Experience
Romance and Adventure.
 Founded
in 1871, Colorado Springs, Colorado's second-largest
city, has evolved from a quaint, Victorian spa resort
to a sophisticated city, with a charming "small
town" ambiance. With over 50 attractions, Colorado
Springs and the Pikes Peak region are the gateway
to Southern Colorado's "Outdoor Adventure Play
Land." Located 80 miles south of Denver's International
Airport and 1 and 1/2 hours east of world-class skiing,
Colorado Springs is a vacation mecca, drawing over
6 million visitors annually.
From
wild to mild, you'll find something new and exciting
to do every day in Colorado Springs. With over 50
major area attractions, there's always another adventure
waiting around the next mountain pass.
Colorado
Springs was founded by General William Palmer in August
1871 , with the intention of creating a high quality
resort community, and was soon nicknamed "Little
London" because of the many English tourists
who came. Nearby Pikes Peak and the Garden of the
Gods made the city's location a natural wonder..
Looking
for the high altitude and dry climate, and a quality
resort town. America
the Beautiful was written by visiting English professor
Katharine Lee Bates in August 1893, while she stayed
at the Antlers Hotel after visiting the top of nearby
Pikes Peak.
 Pikes
Peak, one of the most popular sights in Colorado Springs,
here as seen from Manitou Springs, Colorado.Colorado
Springs' present downtown location, where General
Palmer first founded the city, is due to Palmer's
dislike of nearby rough-and-ready Colorado City and
its many saloons; Palmer ensured his new city stayed
alcohol free by buying a huge tract of land to the
east of Colorado City and in fact, Colorado Springs
stayed dry until the end of Prohibition in 1933.
In
its earliest days of 1859-1860, Colorado City was
a major supply route of supplies for miners in the
South Park, where a major strike in the Pike's Peak
Gold Rush was found. Routes further north from present-day
Denver's area proved more effective, and as only a
few very minor gold finds were made in the Pikes Peak
region, commerce instead shifted towards serving the
agriculture of Colorado's eastern plains. (Eventually
General Palmer's Denver & Rio Grande Railroad
would snake from Denver into the South Park.)
Colorado
City was the county seat of El Paso County until 1873,
when the courthouse moved to Colorado Springs.
Colorado
City also briefly (and unofficially) served as Colorado's
territorial capital starting on July 7, 1862. By this
time the town's fortunes were already waning. The
territorial legislature met in a log cabin, that still
stands on Colorado Avenue, and on August 14, 1862
the legislature approved an act which named Golden
as the territorial capital. Colorado City was never
recognized by the Federal government as the territorial
capital.
Seven
Falls is located just ten minutes from downtown Colorado
Springs.
 Located
in South Cheyenne Cañon, Seven Falls cascades
181 feet in seven distinct steps down a solid cliff
of pikes peak granite. Crystal clear water from the
southern most edges of the Pikes Peak watershed have,
over the ages, carved this unique scenic masterpiece
in an easily accessed location.
Next
to the Falls, a 224-step stairway leads to a system
of trails that will take you to “Midnight Falls”
and then onto Inspiration Point with a breath-taking
view of Colorado Springs and the great plains beyond.
Wildlife is everywhere, including hummingbirds, rainbow
trout and the rare, waterfall nesting- American Dipper.
Blasted 14 stories straight up through solid granite,
a mountain elevator safely transports all who venture
here to the “Eagles Nest” platform, where
the most spectacular view of Seven Falls is experienced.
Every
year during the holidays thousands of residents and
visitors to the Colorado Springs area flock to Seven
Falls to view the brilliant Christmas light display.
Seven Falls by itself is breathtaking, it has been
called "Grandest Mile of Scenery in Colorado.
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