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