Arkansas River Walk
This seven-mile trail winds up and down the
Arkansas River
through Cañon City. The trail offers everything from lush foliage to
native wetlands. Nature enthusiasts can spot various Colorado bird
species including great blue
herons, fowl, thrashers, magpies and ferruginous hawk.
New Santa Fe Regional Trail
Wander
this 20-mile trail that follows the abandoned Atkinson, Topeka and
Santa Fe Railroad tracks. Following a largely unpaved path that extends
between Colorado Springs and
Palmer Lake, this trail shows off picture-perfect views of grassy
hillsides and Piñon Pine trees.
Manitou Incline
Perhaps the most popular and challenging hiking trail in the Pikes Peak region, the
Manitou Incline
has one of the largest increases of elevation around. The incline
railway was originally created for reaching access to a hydroelectric
plant, then later turned into an incline railway tourist attraction.
After the train closed in the early 1990’s the trail gained fame for
its 2,788 steps that reach 2,000 feet of elevation in under a one-mile
trek.
Rock Island Regional Trail
This
14.8-mile course runs parallel to Highway 24 between Colorado Springs
and Peyton. Several landmarks can be viewed from the trail including
Pikes Peak, Rampart Range and
the Rattlesnake Buttes at Homestead Ranch Regional Park.