Red Rock Canyon

You can certainly choose your own adventure here. My boyfriend and I ended up walking almost 8 miles by combining various trails. Good amount of parking. Could be more trash bins along the trail, the dog people sometimes left bags or let their animals poop. I really appreciate the variety in views and terrain. And it was free!

This is a nice place if you live locally and the trials are nice. Garden of the Gods is super close by so I would go there as the views and trails are better. However, they allow hiking, biking and horseback. The only con is that people are not picking up after their dogs or leaving their bags on the trail, even though there are posted signs at trailheads asking for dog owners to be respectful.

Beautiful trails, great views of pikes peak and red rock formations. You can see Garden of the Gods in the distance, too! Trailer parking off 31st.

I preferred hiking here vs. Garden of the Gods. There were a lot less crowds, more parking, and still some beautiful views. Only about a mile from the south entrance to GotG, we found it very relaxing to hike here. The trails are well maintained, there are hikes from beginner to intermediate level, and various options to connect to other trails, so you don't have to do the same hike every time.

Gorgeous location! Plenty of space to run, walk, hike and walk your pup. Lovely views of the red rocks through the ascension high up the canyon with wide easy to navigate and well labeled trails. Easy to access and just a quick stop outside Colorado Springs.