Colorado Springs sits at the base of Pikes Peak on the edge of the Great Plains, a sprawling city of half a million people with the Rocky Mountains rising abruptly to the west. The setting is spectacular — red rock formations jut from the foothills, the air is thin and dry, and the views of the Front Range from almost anywhere in town are hard to beat.
The main draw is the outdoors. Garden of the Gods, a free public park of towering red sandstone formations, is one of the most striking natural landscapes in Colorado. Pikes Peak, the 14,115-foot mountain that inspired "America the Beautiful," can be driven, hiked, or reached by cog railway. Manitou Springs, a small artsy town tucked into the foothills, makes a good base for exploring both. Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, built into the forested mountainside south of town, is America's highest-elevation zoo. The US Air Force Academy, 15 km north, is open to visitors and worth seeing for its extraordinary modernist chapel.
The downtown has come alive in recent years with restaurants, bars, and live music venues. Old Colorado City along West Colorado Avenue has the most character — galleries, independent restaurants, and Colorado's oldest commercial buildings. The Arkansas River, about 35 minutes south, offers some of the best whitewater rafting in the state, from gentle family floats to serious Class V runs through the Royal Gorge.