Pike's Peak Cog Railway, Manitou Springs

This was such a fun hike! and a really great work out! you have to be prepaired with lots of water. i would not climb the incline if you are not physically "inclined." haha

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.

This was a nice trip however, they tell you to drink lots of water to avoid getting sick from the altitude. The problem is then everyone is waiting in line to go to the bathroom for 20 minutes and the train leaves in 35 minutes. I waited in line for the bathroom, only to find it in a total disgusting mess and no toilet paper anywhere - other then the one roll that women were passing back and forth between the stalls - how unsanitary! Then there was another long line for the food, and the cashier ran out of change, and 10 people waiting and waiting to pay....ridiculous! By that time, our 35 minutes was up and we had to get back on the train again. Not a very enjoyable trip at the top. What a rush! I could not even find anyone at the station to even leave feedback with either.

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!

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!

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...

I was so impressed on how beautiful the view was at Pikes Peak. I did get altitude sick, but as long as I stayed outside the shop, I was ok. The cog railway was an experience. I would not do this again, BUT I DEFINITELY RECOMMEND THAT EVERYONE TRY IT AT LEAST ONCE.

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.

It was a little expensive ($30.00/person) but it was worth the money. We had a great time and the view was priceless. Prepare for significantly colder tempatures at the top, it was in the 40's the day we went - so it was not too bad. Take a camera and a sense of awe, you will not be disappointed.