Pikes Peak Trail Guide


Visitor Questions
If you have questions or comments about the Pikes Peak region, or about our Trailguide CD-Rom/Book, this is where you can send them in. The link below will pop-up the E-mail dialog. A return E-mail message will usually be sent, and the reply will be posted on this page sometime later. Mail is checked weekly, so any urgent needs will be disappointed.

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Pikes Peak Questions and Answers

Garden of the Gods
Is Garden of the Gods still Free ?
Yes it is. It's one of the few major attractions in the area that's still free. The Pikes Peak Highway, Seven Falls and Royal Gorge are all about ten dollars a person.

Winter Activities
I'm driving through the area in November and I'd like to drive or hike up Pikes Peak. Is it possible at that time of year?
Hiking is a bad idea this time of year. Experienced hikers with sub-zero clothes and tents could do it, but the unprepared would be risking their lives. The Barr Trail is 12 miles to the top and strong hikers commonly take two days to hike up and back, in the summer! The highway stays open until snow closes it shut, which is usually mid November.

Lake Moraine
Are there any trails that lead to Lake Moraine on the south side of Pikes Peak?
Lake Moraine is part of the city's watershed, along with the other lakes nearby, and is off limits. It's patroled by a caretaker and you'd probably be escorted to jail. However, the water department occasionally grants permits to hike on the South Slope Watershed if you have a good excuse. If you work for a newspaper, study geology or mountain lions you might get in. If you get a permit, there are three way to get there. The easiest is to drive up Gold Camp Road to Clyde and drive north to the Seven Lakes area, the caretaker will have to let you in. Otherwise, take the Cog train to Mountain View and hike east to Ruxton Park, or hike up the Barr Trail to Barr Camp and Ruxton Park. Take a good map, the Ormes Pikes Peak Atlas shows the area better than any other.

Photos from Pikes Peak Highway
When driving the Pikes Peak Highway are there frequent places where I can pull over to take photos?
Though it's mostly a dirt road, the highway is wide and smooth with plenty of space to pull over on nearly every turn. And after about half-way you're above all those view-blocking trees with an aerial view of half the state.

Ride Up and Hike Down Pikes Peak
A couple of my friends are on our college crosscountry team and we're wondering if it's possible to ride the Cog Railway to the top of Pikes Peak and then run down so that we come out near the Cog, and our cars?
Actually that's the most common way to hike the peak. The Barr Trail (the trail that goes to the top) starts right across the street from the Cog Depot, and ends at the top of the peak, next to the Cog. I think it's $23 to ride the Cog, but one-way is only $18 if they have space (it's full fare if they don't).

Hiking Barr Trail
We are planning to hike up Pikes Peak. Is there water on the trail that is drinkable? Where along the trail do campers spend the night? Do people hike all the way up or just part way, then camp
The only water along the Barr Trail is at Barr Camp (half way up). The caretaker lives there and sells drinks and snacks to hikers, but the drinks were warm the last time I was there. The creeks aren't reliable and aren't safe. There's also a gift shop and snack bar at the top with food and drinks. There is an A-frame hut at treeline (about 9 miles up) where hikers commonly stay. But you can camp in the trees just as easily if you bring your own stuff. Hikers do the trip in all different ways. Most take the train up and hike down, a few hike the round trip (24 miles) in a day, some hike up then catch a ride back down on the highway (it closes at 6:00 so start early), some hike up to the A-frame and camp then hike the rest up and back down the next day. No matter how you do it, bring food, water and a rain jacket if you're hiking for the day. Bring cold weather gear if you're spending the night.

Is Barr Trail Well Marked ?
The start of the Barr Trail is well marked with a big parking lot, restroom and info kiosk, but the rest of the trail isn't really. The path is well worn and obvious, but some of the trail junctions aren't obvious at all. Take a good map and follow your progress as you go. Plan on taking six to eight hours to hike up, if you're in good shape.

Ride Down the Pikes Peak Highway ?
Can you hike up Barr Trail then ride your bike down the highway? Sounds like it would make for an interesting one day event. Can I link to your site from our troop website?
Bikes aren't allowed on the P.P. Highway, except those with the registered tour. You can bike down the Barr Trail but the top few miles aren't really bikeable. If you can get the bikes to the Elk Park Trailhead (mile 15) then you can ride across the Elk Park Trail to the Barr and bypass the rocky top. I've never done it, but I hear it's a lot of fun. Feel free to link to my site.

Pikes Peak via the Crags ?
Back in 1992, when I was working in Cripple Creek, a group of us hiked up to Pikes Peak via The Crags trail located off Highway 67. I have been trying to find a map with that trail included in it, but all I can find is the Crags trail. Do you know where I might find a map that shows that route to the top of Pikes Peak?
I think that's called the Banana Rock Trail. The latest version of the Ormes/Houdek map, the Pikes Peak Atlas, might show it. Most maps don't show it because (a) most map makers don't know about it, and (b) until a few years ago the forest service discouraged its use. I heard recently that it is now a forest service trail and goes to the Devils Playground then parallels the road to the top. The forest service office on South Weber Street might have a flyer on it.

The Cortz Mine ?
I am looking for a place on Rampart Range that they call Cortz Mine, it has a lot of Cortz Rocks, but I can't seem to find it. Can you help?
I've never heard of the Cortz Mine, but there are quite a few mines along Rampart Range Road. The Trails Illustrated maps (Deckers & Pikes Peak) and the forest service map list several of them but not by name. You can get those maps and information at the forest service visitor center on South Weber Street.

Software Questions and Comments

G.P.S. Receivers
Will the Trail Map Software work with GPS Receivers ?
Not Yet. However, the maps can display the UTM grid (the coordinate system used by GPS) and the Lat/Long grid. It can also display the coordinates of the cursor in both UTM and Lat/Long.

Copying the Photos
I'd like to use some of the photos on your Web site in a church bulletin. Is that permitted without any special permission?
No problem. Unlike most commercial sites we encourage others to use our photos. But there are a few guidelines: If used in any kind of bulletin or booklet it should say "GhostTownSoftware.com". See the "About Ghost Town" page for copyright info.

Printing to a File
I'd like to put one of your maps in a club flyer, but how can I print a map to a file?
Version One couldn't print to a file, but Version Two can. Those with Version One can get an update from the Updates page. Another option is to capture the screen image with Alt-PrintScreen, which copies the active window to the clipboard (this works in any program).

MAC Version ?
I've seen your software all over the city, but I can't find a Mac version. Is there such a thing and where can I get it?
So far there's only a Windows version. Our sales currently won't support the development cost of any other platforms.