A Local’s Guide to Visiting Colorado Springs and Manitou Springs
How Can I Experience Colorado Springs Like a Local?
If you’re planning to travel to Colorado Springs, you’re probably familiar with the main visitor attractions: Garden of the Gods, Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, and the Pikes Peak Cog Railway to name a few. But you might be wondering what a Springs local would recommend adding to your itinerary for all of the time in between; the coffee shops, restaurants, and activities that locals love that you might not find in other online travel guides.
We have some good news for you: as the local, nonprofit electric bike share, with an adventurous staff of Colorado Springs locals, we’ve put together a unique Colorado Springs travel guide so you don’t miss some of the best activities, restaurants, trails, and events to check out during your vacation (or staycation).
With mountain views and gorgeous scenery, Colorado Springs and Manitou Springs are the kind of places you’ll definitely want to stop and look around as you go from place to place.
PikeRide is an incredible way to move throughout Colorado Springs, Old Colorado City, and Manitou Springs the way us locals do: one neighborhood at a time, and with plenty of room for detours to hidden gems you’ll discover along the way.
You can simply download the PikeRide app, scan an available ebike with your smart phone (there are hundreds around downtown Colorado Springs and Manitou Springs at all hours of the day), and start riding in minutes.
Simply swap out bikes as you please, and park the bike at a nearby station when you’re done. PikeRide is a nonprofit organization, and your rides support community transportation access.
Most recommendations are a quick ride from each other, and half the experience is what you discover along the way.
PikeRide ebikes have electric assist, so whether it’s been a while since you’ve ridden a bike or you just want to cruise, you can complete a full-day’s excursion without being too tired to do it all again the next day.
““We love showing friends around downtown and the west side on PikeRide. We will check out multiple bikes and go shop, eat and play, showing them our favorite places and the ways we get around town by bike. It is one of our favorite fair weather pastimes.””
What are the Best Things to Do in Colorado Springs?
There’s no “best” way to visit Colorado Springs and surrounding areas, but based on your interests, there might be certain things you’re more interested in seeing during your stay. See below for a few favorite ways locals tend to spend their time, with recommendations built around different interests. Check out our guide on getting around Colorado Springs and Manitou Springs to access each one.
HOMA Cafe - Photo courtesy of Shayla Marin Photography
Follow the Food
If you’re a foodie looking for restaurants, cafes, and breweries with great flavor, here are just a few of our local-approved picks that you might not see in other travel guides.
Casual Hidden Gems
Shuga’s (Downtown Colorado Springs)
Kangaroo Coffee (East Downtown - EaDo)
The Loft (Manitou Springs)
Cinchona Coffee (Downtown Colorado Springs)
Provision Bread & Bakery (Downtown Colorado Springs)
Homa Cafe & Bar (Downtown Colorado Springs)
Local Tip: Homa is located inside Kinship Landing, a centrally-located, boutique hotel with an on-site PikeRide station to park your bike.
Green Line Grill (Downtown Colorado Springs)
Bread & Butter (Downtown Colorado Springs)
Local Tip: Bread & Butter is a local neighborhood market, great for picking up your favorite picnic essentials and taking a PikeRide ebike to Acacia Park before strolling local businesses and shops along Tejon St.
Provision Bread & Bakery
Local Staples
Good Neighbors Meeting House (Old North End)
Colorado Coffee Merchants (Fillmore/Garden of the Gods Corridor)
Local Tip: This location is great for pre or post-ride Garden of the Gods coffee, but note there is not currently a PikeRide station nearby.
Adam’s Mountain Cafe (Manitou Springs)
Rico’s Cafe - Poor Richard’s Restaurant (Downtown Colorado Springs)
Stellina Pizza Cafe (EaDo)
Local Tip: PikeRide hosts a monthly community group ride at Stellina from May through September, perfect for meeting locals and getting outside before enjoying some of the best pizza and house-made pasta around.
Crystal Park Cantina (Manitou Springs)
La Baguette (Old Colorado City)
Mash Mechanix Brewing (EaDo)
OCC Brewing (Old Colorado City)
Cerberus Brewing Company (Old Colorado City)
Stellina Pizza Cafe
Elevated Favorites (great for date night)
Four by Brother Luck (Downtown Colorado Springs)
The Warehouse (South Downtown Colorado Springs)
The Rabbit Hole (Downtown Colorado Springs)
Mona Lisa Fondue (Manitou Springs)
Sushi Row (Downtown Colorado Springs)
Oro (Downtown Colorado Springs)
Evergreen Restaurant (Downtown Colorado Springs)
The Scenic Route
If your ideal visit involves fresh air, beautiful scenery, and a taste of Colorado adventure, here’s where we’d recommend you take a ride. Make sure to follow Leave No Trace Principles, including packing out your trash and sticking to trails, to keep areas beautiful for everyone.
This loop is a way to connect, create, and protect our community values, inspired by the legacy and vision of Colorado Springs' founder General William Jackson Palmer. Palmer's dream was of a vibrant, livable city where the essential functions of mobility and access are linked to our parks, open space and trails. This tour does not include the southern portion of the Legacy Loop and requires riding on urban trails, packed gravel trails, on bike paths, in bike lanes, and a small portion of road riding without a bike lane.
This route takes you from Downtown Colorado Springs, through Old Colorado City, into Manitou Springs and then through the Garden of the Gods. Please ensure you have a bike with 87% or higher battery level before heading into the Garden. Several PikeRide stations are located on the Westside which make it convenient to swap bikes prior to heading into the Garden.
Local Tip: Big group? Book a guided ebike tour.
Art on the Streets celebrates the power of art in public spaces, turning the streets of Downtown Colorado Springs into a yearlong outdoor art exhibition. Start and end the loop at our US Olympic and Paralympic Museum station and take a tour of all twelve Art on the Streets exhibits with a stop at BLK MGK for a mid-ride coffee. Read about each 2025 art installation within the route as you arrive at each piece of artwork. This route includes using bike lanes, sidewalks, alleys, and riding with traffic.
This route takes you from Downtown Colorado Springs through Old Colorado City and into Manitou Springs. The route includes bike lanes, minimal road riding without a bike lane, and neighborhood streets. Once in Manitou Springs you can visit the numerous shops, hike the Incline, visit Manitou Brewing, or check out the Penny Arcade before backtracking back to Downtown Colorado Springs. Please be sure to keep an eye on your bike battery level. There are several PikeRide stations to swap bikes along the way.
This route starts and ends at the PikeRide hub on Pikes Peak Ave near the Mining Exchange hotel and includes brewery stops, tour of Pikes Peak Avenue in Old Colorado City, and America the Beautiful Park. This tour includes riding in bike lanes, on residential streets, and a bike path. Fun places to stop along the way include: Phantom Canyon Brewery, Cerberus Brewing Company, Old Colorado City Brewing, South Park Brewing, and America the Beautiful Park.
ANA Money Museum - Photo courtesy of Shayla Marin Photography
For When You Want to Linger
If your favorite way of visiting a new place includes stopping by museums, local bookstores, historic local treasures, and learning a thing or two about the history of that region, these are for you.
Colorado Springs Pioneers Museum (Downtown Colorado Springs)
Local Tip: Follow our Museum Self-Guided Tour to get some fresh air in between each museum stop
Rocky Mountain Motorcycle Museum (Downtown Colorado Springs)
Poor Richard’s Bookstore (Downtown Colorado Springs)
Miramont Castle (Manitou Springs)
Michael Garman Museum & Gallery (Old Colorado City)
ANA Money Museum (Downtown Colorado Springs)
Westside Stories (Old Colorado City)
McAllister House Museum (Downtown Colorado Springs)
City Hall of Old Colorado City (Old Colorado City)
BLK MGK Coffee in The Mining Exchange Hotel
The Aesthetic Adventure
If you’re looking for carefully-curated, aesthetically-pleasing coffee shops, bars, and restaurants with Instagram-worthy atmospheres to take pictures and document your travels, here’s what you can’t miss.
BLK MGK Coffee (Downtown Colorado Springs)
Misty Mountain Collective (Downtown Colorado Springs)
Yellow Mountain Tea House (Old Colorado City)
Story Coffee (Old Colorado City)
Totem (Downtown Colorado Springs)
Night Ramen (Downtown Colorado Springs)
Zocalo (Downtown Colorado Springs)
Chiba Bar (Downtown Colorado Springs)
Shame & Regret (Downtown Colorado Springs)
Shrunken Head Tiki Bar (Downtown Colorado Springs)
Cork & Cask (Downtown Colorado Springs)
Allusion Speakeasy (Downtown Colorado Springs)
Shoshone Spring in Manitou Springs
A Wellness Reset
If you’re visiting Colorado Springs or Manitou Springs to move your body or rejuvenate in the mountain air, here’s what to add to your travel itinerary if you haven’t already.
Cambio Yoga (Downtown Colorado Springs)
Local Tip: Cambio uses a donation-based model to increase accessibility to yoga, with a recommended drop-in rate of $16.
CityROCK Climbing Gym (Downtown Colorado Springs)
Manitou Springs Incline (Manitou Springs)
Local Tip: Bike to the Ruxton Ave PikeRide parking station to be near the trailhead. Also, don’t forget to reserve your timeslot.
Mineral Springs (Manitou Springs)
Local Tip: Bring your own water bottle or purchase a souvenir tasting cup at the Manitou Springs Visitors Center before visiting all 8 naturally carbonated mineral springs.
SunWater Spa (Manitou Springs)
Good Intentions (Downtown Colorado Springs)
Anna’s Apothecary (Manitou Springs)
ECHO Frequency Studio (Manitou Springs)
Group eBike Ride in Colorado Springs
The Social Ride
If you’re looking to spend time in a group setting and get a sense of community during your stay, here are some events and activities we’d recommend you check out.
Group Rides
Community Cruise at Stellina Pizza Cafe
Join us at Stellina Pizza Cafe in the historic Mid Shooks Run neighborhood for a community bike ride once a month from May through September.
This social ride meets every Wednesday at 6 PM from May through October at Lincoln Center (home of diverse local-favorites such as Goat Patch Brewing, Nacho Matrix, and more).
Join UpaDowna for a community bike ride for all levels taking off from various locations in Colorado Springs every Thursday from June through September.
In addition to public ebike share, PikeRide provides active, local experiences in Colorado Springs and Manitou Springs to groups looking for a staff-guided or self-guided bike ride. This is a great way to explore Garden of the Gods or the Legacy Loop in Colorado Springs with a knowledgeable guide with local insights.
Downtown Colorado Springs Group Ride
Recurring Events
First Friday Art Walk
If you happen to be visiting on the first Friday of the month, you’re in for a treat. Downtown Colorado Springs, Old Colorado City, and Manitou Springs each feature art, live music, and special events in the evening with unique open galleries and special deals from select participating businesses.
Hillside Gardens Summer Concert Series
Every Wednesday evening (6 - 8:30 PM) from May to October, Hillside Gardens hosts three live bands, up to six local food vendors, and a variety of wines, beer, and cocktails at up to eight different bars throughout the gardens.
Local Tip: Unlock a PikeRide public ebike with your phone at one of nearly 100 stations around town and bike to Hillside Gardens to park your bike at the free PikeRide bike valet at every Wednesday night concert.
Downtown Summer Music Series at Acacia Park
Enjoy live music in Acacia Park every Thursday evening (6 - 8 PM) from June to September. The event is free, local, and right in the heart of Downtown. Bring a blanket, grab some food, and come enjoy the kind of night everyone can enjoy. Presented by Dizzy Charlie’s in partnership with the Downtown Creative District.
Local Tip: Save time parking by biking. There’s a PikeRide bike parking station located at Acacia Park, with public bike racks to park your public ebike or personal bike.
Colorado Springs Sunday Market
Every Sunday morning (9 AM - 2 PM) from May to October. Nestled in the heart of downtown, this curated community market brings together the best of Colorado: farm-fresh food, handcrafted goods, and small-batch creations from local makers, bakers, growers, and doers. Park your bike at the PikeRide station in Acacia Park.
Old Colorado City Farmers Market
The Old Colorado City Farmers Market, presented by Pikes Peak Farmers Markets, operates seasonally on Saturday mornings (7 AM - 1 PM) from June through October. Park your bike at the PikeRide station in Bancroft Park.
Go Beyond the Usual Stops on Your Visit to Colorado Springs and Manitou Springs
Now that you have some local inspiration, get the PikeRide app to create an account and start exploring all of the stations you can pick up and park an electric bike throughout town before you travel to Colorado Springs. See our Visitors page or follow us on Instagram for more local tips and inspiration.
Make sure to stop by our local visitor centers (Visit Colorado Springs and Visit Manitou Springs) for help building an itinerary, learning more about the history of the Pikes Peak Region, and to get even more tips from a local during your stay.