Garden of the Gods : Exploring with Kids

Our RV road trip journey continued to one last big stop, visiting my childhood friend outside Denver, Colorado. There are so many parks and attractions in this area of Colorado that narrowing it down to only one was tough. Our long list was slowly whittled down to one park, about an hour away from Denver: The Garden of the Gods.

Road Trip Recap

Our first family RV trip was nearing a close, even though we were still far from home. We had visited Grandparents in Minnesota and made valuable memories. From there, we drove to South Dakota to an epic, free camping location from which we could watch the sunrise over the Badlands. We woke up early to hike the Badlands before it got too hot and spent the rest of the day exploring the many overlooks the National Park had to offer. We spent a few more days in South Dakota exploring the Black Hills before driving down into Colorado.

How did we keep our 2.5 and 5-year-old boys entertained all those miles? Read about what worked for us here!

Garden of the Gods

Why we chose it

Countless people recommended seeing this geological wonder that got its name from a conversation about beer. 

“This would be a capital place for a beer garden!” Melancthon Beach exclaimed in 1859 on a mission to locate and establish the city of Colorado City. His partner, Rufus Cable responded, “Beer garden! Why this is a place fit for the gods to assemble. We shall call it the Garden of the Gods!”

Since 1879, the park has been protected and open to the public to enjoy, free of charge. The Garden of the Gods attracts around 2 million visitors each year, was voted the best park in the country, and number two in the entire world (according to user rankings on TripAdvisor). At the Garden of the Gods, you can see massive red rock formations contrasting the incredible blue Colorado sky. Five different ecosystems collide to make up the unique scenery that makes a home for bears, mountain lions, bighorn sheep, and more.

Hiking into the Garden of the Gods

The first impression of these massive stone structures is pure awe. They jut into the sky and provide a stark contrast to a clear Colorado sky. It is red on blue reaching up into the sun. The trails in the interior of the park are easy to walk and handicap accessible. Other trails circle the park as well to give a different perspective on the Garden on the Gods. I highly recommend getting there early as on a nice day like the one we had, the park can get crowded.

Rock Climbing

We saw a lot of people out rock climbing. This is the place where my oldest decided he no longer wanted to be a superhero when he grew up, but a superhero rock climber instead! 5-year-olds are the cutest. I even saw a few families out there that made me smile. The park does regulate rock climbing and it is only allowed with permits and proper climbing equipment.

There is a really fun area in the middle of the park where anyone can experience a bit of what it is like to go rock climbing in the Garden of the Gods. There are smaller rock formations that the boys were able to climb on and over. I’m glad we found this spot toward the end because otherwise we might not have seen the rest of the park!

Dogs in the Garden of the Gods

Yes! They are allowed on a leash. Laney was really happy she could come along with us on this adventure since she had been left behind a few times on this trip.

Tip for visiting with dogs:

There is no water in the park so bring a collapsible bowl and a bottle so your furbaby can have a drink. That sun can get hot and you don’t want your puppy to overheat.

The Visitor Center

We went and explored the visitor center a little bit. Since we were masking ourselves inside and the kids didn’t want to wear theirs, we didn’t get to do much. We did learn about the Garden of the God’s very own dinosaur (the only known Thelophytalia kerri discovered) and got a few souvenirs. 

Junior Rangers

The Garden of the Gods does have a Junior Ranger program, but it isn’t free like the National Parks. You can purchase the booklet in the gift shop and you get a sticker upon completion. It’s a beautiful, colored book and 100% worth it in my opinion. Junior Ranger books are a great way for kids to earn more about the places they visit.

Garden of the Gods Summary

We spent about 3-4 hours hours exploring and climbing around the red rock formations that make up the Garden of the Gods. I could have stayed longer, but our dog and kids were getting tired. So instead of hiking longer, we loaded into the car to drive a scenic route around the park. It was during that drive that we caught a glimpse of the balanced rock, but decided not to stop there because of the crowd. This is one of those parks that you can explore over and over again, discovering new things each time.

Colorado, you are lucky to have such a natural gem in your state!

It is the perfect place for kids.

With wide paths that can easily accommodate strollers and all those rocks to climb and play on, I think this was one of the kids favorite stops on the entire trip. There is a sense of awe and freedom that they felt. It does feel like a place for the gods to assemble, a true Garden of the Gods.

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