Trail Running in Colorado Springs, CO

In the shade of sandstone spires, lies a wonderful area with lots of natural beauty and history.

Ask hikers to name a trail that begins in Manitou Springs, and most will probably say Barr Trail, the popular path that takes hikers to the summit of 14,115-foot Pikes Peak. Locals, however, might name a smaller, less famous trail that has been a labor of love for volunteer trail builders since 1987.

Mount Herman is a round-topped mountain in the Rampart Range that rises above the small town of Monument, north of Colorado Springs and features a short but steep run with a pleasing mountaintop payoff.

The Palmer Trail is an excellent 5.5-mile loop that travels up through a pine forest and offers wonderful views of the surrounding mountains, including Pikes Peak and the Garden of the Gods.

Greenland Open Space is a 3,000-acre stretch of meadows and foothills between Castle Rock and Colorado Springs, on the west side of I-25.

Probably the most revered (and feared) trail in the Pikes Peak region, the Incline is also one of the most popular. Gaining 2,000 feet in 3/4ths of a mile, it follows the old rail bed of the Incline Railroad, a popular tourist attraction until it was closed by a rock slide in 1990.