12 Tips For Riding The Pikes Peak Cog Railway

The Pikes Peak Cog Railway in Colorado is the world’s highest and longest cog railway, taking visitors to the 14,115 foot summit of Pikes Peak.

During the steep but scenic ride, passengers are treated to stunning panoramic views of forests, rugged rock formations, alpine tundra, and the surrounding mountains. It’s one of the most popular attractions in Colorado Springs for good reason!

Planning to ride the Pikes Peak Cog Railway? I ran into a couple questions while booking and planning my excursion, these are a few tips I wish I had known before my ride.

Tips For Riding The Pikes Peak Cog Railway

Booking The Pikes Peak Cog Railway

First of all, the lowest rate doesn’t allow you to choose your seats. But, you can see your seat assignment before paying. So take a look at the low price option, then upgrade your seats if needed. My husband and I were automatically assigned seats together so the lowest rate was perfect for us.

Most people prefer the view from the “3 seat side” (or, said differently, the port side). The train does not turn around at the top, your view will be the same going up and down. If you’re not able to get the 3 seat side though, don’t worry, the views are good all around.

Tip: Tall travelers — the space between seats is narrow. Sit across from someone in your group if possible.

Finally, I recommend booking the earliest time slot. This is for two reasons: in the morning you’ll have relatively less crowds getting through Manitou Springs, and you’ll likely avoid afternoon storms which are common in Colorado especially during summer.

What To Bring

It’s very important to bring warm layers, even in summer. It’s an average of 20 to 30 degrees colder at the summit compared to Colorado Springs and it’s pretty much always windy. Additionally, snow is possible in any season. When visiting in summer, I wear pants and tennis shoes and bring a fleece or sweatshirt.

Winter visitors, you really need to bundle up. Colorado Springs could be experiencing a nice, mild winter day and the summit could be dramatically different. During my winter visit, I wore a heavy winter jacket, thermal headband, large scarf, gloves, and snow boots with wool socks, yet could only stand outside for a few minutes at a time — this was on a sunny, albeit very windy, day.

No matter the season, also bring a refillable water bottle and some snacks. I’ll get into the important ‘why’ behind this in the “Tips for the Summit” section below.

Parking & Getting There

This is where I had the most questions, so I hope you find this helpful…

Parking

Pikes Peak Cog Railway has its own parking lot for those riding the train, it costs $20 for 4.5 hours. Follow signs for this parking lot and do not park in the other lots. (You can technically park in the other lots on Ruxton Avenue, but I wouldn’t waste your time, it all costs the same and the cog railways has the most convenient lot.)

I was initially off-put when I saw that parking is an added fee. After paying so much for a ticket, you’d assume it’s included. But upon visiting, I understand. Parking is really limited at the train depot, this area is congested and there’s just not a lot of room for cars. A fee prevents visitors from leaving their car here longer than necessary, ensuring all riders will have a parking spot, no matter what time their train departs.

Take The Free Shuttle

If you don’t want to park on Ruxton Ave, there is a free shuttle, “Route 33 Manitou Incline/Cog,” with multiple pick up points throughout Manitou Springs. You can find route information at: Manitou Springs Free Shuttle.

The shuttle is free but you have to pay to park in Manitou Springs. Check out ManitouSprings.org/parking for information on lots and pricing.

If you’re spending the day in Manitou Springs, going to the shops or grabbing lunch after the cog railway for example, then parking in Manitou Springs and taking the shuttle is a great option.

If you’re coming to Manitou Springs just for the cog railway, the cog parking lot is the most convenient option. 

Give Yourself Extra Time To Get Here

No matter if you’re parking at the depot or taking the shuttle, give yourself plenty of time to get here. Manitou Spring is narrow and congested, traffic is going to slow you down, especially in summer.

And weekend visitors, check if there are any events going on in Manitou during your visit, add extra extra time if that’s the case. Check out upcoming events at Manitou Springs Events.

On that same note, arrive to the depot early. There’s no bathroom on the train cars, so the depot bathroom line was quite long when we arrived, I hardly had time to use the restroom before boarding. There are two bathrooms though, a small restroom in the main waiting area, and another at the end of the platform.

Note: the cog railway parking lot is open 30 minutes prior to your ride, so unfortunately you can’t arrive earlier than that. Shuttle riders, you can show up as early as you’d like.

Tips For The Summit Of Pikes Peak

This is a big one, your time at the summit is very limited. We had a full hour, but I’ve heard other riders say they had only 40 minutes at the summit, so it varies.

Let’s talk about lines in the Summit Visitor Center. The food line is going to be long, so pack a snack to avoid this, or if you really want the donuts for example, send one person in your party to get those immediately. The gift shop line can be long, too. The bathrooms were huge, so those lines were limited during my visit.

Note: food and drinks (outside of water bottles) are prohibited on the train. But you can pack these items in a bag to enjoy on the summit, you just can’t eat on the train.

But you really should be up here looking at the summit views, so please prioritize that. Katherine Lee Bates didn’t write “America the Beautiful” after her visit to this very summit for no reason. There are stunning 360-degree views up here.

Winter visitors, your time at the outdoor viewpoints will probably be limited, it’s just too cold most days. There are beautiful views from inside the visitor center and there’s a wonderful free museum worth checking out. And as an added perk, the lines are much shorter this time of year.

Finally, these trains leave right on time, you need to be aware of this so you’re not left behind. I set an alarm on my phone so I didn’t get distracted. 

Altitude Sickness

Altitude sickness is a very real factor at this elevation, and while not everybody gets it, it’s normal for most. There’s about 60% oxygen at 14,000 feet, compared to 100% at sea level and 80% in Colorado Springs. In these conditions, it takes a lot of work for your body to get oxygen. On top of that, the process of getting that oxygen causes dehydration.

Hydrate before riding the train, avoid caffeine on the summit, and drink a lot of water on the summit. But bring your own water bottle so you don’t have to wait in the food line.

Tip: avoid water bottles with straws because the pressure change on the train will cause water to explode out of your straw.

Even as somebody who lives in Denver and drinks a lot of water, I can feel the effects of 14,000 feet. After an hour on the summit I had a mild headache and felt mildly lightheaded. My husband, on the other hand, had no symptoms. So, reactions will vary.

If you’re coming from out of town, give yourself at least a day or two at lower elevations (in Denver, Colorado Springs, etc.) to acclimate. Going from sea level to 14,000 feet in a short period is not recommended.

Is This A Good Activity For Kids?

My final takeaway, I don’t think the cog railway is a great activity for little kids — older kids, though, no problem.

For kids under 5 or 6, excluding those who really love trains or nature, this will be boring. The train ride is an hour each way and you can’t get out of your seat due to the steep grades.

For even younger kids, toddlers and infants, I’d be cautious about taking them. The cog railway isn’t recommended for babies under 6 months, however, I would avoid bringing any children that can’t talk yet.

There are a lot of variables at this elevation, all of which are more complicated if a child can’t verbally communicate yet. Is your toddler crying because they’re bored? Or hungry? Or maybe they’re crying because their ears won’t pop? Or they’re not adjusting well to the altitude?

This is an excerpt from the altitude warning signs you’ll see before boarding the train: “Children … and individuals who cannot communicate their symptoms, should proceed with caution.”

Despite all the warnings I just gave you, this is one of my favorite things to do in Colorado Springs, but appropriate preparation is important. I hope you’ve found this helpful in planning a trip to the summit of America’s Mountain, and have the best time!

Any questions? Please leave a comment below or reach out on social media.

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