Top Colorado Springs Outdoor Activities

Gizmo gave us a great tour of two of the local city parks: North Cheyenne Canon and Garden of the Gods. There were also interesting stops at Old Colorado City and others. Gizmo had tremendous knowledge of the local area and made the experience extra special. The Jeep was a comfortable ride with open air. My husband and I thoroughly enjoyed it!

My nephew and I did a 4 hour tour of the Garden of the Gods and Pikes Peak. It was snowy and a bit cold and some of Pikes Peak was closed that day. We had heated seats to warm us up, and our driver modified the route to get us on Pike's Peak as each gate was being opened after they considered it cleared from the snow. There were lots of historical details and current events discussed. This trip on the Jeep saved my nephew's car from making the climb and gave him a chance to look around. It was a beautiful and interesting experience.

Sometimes things just work out for a reason. I originally booked my hot air balloon ride with another local company (who kept my friend and I in suspense about whether or not we actually had a reservation because they were waiting to see if more people would book their tour). We found Adventures Out West on Viator and were not only able to book with them right away, but also get an immediate confirmation for our reservation. The only frustrating thing is that when booking through Viator, it requires a minimum of 2 people in order to book the reservation. I'm normally a solo traveler but fortunately I had a friend who wanted to do this excursion as well... But something to keep in mind if you are a solo traveler. You may want to reach out to the company directly to see if you can book as a party of one. The meeting place is about an hour drive from Denver. My friend and I left before dawn and made it to the meeting point by sunrise. Everybody on the team was friendly, energetic and welcoming even at such an ungodly hour. On the ride over to the departure site, they gave us a quick overview of what to expect as well as a safety briefing then we waited for them to unpack and inflate the balloon. After about 45 minutes we were ready to go. I am glad that I did this trip with a friend because it's close quarters in the basket. The basket has several compartments that each hold two people, bus compartments for the fuel tanks and another for the pilot. It's barely enough space in the compartment to turn around, so if you're going by yourself you're going to get to know a stranger VERY well by the end of the ride. The ride itself was absolutely wonderful. It was a calm, breathtaking glide across Colorado Springs. We drifted over the Colorado Springs Airport and got to watch an airplane take off right in front of us. We were about 2,000 ft up, so we were also able to see some of the local wildlife running around as we floated. It was a beautifully peaceful ride. The ground team was supposed to meet us at our landing site but unfortunately they got stuck in a ditch (we could see them from the air). They radioed the pilot of the hot air balloon (T-Dogg) to let him know what was going on and he handled the experience like the consummate professional. Our 40-60 minute ride ended up being almost 2 hours while T-Dogg figured out where to land. He kept us informed of the situation, let us know what his plan was, and never at any time did we feel uncomfortable or unsafe. Ultimately we ended up landing in the driveway of the Pikes Peak outdoor gun club. It was an adventure for everyone involved, as members drove around our massive hot air balloon to enter or exit the venue, snapping pictures and video as they went. The landing was astonishingly gentle. I expected a much more jarring experience but we touched down so softly, then gently bounced a few inches off the ground before coming to a full stop. Another testament to T-Dogg's skill as a pilot. Unfortunately the ground crew was unable to get themselves unstuck, so the staff were able to coordinate ground transportation from another vehicle in their fleet: A modified Jeep that thankfully had space for all of us. We ride by the ditch where the ground team was stuck, picked up all of our items and then headed back to the meeting point where we were welcomed back with some wonderful refreshments including mini muffins and cinnamon rolls, fruit and cheese, as well as a champagne toast, which is an integral part of the hot air balloon experience so you don't want to miss that. This has been a bucket list item for me for a while and I cannot imagine having a better experience than I did with Adventures Out West.

The experience is very educational. Everyone involved is friendly & professional. They introduce you to several different birds, explain their differences & their individual hunting styles. They also assist you in getting pictures to document your visit. Deanna & Nicole were a great team & I would highly recommend this experience to anyone who loves birds or is looking for a unique experience during their stay in Colorado Springs. There's also an advanced class I may have to come back to take!

John was our tour guide, and he provided us with an excellent experience! We learned quite a bit of history about Pike's Peak throughout the tour, and the stops along the way (both on the way up and the way down) were so picturesque. It had snowed a couple of days before, and all the views were breathtaking. We highly recommend this tour!

They were very safety conscious but dud so in an entertaining manner so we all felt VERY comfortable in zip lining for the first time. Both the adults and kids age 9 and 12 zip lived with fun, adventure and a remarkable experience. They are simply the BEST!

Our flight with Rainbow Ryders in Colorado Springs was amazing! The pilots were top-notch—skilled, friendly, and made us feel completely at ease. Watching the sunrise light up Pikes Peak and Garden of the Gods was stunning. Smooth ride, soft, landing, and a fun champagne toast to wrap it up. Highly recommend!

We have done a few zipling tours before and this by far was the best experience. Our guides Chris and Cole were very chill and very knowledgable. Our safety was also their number one priority. Zipping thought the canyon was breathing taking and the rappel at the end was the perfect ending. I was with my family of young adults, we all had a great time.