Anyone visiting Colorado should definitely make their way to Colorado Springs to visit the Garden of the Gods. The rock formations, with their vibrant reddish-orange color, are visually stunning against the back drop of Pikes Peak and the surrounding foothills. It is hard to imagine that the majestic orange sandstone rocks that are so beautiful today were once sand dunes millions of years ago when an inland sea covered the area. It is this vast geological history with all of the forces that produced the Rocky Mountains that gave birth to the rock formations that make up the Garden of the Gods.
Many people are aware that Colorado is an active area for discovering dinosaur fossils, but most people don’t associate that with the Garden of the Gods. The Garden of the Gods Visitor and Nature Center opened an exhibit in 2008 to celebrate the discovery of a new species of dinosaur based on fossils that were found in the park. The discovery actually occurred in 1878, but the fossil was misidentified as a Camptosaurus and it wasn’t until 2006 that it was reexamined and determined to be a new genus and species.
The park offers great activities for people of all ages. There are hiking trails, nature walks, Jeep and Segway tours, rock climbing, or even bird watching as there are many species of birds that make the rocks their home. Rock Ledge Ranch, located within the park, is also worth a visit as it provides a glimpse into the early settlers and native inhabitants of the Pikes Peak region. Whether capturing images with a camera or a canvas, Mother Nature has made sure that there is plenty of picture perfect opportunities.
Not surprisingly, over time people have given names to many of the formations within the park. Some are obvious such as Balanced Rock. Others are more imaginative, such as Three Graces, The Cathedral Spires, Getaway Rock, or Steamboat Rock. None is probably as famous as the Kissing Camels, which is an often debated conversation amongst the visiting tourists as to whether they really look like camels. With or without names, each of the different rock formations is inspiring to realize that time, weather, and geological upheaval could reveal something so amazing and beautiful.
Fittingly enough, the park got its name from a couple of surveyors who were exploring the local area. When they came across the park and its natural beauty, M. S. Beach, for whom the story is attributed, stated that it would “be a capital place for a beer garden”. The other surveyor, named Rufus Cable, replied “Beer Garden! Why it is a fit place for the Gods to assemble. We will call it the Garden of the Gods”. The name stuck and after a long day hiking and climbing in the park, a beer is the perfect complement to a day outdoors.
Obviously there are other attractions in the Colorado Springs area that are all worth a visit as well. Places like the Cave of the Winds, Pikes Peak Scenic Highway, the Cog Railway to the summit of Pikes Peak, Seven Falls, or the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, just to name a few. But a visit to Garden of the Gods is on the top of our list of sites that need to be seen, not just in Colorado Springs, but in the whole state.
We left early in the morning on the road to the villages Tiquipaya and El Paso, where we made a very interesting stop at the oldest church of Cochabamba. As a guide, I enjoy being able to explain many interesting things about the old history of the monument. Back on the road again the landscape changed quickly as we drove into the Tunari mountain range. On our journey we saw beautiful waterfalls, Andean lakes, farm lands, and encountered indigenes communities. The scenery was typical of the Andes landscapes and we stopped a few times in order to explain more about the country of Bolivia, which I’m passionate about, and the region that we were traveling through.
Our trekking began at a beautiful Andean lake called Laguna Taquiña, but before walking, I explained the practical things about walking in this altitude, 4300 meters above sea level, about the weather in the Majestic Andes, and the animals living in the region. We received a typical breakfast Api, a drink made out of corn that dates back from the times of the Incas, snacks, water, fruits and were ready to go!
Directly at the beginning of our hike there where two giant Andean Condors flying over our heads, the biggest flying creature in the world, how lucky we were!!!! We were also surrounded by hundreds of very curious llamas and Alpacas, many of them with little baby llamas. The trekking slightly ascends, we had beautiful weather and even a bit of snow on the mountaintops in the distance, which was really spectacular. You have the time to walk at your own pace, which makes this hike really nice and we took the time for the group to take pictures. At one point I took some stones from the ground and explained that there are incredibly old fossils in them. And yes indeed, we could see the shells all over the place, which was just unbelievable standing at almost 5000 meters above sea level. These fossils are between 500 and 600 million years old!!! Once there was an old ocean just where we are walking right now!
We hiked higher and higher and the trekking also became more and more strenuous. It’s just a fascinating feeling to hike at this incredible altitude, with landscapes around you like you are in a National Geographic documentary!! After trekking for about 3 hours, we finally reached our goal, and we stood at 5050 meters high (16404 feet). The view on the top was incredible, with hundreds of snowy mountain tops and endless views over the Andes. We were even able to see the Cordillera Real of La Paz, including the Illimani Mountain, 150 miles away! And of course we had a view of the city Cochabamba. On our way back we took a completely different trail and were able to see Vichachas, very funny animals, some kind of mix between a rabbit, squirrel and a kangaroo, it’s a typical animal from the Andes.
We came across some other unexplainable impressive viewpoints over this mountain range, and saw some other lakes with beautiful colors. We took a little rest at the Macho Lake, there was no sound at all, no cars, no planes flying over, no other trekkers, absolutely nothing, you are completely alone with Nature!
