Pike's Peak Cog Railway, Manitou Springs

The Cog train is a great experience for everyone! The tour guides are always great and full of cool facts. Of course the views are stunning. I recommend riding the train when there is snow at the summit!

Sorry, but I have to say Pike Peak Hwy is nothing compared to other National Park that I went...They ripped off with the fee at the entrance $12 for each person above 16, and there is nothing special about it. You could see a lot more stuffs at Yosemite, Arch, Zion park, Yellow Stone, and more...Dont let the picture on the brochure fool you... Just FYI...

When we were getting ready for this trip I looked up the cog railway and was afraid we were going to be disappointed. My husband and I are both large people but we were really wanting to take the train. When we arrived we asked if we could purchase 3 seats instead of two. The manager was willing to give us the third seat so we would be more comfortable. We also bought a sack lunch at the bottom. It was a bag already put together with a sandwhich, chips, cookies, pickle and a bottle of water. This was a great choice. When everyone else was pushing their way off the train to get something to eat, we took a minute to have lunch and enjoy the senary. Then we made our way into use the bathroom and look around. The bathroom line was long but moved pretty quickly. It was a short time on the top but I thought it was just right. After reading many of the bad reviews and then having a chance to experience this for myself I have decided that these people aren't satisfyed with anything. We always go with the thought that we are going to have a great time no matter what. You can't change the things that might go wrong but you can look for the good things. I would encourage others to take this trip.

There are some frustrating aspects to the system---most of the trains sell out ahead of time, and you are assigned seats. If you get the three-seat side, you will have a more scenic view. The two-seat side is far less scenic. If you are more concerned about the scenic aspect, the first train of the day is not usually sold out. You trade fewer people for the haze of the morning, and your pictures won't be as crisp and clear. The conductor lets you move if there are empty seats, so if there are any you could scoot to the three-seat side before the trip starts. There is no way I would have driven up the Peak. Too nerve-wracking. You see more wildlife on the train since it's on the backside of the mountain. The observation center was not designed nor constructed to serve as many people as come up on the trains today. The center was extremely clean and well-run. There was a line for the food, but read the Cog Railway's website about the center and take heed of their tips for acquiring food when you get there. You have 30 minutes at the summit. I didn't talk to anyone in my group who thought it should have been longer. After 20 minutes, I had to sit down and lay my head down for a while. I live at 60 feet above sea level and no matter how in shape you are, or how macho you think you are, you will experience some altitude sickness. It's nothing personal. Just go with it. There is an EMT who walks around and checks on everyone, and provides medical care when needed. We had a toddler in our group who needed hydration and oxygen and he was taken care of immediately and discretely. Listen to all the advice; it's a lot of information, but it is really, really important. Everyone told us it "will be cold at the summit." It was 105 degrees in Louisiana the day we drove to Colorado and we couldn't process "cold." I bought a sweatshirt in the gift shop and was so grateful for it. Halfway up the mountain I needed something over my shirt. It was below freezing with the wind chill at the top and the wind was vicious. Everyone in the Depot and on the train was friendly. The train was clean, the conductor was very informative. It may have seemed $$$, but we were willing to pay so we could enjoy the trip up and not have to worry about it. If you are visiting Colorado Springs and want to see the mountain, next to hiking up, I think the Cog Railway is the best way to go. And yeah, I wouldn't go up in the winter. What's the point?

We started out irritated that we couldn't get anyone on the phone! So we decided that we would just go to the depot instead. Once we got their everything went fairly quick! We were helped by a nice lady who informed us about stand by tickets. If you don't have tickets reserved then this is your best chance of getting on the train. And sure enough we did, the seats were great and everyone was very nice and helpful. Our seats that my daughter and I got were faced toward the front of the train so we rode backwards the entire trip up....it was kinda weird. But as soon as the train starts to move it was beautiful! If you've ever been to the Rockies you know what I mean. The beauty distracts you from your worries. Our Engineer was Potsi and our Engineer was Ari. They were great and friendly! Ari made the entire trip interesting with all the information. And we were very impressed how professional the train was engineer and conductor were. Thanks for a great time and really cool photos! We will have to come back. Oh and don't forget the great coffees and yummy donuts..or should I say world famous! Everyone should do this in their life have you ever been 14,110 feet up to Pikes Peak? I did!

First they charged an extra $2.00 per ticket to purchase tickets online. My wife and I arrived early and tried to get our tickets. The ticketing staff could not have been more rude,. They stated that they will not process my request until the train schedule before us leaves the depot. At that time we now had to wait in a very over crowed room. Finally on the train, you have to sit in assigned seats only. We were stuck in a three seat arrangement. The seating is VERY CRAMPED and the seats are children size, hard wood and very uncomfortable. When we arrived at the top of the peak, we were forced into a VERY OVER CROWED snack bar inarea. Apparently there are no fire mashalls in Pikes Peak. No where in the world would they allow that many people in such a small building, PLEASE DRIVE TO THE PEAK.

Friends rode the Cog Railway in the winter and the train broke down halfway up. They had to wait a couple of hours while it was being repaired. The cars aren't made to keep people warm and my friends got really cold, near hypothermia by the time they were brought back down. If they had gotten stuck in a blizzard, they might not have survived. Especially not recommended for elders and children in the winter.

I visited in August '09. I had put in reservations online for 2, and when we got to our destination, our host decided to join us. She was able to without any problem. We were on the three seat side of the train, on the uphill side. If possible, try to get seats on the downhill side, or you will be constantly pushing against the floor so as not to slide into the lap of the person in front of you! I had meant to do this for years and this year was it....AWESOME. The conductor gives such good information on the way up and points out landmarks, historical sights, breathtaking views, and provides a little history on the way. We did not see any wildlife other than the 'whistlepigs'- yellow bellied marmots-cute little guys. The top.....oh the top.....what a rush, what a view, so worth it! I did feel lightheaded, so just used the restroom (line moved quickly!) and took some photos on the southeast side. Was dazzled by the people jogging up the side of the mountain! Didn't try the famous donuts, but have heard lots about them. On the train, there is an offer for a DVD ($14) and book ($4). I bought both. Very informative and fun-the DVD will be watched many times. Those are good values for the money. I might just do this again sometime in the fall to enjoy the colors of the changing aspen. This was a great experience, one I will never forget. I highly recommend it!

Having searched beforehand for opinions from people who share my fear of heights (and not finding any), I'd like to share my thoughts. Unlike most people who comment about the Cog Railway, I was very happy to be seated on the two-seat side of the train. I could still see the beautiful views out the opposite side, but did not have the feeling of being on the edge of a cliff. The auto road would NOT have been an option for me...been there, done that twenty years ago on a smaller mountain and still have bad memories! I highly recommend the Cog Railway for anyone who shares my fear of heights but still wants to experience the beautiful scenery. Just one caution...very near the summit, there is a short distance where the view (and drop) is on the two seat side of the train. I made a point of staring out the three-seat side, and I was fine. Good luck to all. I was SO glad I did this!

Having both driven and taken this route, I much prefer this method to see Pikes Peak. Driving it can be a little stressful, especially if you are the driver. Bring a jacket or pullover, it's pretty cold at the summit. My only complaint is with the new assigned seating on the train, you only have about 50 minutes at the summit to look around and shop. It goes pretty quickly.