Tucked just west of Colorado Springs at the base of the mighty Pikes Peak, Manitou Springs is one of Colorado’s most overlooked treasures. This small, artsy town is packed with bubbling mineral springs, jaw-dropping mountain trails, ancient cliff dwellings, and a creative community that gives it a personality all its own.
Most people drive right past it on their way to bigger destinations, never realizing what they’re missing. If you love quirky charm, outdoor adventure, and history all rolled into one, Manitou Springs might just become your new favorite place in Colorado.
The Famous Manitou Mineral Springs
Long before tourists ever arrived, Native Americans considered these bubbling springs sacred healing waters. Manitou Springs gets its name from these natural mineral springs, and there are actually eight of them scattered around town, each with a unique mineral composition and taste.
Some taste slightly salty, others have a tangy fizz, and a few are almost bitter. Locals and visitors carry cups or bottles to sample each one on a self-guided tasting tour.
It is completely free, which makes it one of the best deals in all of Colorado.
The springs were a huge draw in the late 1800s when wealthy visitors came to “take the waters” for their supposed health benefits. Today, the springs are lovingly maintained and marked with historic signs.
Trying all eight is practically a rite of passage in Manitou Springs.
The Legendary Manitou Incline Trail
Over 2,700 steps. Nearly 2,000 feet of elevation gain.
Less than one mile long. The Manitou Incline is not for the faint of heart, but it has become one of the most talked-about fitness challenges in the entire country.
Built on the path of an old cable car railway, the trail shoots almost straight up the side of a mountain with sections reaching a 68 percent grade. Elite athletes, weekend warriors, and curious first-timers all show up here ready to test their limits.
Some people run it. Others crawl.
Most just try to survive.
The reward at the top is absolutely worth every burning step. Panoramic views of Manitou Springs, Colorado Springs, and the surrounding mountains stretch out in every direction.
Many hikers descend on the Barr Trail, which winds back down through shady pine forests at a much gentler pace.
Manitou Cliff Dwellings
Hundreds of years before Europeans ever set foot in Colorado, the Ancestral Puebloans were building remarkable stone homes tucked into the sides of cliffs. The Manitou Cliff Dwellings give visitors a rare, hands-on chance to explore these ancient structures up close.
Unlike many archaeological sites where you can only look from a distance, here you can actually walk through the rooms, touch the walls, and imagine daily life from nearly a thousand years ago. The structures were carefully relocated and reassembled in Manitou Springs in the early 1900s to protect them from further damage.
A small museum on-site shares the history and culture of the people who built these incredible homes. Kids especially love climbing through the low doorways and peering into the ancient rooms.
It is one of those places that makes history feel genuinely alive rather than just something you read about in a textbook.
Quirky Manitou Avenue Shopping
Forget the mall. Manitou Avenue is the kind of street where every single shop has a story.
Crystal healers sit next door to vintage clothing stores. Local artists hang their paintings in gallery windows.
A shop selling hand-carved walking sticks stands just down the block from a taffy maker who has been pulling candy for decades.
The whole strip has the energy of a place that genuinely does not care about being trendy. It just is what it is, and what it is happens to be wonderfully weird.
Browsing here feels more like an adventure than a shopping trip.
Many of the business owners are artists, craftspeople, or longtime locals who pour their personalities into their storefronts. You will find things here that you absolutely cannot find anywhere else.
Even if you do not buy a single thing, walking Manitou Avenue is an experience worth having all on its own.
Pikes Peak Views Right From Town
Most mountain towns brag about their views, but few can say they sit directly at the foot of a 14,115-foot giant. Pikes Peak looms over Manitou Springs in a way that feels almost cinematic, like someone placed a perfect postcard mountain right behind the town on purpose.
On clear mornings, the peak catches the first golden light of sunrise while the town below is still in shadow. On stormy afternoons, dramatic clouds swirl around the summit while lightning crackles far above.
Every season brings a completely different version of the view.
Katharine Lee Bates was so moved by the sight from the summit that she wrote the words to “America the Beautiful” after visiting in 1893. The Pikes Peak Cog Railway, which departs from Manitou Springs, takes visitors all the way to the top without a single hiking boot required.
The mountain is always there, always watching, always stunning.
The Miramont Castle Museum
Built in 1895 by a French Catholic priest named Father Jean Baptiste Francolon, Miramont Castle is one of the strangest and most fascinating buildings in all of Colorado. The structure combines nine different architectural styles into one sprawling, four-story stone mansion, which sounds like it should be a disaster but is somehow completely magnificent.
From the outside, it looks like someone could not make up their mind between a Gothic church, a Swiss chalet, and a medieval fortress. On the inside, it is a beautifully preserved museum filled with Victorian-era furniture, artifacts, and rooms that each tell part of the castle’s layered history.
Guided tours bring the building’s unusual past to life, and a charming tearoom on-site serves afternoon tea with mountain views. Ghost enthusiasts also love this place, as Miramont has earned a reputation as one of Colorado’s most haunted buildings.
History has never looked this gloriously strange.
The Annual Manitou Springs Coffin Races
Every October, teams of five people dress in elaborate costumes, grab a decorated coffin, and race it down Manitou Avenue at full speed. Yes, this is a real event.
Yes, it is exactly as wonderfully bizarre as it sounds.
The Coffin Races are held in honor of Emma Crawford, a young woman who died in 1891 and was buried on Red Mountain above town. After years of erosion, her coffin eventually tumbled back down the mountain, which inspired the town to commemorate the event in the most Manitou Springs way imaginable.
Thousands of spectators line the streets in costume each year, cheering, laughing, and soaking in the pure absurdity of it all. The event perfectly captures everything that makes this town special: a deep sense of history, a total lack of pretension, and an enthusiastic willingness to be completely, gloriously weird about it.
Garden of the Gods Is Just Minutes Away
Just a short drive from Manitou Springs sits one of the most jaw-dropping natural landmarks in the entire United States. Garden of the Gods is a public park filled with enormous red sandstone rock formations that shoot straight up from the earth like giant rust-colored fins.
Some reach over 300 feet tall.
The park is completely free to enter, which makes the fact that it looks like another planet even more impressive. Hiking trails wind between the formations, and the views of Pikes Peak framed by red rock are the kind of thing that ends up as someone’s phone wallpaper for years.
Rock climbers come from all over the world to scale these formations. Casual visitors are perfectly happy just walking the paved paths and taking photos.
Staying in Manitou Springs gives you the perfect home base for exploring this extraordinary park without the crowds of Colorado Springs hotels just down the road.
The Soda Springs Park and Pavilion
Right in the heart of town, Soda Springs Park is one of those spots that locals love and visitors stumble upon by happy accident. The park sits along Fountain Creek and features shaded benches, grassy areas, and one of the original mineral spring pavilions that dates back to the Victorian resort era.
Families spread out on the grass while kids splash near the creek. Older visitors sit in the shade and watch the world go by at a pace that feels refreshingly unhurried.
The sound of the creek running over smooth river rocks makes the whole place feel like a small, natural retreat hidden inside the town itself.
The pavilion is a favorite spot for wedding photos, community events, and casual afternoon hangs alike. It serves as a gentle reminder that Manitou Springs has always been a place people come to slow down, breathe the mountain air, and simply feel better than they did before they arrived.
A Thriving Arts and Creative Community
Manitou Springs has been a magnet for artists, musicians, writers, and free spirits for well over a century. Something about the mountain air, the mineral water, and the general attitude of the place seems to attract people who see the world a little differently.
The result is a creative energy that is impossible to fake.
Galleries line the streets showcasing everything from traditional oil paintings of mountain landscapes to abstract sculptures made from reclaimed materials. Street murals pop up on building walls throughout town, turning even a quick walk to the coffee shop into a mini art tour.
The town actively supports its creative community through events, festivals, and a culture that genuinely values originality over conformity. The Manitou Art Center hosts exhibitions, workshops, and open studio events year-round.
If you have ever wanted to spend time in a place that celebrates creativity as a way of life, this town delivers that feeling effortlessly.
Barr Trail and the Pikes Peak Summit Hike
For the truly adventurous, Barr Trail offers one of the most epic hikes in North America. Starting right in Manitou Springs, the trail climbs over 7,000 feet across 13 miles to reach the summit of Pikes Peak at 14,115 feet above sea level.
It is the kind of hike people train months for and talk about for years after.
The trail passes through pine forests, alpine meadows, and rocky tundra as the elevation climbs. About halfway up sits Barr Camp, a rustic backcountry shelter where hikers can rest, grab a snack, or even spend the night before pushing to the summit the next morning.
Reaching the top on foot is a completely different experience from driving or taking the cog railway. The sense of accomplishment is overwhelming.
Clouds often sit below you at the summit, and on clear days the view stretches across four states. Starting the journey right from Manitou Springs town center makes the whole adventure feel even more special.
Charming Victorian Architecture Throughout Town
Walking through Manitou Springs sometimes feels like stepping into a living history book. The town is filled with Victorian-era homes, hotels, and commercial buildings that have been lovingly preserved and, in many cases, painted in the bold, eye-catching colors that make them look like they belong on a postcard.
The late 1800s were boom years for Manitou Springs, when wealthy visitors flooded in seeking the healing benefits of the mineral waters. That prosperity left behind a legacy of beautiful architecture that still defines the character of the town today.
Every block seems to hold another gingerbread-trimmed porch or ornate bay window worth stopping to admire.
History buffs will love spotting architectural details that tell the story of different eras and building styles layered on top of each other. Many of the historic buildings now house restaurants, bed-and-breakfasts, and shops, giving them a second life that keeps the history feeling warm and lived-in rather than cold and museum-like.
The Relaxed, Small-Town Vibe That Is Genuinely Rare
In a world where every small town seems to be rushing to become the next trendy destination, Manitou Springs has somehow managed to stay wonderfully, stubbornly itself. The pace here is slow by design.
People say hello to strangers. Shop owners chat with customers like old friends.
Nobody seems to be in a hurry to get anywhere.
That unhurried energy is surprisingly hard to find these days, and it is one of the biggest reasons people who visit Manitou Springs tend to fall a little in love with it. There is a sense that this place does not need your approval, which somehow makes you want to give it anyway.
Whether you spend your time sipping mineral water by the creek, browsing art galleries, or just sitting on a bench watching the mountains turn pink at sunset, Manitou Springs has a way of making you feel like you have found something rare. Come once, and you will absolutely be planning a return trip before you even leave.
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