The Broadmoor Manitou and Pikes Peak Cog Railway

This was a fun ride, & certainly less stressful for me than driving, coming from flat Florida. Though a bit pricey, I am happy with the overall value. That said, I have critiques.First of all, we were running late because our lunch took forever. So we were pleased to find parking in the lot right across from the depot. But the signage wasn't clear to pay upon exit so I tried to ask our train conductor about parking payment before we boarded. Though most passengers were already seated, and no one was queued behind us, she was rather brusque with me & claimed to have no info about parking nor when/where we needed to pay. Later, she told the entire train that she'd worked for the railway for 4 years and could answer any passengers' questions. But I had to run back up the stairs to ask in the ticket office and receive excellent guidance THEN that we'd pay when exiting the parking lot. I later learned that the parking lot was not affiliated with the Broadmoor Railway which was somehow satisfying. And we did pay upon exit with no issues.As others have stated, time at the summit was very limited. The queue for those famed doughnuts was egregiously long, and we were rather winded from the altitude. So after a few photos outside, hubs & I relaxed in the dining area where I was able to charge my phone, and we took turns going to the restroom & refilling our water bottles. Unfortunately, I'll have to confirm the deliciousness of that doughnut on another trip because of that line. We didn't even have time to shop for souvenirs.I want to note that we visited in early August and the summit weather was VERY cold for this Floridian! It was heavily misting and quite windy at the summit, and we saw lightning in the clouds near the peak on the way up & back down. Weather at the depot & nearby was hot & humid, so the stark difference was quite interesting. I loved this experience; I'd definitely do it again, now knowing what to expect. The repeated Broadmoor endorsements were a bit much, but I enjoyed most of the geographical & historical commentary. I do wish there was an option to stay at the summit longer because it just didn't seem like enough time for photos & doughnuts, even in perfect weather.

What a fantastic experience! We booked two tickets for the Pikes Peak Cog Rail, which takes you to the summit at 14,115 feet. Parking can be tricky since there are very few spots near the train station, and there's a parking fee of $15-$20. Fortunately, we managed to find a spot, but there is also a free shuttle from the town. The train station is small but charming, making it a great spot for photos. It features a gift shop and a stand selling roasted peanuts. The trains are modern and clean! I highly recommend spending a little extra to choose your seats. Be sure to sit on the left side of the train (the three-seat side) while going up the mountain for the best views, as you'll have the same seat for both the ascent and descent. The trip takes about 1 hour and 15 minutes to reach the summit and is fully narrated. Our conductor, Quinn, was fantastic!While the train ride was enjoyable, I was a bit disappointed that we didn't see more scenery. The train ascends the mountain at a steady incline, which wasn't quite what I expected; I had imagined a more gradual ascent with curves around lakes and other sights. Traveler tip: There are no restrooms on the trains! I regretted drinking a 16-ounce beverage right before boarding!

The purpose of our trip was to see Rocky Mountain National Park. I had set aside two days at the end of the trip to enjoy the Denver area. We settled on Pike's Peak. My wife wanted the morning bookings, but I wanted to sleep in, so we got the 2:40 train. All-in-all, we liked the time slot because the conductor said we just missed the lunch rush at the summit.Tip #1: When choosing seats on the website, select the odd-numbered seats. They face forward. The even-numbered seats face backwards. As with anything tour-related, the window seats are the best seats.Tip #2: It's colder at the summit, about 30 degrees difference. The change is gradual, since the train itself is moving only at 10 mph. I recommend at least three layers, depending on your hardiness.There are generally two places to sit and wait: outside on the platform (where it's hot and muggy in July) or in the Waiting Room (where it's not so bad). The Waiting Room has restrooms, but smaller than the ones at the end of the platform.You have only 45 minutes at the summit. Your conductor will ask you to set your alarms and the train whistle will blow for you to return. The train will leave you behind, and it will cost you $500 to have a ranger drive you back down later. With only 40-45 minutes to enjoy the summit, you need to prioritize. If you need to use the restroom, you may want to wait if you can. It depends if you want to waste 5-10 minutes of your time in line for five urinals and five stalls. (Most people want/need to go right away.)Tip #4: I shopped in the gift shop for about 10-15 before using the restroom. I walked right in, no waiting.Tip #5: Buy oxygen if there's any possibility that someone in your group will encounter altitude sickness. It's cheap and available in the gift shop. We saw people young and old experiencing problems, but not us. We bought a can AND USED IT.Everyone talks about the donuts (see pics). They're just donuts. If you like donuts, get donuts. (They are sold in pairs.) If you love donuts, you may be disappointed. On the way back, many people are tired and just take a nap for an hour. Do it. I stayed awake and saw marmots sitting on rocks. Unless you reserved at a time when you might see deer and elk and moose, just take the nap.Final note: It's pricey, $80 a seat. Park across the street for $20. It's the best place to park.

Definitely make your reservations before arrival. They sound angry about walk up ticket purchases on their website. I got a bad vibe about the way it was worded. But once here, all of the staff is super friendly. They have been in business for 131 years. If you've already got your ticket, you can walk straight down stairs. There are two train rails. But either it's coming or going. So it's not that hard to figure out which one to go to. It's a cute area. They have a convenience store with a. Few food options, sweatshirts (incase you forgot yours. Can't say I didn't warn you), and souvenirs. It's a 1.5 hour rail ride to the top. So use the bathroom before you leave. And there are two sets of bathrooms downstairs. Tickets were $72 each to pick your seat assignment and $59 for an unassigned seats. I saw no discounts of any kind. They have coveted seats in car 1, row 1, A,B,C. But they sell out early. So I didn't get to see how much they went for.The seats are small and it is almost always packed. (So I'm told). So it will be warm and cramped at the start. (At least in the summer time) and cold and cramped at the top.

What to bring: Its cold at the top...bring a sweatshirt and some jogger pants you can easily throw on over your shorts. I went in July where it was 95 degrees at the bottom/in town. Sunglasses are a good idea. Money for gift shop/donuts. Tip money if you choose to tip the train attendant. Phone and internet service was nonexistent at a certain point up the mountain. Wear good shoes if you want to walk on the rocks. Obviously, bring a camera/phone with camera.Parking/shuttle: Parking was no issue but it will cost you. $20 for the first 4.5 hrs, $5 each add'l hour. Street parking costs the same. I did not see any free parking anywhere...even down in the town of Manitou Springs. Down in the town, all parking is paid and certain areas cost more than others. The street spots downtown say on the parking machine 'you will be charged premium rates here.' We parked in a lot in town and took the #33 shuttle up to the train. I rode the shuttle 3 times...one time it was waiting for me, another time was about a 13 minute wait and after I got off the train, I waited about 10 minutes for the shuttle.What else is there to do here? There's a gift shop (that does not sell water in plastic bottles; you'd have to buy a $40 metal water bottle that they've prefilled for you), a waiting area (that has a water refill station; bring your own bottle to fill), and a bathroom. So not much to do here! We arrived very early. Pro tip...if there's a line for the bathroom in the waiting area...go down to the end of the tracks where there are nicer bathroom and a lot fewer people! There are no bathrooms on the train.What if you know you're going to miss your train? Call and ask to rebook. There's a $20 fee (total) to reschedule. The people who sat across from us had done this. Since I had arrived early, I asked if we could board the earlier train that was sitting in front of me with empty seats and was told no. On our train, we met 4 people within a row of us who had missed their train the hour before.Our train attendant, Owen, was fantastic! He talked the whole way up the mountain, telling us historical facts and stories. He was so full of energy and was simply great! On the way back down the mountain, he walked around talking to everyone and answering questions. We learned he only just got done training a month ago! He was very impressive!At the top of Pike's Peak, we had 40 minutes. Options were buying donuts from the café, going to the gift shop, using the restroom, and looking at the views. I rushed to buy donuts first and learned that the café was basically closed. Pro tip: don't take the last train of the day (4:40pm). No donuts and a lot of our photos have shadows due to the setting sun (6pm). We definitely would have appreciated more time at the top. There's a good amt of area to cover, signs to read, and views to take in. We hurried along and made due but most definitely could have used more time at the top.

Fun train ride! Be sure to get there early and dress warm! It is cold at the top of the mountain. Breathing will get shallow. Comfortable seating, and the views will not disappoint. Friendly, informative staff. The cinnamon donuts are no joke amazing. It's about a bit over 3 hours. The gift shop is expensive like most, but military discount is 20%! Overall lovely tour.

We visited Colorado Springs for our sister's graduation event. On Thursday, our group of 10 decided to book this train up Pikes Peak. Many of the time slots were pretty booked, but the 8am train had room for all 10 to sit together. Booking was easy, we chose the option where we pay a bit more and pick our seats. I received the tickets via email in moments. I meant to print them, but scanning the barcodes from my phone worked perfectly. They were very communicative and send several reminder and instruction texts. The trip was amazing. We all thoroughly enjoyed it. Amazing sights! No one had any real problem with altitude, but I was VERY happy to have the canned oxygen (our brother bought several cans to share) because I lost my breath 4 or 5 times up there. canned oxygen from Walmart is a pro tip). Lastly, parking is tight at the station. So, plan for a little time to park, pay for parking, and walk to the train station. We lucked out and were directed to a spot on the street right by the front! But, several people who parked in front of me on the street found themselves less lucky when they found that not paying meant their car was booted. So, second pro tip, $20 to park is better than the boot!

I don't understand why anyone would give this less than 5 stars. Look up the weather before you go. Everyone has a weather app or Google. It's not the responsibility of the railway to keep you updated on the weather, it's actually out of their control. Do not go up here for the gift shop or cafe. Lots of folks and you only have 40 mins. Take in the view. The website was very clear on directions and parking. Parking close was $20. The ride was beautiful. It was so clear we could see all 5 other states I think. The seats are a night tight. We purchased 3 seats because we did don't want to risk someone else sitting with us. Was perfect for us as a plus size couple. You will also touch the knees of whomever is across from you. You will be facing the same way up as the way down. The Conductor was friendly and funny. Did you know the rocks on Pikes Peak are deadly? One drop and your dead. The Engineer was kind enough to pose for me. Highly recommend!

I debated on whether to give three or four stars, the experience at the top was pretty spectacular but the train ride up the mountain was definitely not worth the 189 bucks for two people. I'm sure the sights are beautiful but the are very hard to see sitting down going through a valley on your way up and down. I think the "two seat" side probably had some of the best views. It's very hard to take pictures through tinted glass and the windows only come down about a foot from the top, my wife is a photographer and that was pretty disappointing for her. Once you get to the summit, you get 45 minutes and that's not quite enough time to grab some of the famous donuts, which are pretty darn good, and walk through the gift shop. We were there during peak season so the gift shop was almost bare, pretty disappointing as we would have like to pick up a couple items for our kids and grandkids. I'm grateful for the experience but not sure it's worth the money.

Very disappointing, the train ride itself was nice but the conductor talked incessantly! Even worse, the sound system is not very good so most of what he was saying was incomprehensible. When we got to the top it was snowing. We barely got into the building when there was an announcement that because of the snow they were closing the building, everyone had to leave. No time to get a snack or use the restroom. Okay, stuff happens. But then we sat on the train for over 30 minutes just waiting. At the very least they could have let us stay in the building until our train could start back down. Overall not worth the price. We are a party of 6 and paid nearly $500.