Garden of the Gods - Colorado Springs, CO
Posted by: 
Outspoken1
N 38° 52.701 W 104° 52.832
13S E 510362 N 4303283
One of the geologic gems of Colorado. Most of the formations are sandstone, which is very soft and prone to failure.
Waymark Code: WMPP6Y
Location: Colorado, United States
Date Posted: 09/30/2015
Views: 15
"Description
Situated right next to Colorado Springs off of US Highway 24 lies a small park aptly named Garden of the Gods. The acreage of the park is rather modest, like Red Rocks, but the sandstone formations are quite stiking and memorable. Several massive rocks are decorated with jagged profiles with colors ranging from white, mild orange and rich reds. Spires of up to two pitch height are scattered behind these larger rocks. The park is highly developed and has cement trails in places. Climbing is almost exclusively trad, though there are many routes with drilled angles that don't require gear other than draws. Rock quality varies from formation to formation and can be very crumbly. For Front Range denizens who want to get used to soft desert sandstone, this is a great place to experience it. Get used to an audience, as the crowded park has hundreds of visitors on weekends.
Rock Considerations
There are regulations specific to climbing at this city-owned park, see the Visitor's Center for your permit & list of rules. The phone number is 719.634.6666.
The rock here is a very porous, fragile sandstone; however, the exact qualities of the rock vary from formation to formation. Kindergarten Rock (lighter color) has probably some of the strongest of the weak sandstone here. Beware after any significant rain storms that it can take up to days to dry out. Rock edges here are known to fail without warning. Also, some of the hardware is old, and fixed hardware has been known to fail due to metal stress over time. Make sure to always backup your anchors and key pieces of protection.
Regulations
This park is city-owned. Thus, there are specific rules and regulations that must be followed. Each calendar year, you are obliged to fill out a free permit at the visitor center. Bouldering is also regulated here: rock scrambling, defined as climbing on a rock formation more than ten feet above its base without proper equipment (again, defined as UIAA standard rope), is prohibited. Also, bouldering is not permitted on Sentinel Rock, Red & White Twin Spires, Signature Rock, & the South face of North Gateway Rock. Certain formations are closed to climbing including, sadly, climbing atop the Kissing Camels and Balanced Rock. Used of calcim carbonate chalk is prohibited. Chalk substitute that does not discolor the rock may be used. Slings left on the rock must match the color of the rock. Please check the regulations if you are uncertain. Thanks!
Raptor considerations
"Climbing near raptor nesting [sites] is prohibited. Seasonal clusters of [routes] near nesting [sites] will be posted at the trailhead leading to the climb." " (from (
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Rock climbing regulations may be found (
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