced chains that see a lot of traveling dogs. Policies are generally relaxed about size, since many guests arrive with large, active breeds for the trails. Nightly fees are common at the select-service and extended-stay hotels along Interstate 25, while downtown and resort properties lean toward a flat fee. Rates are highest from June to August and around Air Force Academy graduation in late May; from November to March, rooms are inexpensive and pet-friendly availability is rarely a problem.