“Highest cog railway in the world!”
The Pikes Peak Cog Railway holds a unique distinction as the highest cog railway in the world. Wonder how this legendary Pikes Peak train came to take visitors to the top of America’s Mountain? One of the tourists who visited the Pikes Peak region in the late 1880s was Zalmon Simmons, inventor and founder of the Simmons Beautyrest Mattress Company. Mr. Simmons rode to the summit of Pikes Peak on a mule. The arduous, two day trip was the only way to reach the top in those days. Mr. Simmons was awed by the scenery but determined that the views should be experienced in a more civilized and comfortable manner. In 1889, the Manitou & Pike's Peak Railway Company was founded and track construction began. Top wages were 25 cents per hour. Six workers died in blasting and construction accidents. On the afternoon of June 30th, 1891, the first passenger Pikes Peak train, carrying a church choir from Denver, made it to the summit. Spencer Penrose, owner of The Broadmoor Hotel, acquired the Railway in 1925. The track of the Pikes Peak Cog Railway is 8.9 miles long. The round trip lasts 3 hours and 10 minutes. Check for departure dates and times before your trip to the summit.
We had this scheduled for our trip. I am glad a searched the website, as the railway is currently closed for the 2018 season. So unfortunate, I think this would have been an awesome addition to our trip.
It was a wonderful ride up the mountain, but if your not accustomed to the altitude be forewarned. It was so hard on me and my kids we had to go sit in the train. We are from Louisiana and live at sea level and 14,000 feet was very hard for us. What your children close because there isnt any railing on the summit and if they get dizzy they may fall easily. While there, a lady fell and hit her head on a large rock and had to be taking by ambulance. As for the train ride, there was views you wont get else where.Well woth the money, despite the altitude issue!
Other reviews say it all, however I want to add that MOST of the trip is the cog railway. The views from the trail are amazing, however the time that you get to spend at the top is pretty limited. I think we got a grand total of 20 minutes from train stop to heading back down. In that time we had to wait in LONG lines for the only bathroom on the mountain top, and so we only really got about 10 minutes of actual vista viewing. This trip is well worth it, especially if you wont be in Colorado much, and its a once in a life time deal, but if i had to do it again, i would make the drive. If you can stomach that winding road, and know how to drive on steep grades, a personal vehicle will make the whole experience on the top of the mountain much less stressful.
Worth the time and money. Took our 3 kids (2-9) and they got a little bored with the ride down, but still made some lasting memories. The conductor is funny and helped with their attention spans :). Stunning scenery and interesting history to boot. As other reviews have posted, TAKE A JACKET. The summit is both windy and cold. TIP: Grab a seat at the cafe ASAP, they go quick. Be sure to get some donuts too.
We were looking forward to taking a ride on the train. However to our disappointment, we discovered upon our arrival in Colorado Springs, that the Manitou and Pike's Peak Railway has been closed for all of 2018, potentially for 2019. We strongly advise calling ahead to check of its availability.
This was a GREAT way to show visitors who were coming from sea level some of the amazing scenery here. Appeals to all ages.
Great views. Remember your jacket. I went up at the end of August and when we got to the top the landscape was white and covered in hail and my friends realized sandals might have been a bad choice. Also, the donuts and coffee tasted strangely good up there...
Actually, I just visited the site AND they are completely closed. Apparently "Over the past several months, the railroad has undergone a major evaluation and it has been determined that the infrastructure and equipment has run its course. The railroad is in the process of determining next steps and action plans for the future. "
You definitely won't be disappointed. When I was here, it was raining and windy, so we weren't able to go to the summit, but it was still so stunning. It's a fun ride up, learning some neat history, and at the top (ish) you get amazing views of the snowy peaks around you. We got to see some wildlife (rams and lots of the little groundhogs)and got some gorgeous pictures, but my favorite part was on the way down, they let us get out and run around in the forest! It was gorgeous and fun and you got more great views of the peak. A great use of time and money.
It can seem a little long or boring at times but a trip to the top of Pikes Peak at least once is definitely worth it and this is, in my opinion, the best way to do it. The scenery so great and I even saw a black bear when I went! Just be sure to remember it's going to be much colder at the top than at the bottom!
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Manitou And Pike's Peak Railway
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