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Manitou
Springs Cog Railway
 Since
1891, the Manitou and Pike's Peak Railway (the world's highest cog railroad, the
highest Colorado railroad AND highest train in the United States) has taken passengers
to the 14,110 foot summit of Pikes Peak.
Just 70 miles from downtown
Denver and 6 miles from downtown Colorado Springs, this classic Colorado train
trip is open from mid-April through December.
The Pikes Peak Cog Railway is 8.9 miles long. The round trip lasts 3 hours and
10 minutes. The first third of our trip is along Ruxton Creek in Englemann Canyon.
Here, the steep track follows a cascading stream through dense stands of Englemann
spruce, Colorado blue spruce, as well as Ponderosa pine trees. Conductors like
to point out the various "faces" and shapes which, with a bit of imagination,
can be seen in the giant boulders. Right near the Minnehaha switch (where the
descending trains pass the ascending train on many trips) is Minnehaha Falls.
The middle third of the trip is on a gentler grade. Right below the old settlement
of Ruxton Park, the train passes through what is known as "Hell Gate", a natural
gateway in the mountains. Soon, the train passes near Deer Park, where passengers
sometimes catch a glimpse of mule deer grazing. Then the train passes over the
Four Mile Switch and gets the first glimpse of Pikes Peak! Another siding comes
up, Mountain View, which is the half-way point on the journey.
At about the 5 mile point, the grade steepens again where the railway begins climbing
in earnest. Many of the trees in this area are bristlecone pine, some of the oldest
living things on earth! It is estimated that some trees on Pikes Peak are over
2000 years old.
Once the train climbs above timberline, the views become
more expansive. Timberline is the point in elevation where trees stop growing
because they cannot get enough moisture. This lack of moisture is due to the presence
of permafrost, a permanent layer of frost just below the surface of the ground.
What does grow is Alpine tundra, a mixture of mosses, grasses and wildflowers,
has adapted to the extremely short growing season. Here passengers frequently
see Bighorn sheep and yellow-bellied marmots.
The last 3 miles are all above timberline. To the east the Great Plains stretch
out beyond the border of Colorado and Kansas. To the south, the Sangre de Christo
(Blood of Christ) Range stretches south to New Mexico. On the western horizon,
just slightly to the southwest, lies the Collegiate Range. To the southwest, at
the base of Pikes Peak, sit the old mining towns of Cripple Creek and Victor.
Once upon the summit, if the weather is clear, you can see the skyscrapers of
downtown Denver.
Upon reaching the summit, you are provided with 40 minutes
of breathtaking views atop Pikes Peak. This time limit is for your benefit, as
most people tend to feel the effects of high altitude (slight nausea, headache)
after this amount of time. The railway recommends that you budget your time accordingly.
In the high season, the summit house serves thousands of people daily. The staff
of ARAMARK (the concessionaire of the Summit House, which is owned by the City
of Colorado Springs) does an admirable job with a facility that was built in the
1950's and was never intended to serve the numbers it does today. Consequently,
long lines are quite common especially in the food service area. The lines are
generally longest at food service right after the train arrives. You can bring
food and beverages aboard the train (either your own or those purchased from the
Cog Railway Cafe), but due to the limited seating, you cannot bring outside food
or beverages into the Summit House.
MANITOU & PIKES PEAK RAILWAY
515 RUXTON AVE. / PO BOX 351
MANITOU SPRINGS,
CO 80829
719 685 5401
FAX- 719 685 9033 -FAX
e-mail: info@cograilway.com
Colorado
Springs Homes |
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Homes Resource
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it to anyone moving to the greater Colorado Springs area."
Email: Info@ColoradoHomeResource.net
Office: (719) 238-2311
Fax: (719) 633-6615
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