The Garden of the Gods Park provides plenty of chances for entertainment for the residents of Colorado Springs as well as guests. The facilities provided by the park consist of trekking, biking, horseback riding and rock climbing. You'll find over 15 miles of trails that can be used by hikers, bikers and horseback riders with a paved 1 1/2 mile straight through the heart of the park which is also accessible for wheelchairs. More than 2 million travelers pay a visit to the Garden of the Gods Park annually.
The park offers spectacular geological features in the shape of the ancient sedimentary beds which are comprised of red, white, blue and purple sandstone and limestone. The substantial forces that created Pikes Peak also caused these sedimentary beds to tilt and to fault and they display evidence of the past, like ancient oceans and beach locations along with sand dunes. You can also see lots of fossils including plants, dinosaurs and marine life. At the point where the Tower of Babel (Lyons Sandstone) meets the Fountain Formation, there is a stunning shear fault.
Yet another fascinating feature is the hogbacks, which get their name from their resemblance to the spine and back of a pig. They are ridges of sandstone with tilted layers and even some vertical ones. They're quite tall and the tallest, which is North Gateway Rock, is three hundred and twenty feet tall. A different hogback, the Kissing Camels, offers the appearance of two big camels sitting nose to nose with their lips in touch. http://www.kw.com
The steep and uncommon rock formations in both make it a haven for rock climbers, for which a yearly permit can be attained at the Garden of the Gods Visitor and Nature Center. The rules demand, amongst other things, that you use correct equipment, stay with the established climbing paths and climb with a "buddy." You should be cautious since the limestone can easily become unstable, especially after heavy rain, and a number of deaths have happened over the years.
The Garden of the Gods Visitor and Nature Center is found near the entrance to the park. No-cost nature presentations are offered every day and there are lots of natural history exhibits, such as minerals and plants in addition to items from Native American culture. Programs include nature hikes and bus tours with guides in addition to motion pictures and special events. The earnings from the Centre go towards supporting the park.
