Attraction
The Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, with its breathtaking views that extend far out over the eastern plains of Colorado, is home to one of the world’s largest herds of captive giraffes. A thrill for many children who visit the herd in the zoo’s new African Rift Valley exhibit is the opportunity to see the animals’ long, grey tongues at close range, as they hand feed them the special “Giraffe Crackers” (Rye Crisp).
At 14,110 feet tall, Pikes Peak is the focus of many activities in the region. During the summer, the Cog Railway carries visitors to the summit. June sees the Pikes Peak Hill Climb auto race. Later in the summer, the Pikes Peak Marathon/Ascent is a foot race to the summit. Each year, traveling on the cog railway, hiking Barr Trail, or by car on the toll road, over four hundred thousand people visit the summit.
The Garden of the Gods is the most popular natural site for in the region, receiving some 1.7 million visitors annually. This geographical phenomenon of exposed sandstone formations is operated as a city park.
El Paso County Search and Rescue helps to make outdoor life in the Pikes Peak Region safer and for both visitors and residents. As one of the best-trained, best-equipped, all-volunteer Mountain Rescue organizations in the West, they are who the Sheriff calls upon to manage most high-angle and back country rescues. For as much wild land as there is in El Paso County, the region’s record of safety is at least in part due to the altruism and unmatched skill of this organization.