The Manitou Incline

The Manitou Incline! According to experts out there, it's considered one of the most challenging hikes in the United States.- 2744 steps (really 2768 steps)- 1 mile- 2000 feet elevation gainYet, here's the thing...there's really no rush. It's not a competition. You can stop at any point in time, take a seat on the steps or catch shade beside a tree.But, if you're trying to make it to the summit as fast as possible, then yeah, it's an absolutely ferocious climb, lol.I was so consumed with recordings and picture takings, I lost track of how strenuous conditions were.It took me 90 minutes to get to the top of the mountain. And that's with taking occasional breaks and soaking up the beautiful views the higher I went.Overall, I don't think it was the hardest hike I've done.It was very, very difficult...but I can think of 12 and 13 mile day long trips being harder than this, which was just a (brutal) late afternoon activity.Still, I enjoyed the hike. I met people along the way. Got to share stories with others. Once I made my final last steps up, there was a group of spectators wishing me congratulations. That felt pretty good.Then at the summit, although there's no sign stating you survived The Manitou Incline, everyone was taking photos of each other viewing down on the daunting looking staircase.I used 20 minutes at the top to catch my breath and appreciate the scenery from high above. I even had time to talk with fellow hikers who all seemed to be friendly like we were part of a community together. In the end, everyone appeared to leave the summit with upbeat stories to relay when all was said and done.Here are extra details about The Manitou Incline...- It's free to hike but because of its popularity, reservations are required. You can do that at manitousprings.org. Then, pick your day and time.When I checked for late June, all the morning time slots were occupied but afternoon times had plenty of availabilities. I chose a 2pm reservation. They sent me a confirmation email. And funny...when I arrived at the trailhead, there was no security or authority even checking reservations. Anyone could have just randomly showed up and started hiking.- Parking was extremely difficult to find in the town of Manitou Springs. In my confirmation email, they provided a list of parking lots for you to choose from when arriving.The most popular lot was located at...10 Old Mans Trail. If you plug that address into Google Maps, you should be fine.But...you have to pay for this parking. It's cheap though.I arrived at 2pm and the meters charge rates until till 6pm. It cost me $7.50. Leave the receipt on your dashboard.- From 10 Old Mans Trail Parking Lot, you have two options for arriving at Manitou Incline Trailhead.Either...walk through the town of Manitou Springs which will add about 1.3 miles extra, each way.Or...take the free bus shuttle which runs every 20 minutes. I took the shuttle each way and found it to be the worthwhile way to go or I may have gotten lost.Plus, the bus driver was informative instructing hikers where to exit the bus and where to stand when returning.- Btw, you have 2 options for coming back down to the bottom of the trail...1. You can obviously take the staircase again, but keep in mind because of the extreme nature of the incline/decline, be cautious with your footing. One stumble and you can fall really hard, really fast and severely injure yourself.2. There's a hiking pathway beside the steps that takes you through the mountains. I believe people said this trail goes for 3 miles down, so it's a chance to bask in nature and take a different direction.I took the staircase back down. I was not ready for the experience to end, so I enjoyed taking my time and watching fellow hikers attempting their journeys.Plus...it drizzled just a little, and afterwards when the sun peaked from the clouds...there was a stunning, fully arched rainbow standing high in the sky! I was in awe and stopped to revel in the moment. I thought to myself, lol...could this be as good as it gets? Being in the middle of one of the most renowned hikes in the USA and I'm getting a bonus view of a colorful rainbow!?!? Yes please, and thank you to the great outdoors.- I brought a backpack with me that included two - 20 ounce Powerades and a towel. That's it. In fact, I didn't even finish my first bottle by the time I completed the hike.- For 2pm in the day, the heat wasn't a factor. There was a nice breeze going the higher I climbed. Standing atop the summit at 4:30pm, the sun was at my back which was great for picture taking.Finally, The Manitou Incline is one of a kind wonder. Visitors to Manitou Springs are intrigued by how hard you must work to feel rewarded. Just like me, they want to put themselves to the test and challenge their inner strengths to the limits. And when you successfully reach step 2744, it's a natural high feeling that's hard to replicate.

President's day 2024 climb started out at 37F 6 30 am. Before that, I parked my car at the Manitou Hiawatha Gardens - Parking and Shuttle lot. They are open 7 days. Enter your license plate info, pay for the duration and it will spit out the receipt. You will need to place that on your windshield before catching the shuttle bus.The shuttle bus will drop you off at the Ruxton Ave instead of near Iron Springs Château. You will need to walk down toward the Incline Basecamp located across the street. From then on, trail will lead you to the TH for the Incline. Being holiday, winter and early AM, there was no one to check us in. To register for your time slot, just need to https://cityofcoloradosprings.aluvii.com/store/shop/productdetails?id=1&productId=1Free to register.It has few rules to follow and one of them is not to use the stairs for coming down.By the way, paid parking at the Iron Springs Château is $20. The Hiawatha Garden was $5.25 for 3 hours. See you at the trail!

Start off your morning with some type 2 fun in the form of the daring Manitou Incline, affectionately deemed "The Incline" by the locals. You will experience a harrowing, heart-racing ascent with nearly 2,000ft of gain over the course of 1 mile. There are various "bail outs" during the ascent in case your legs and knees are not up for the attempt. However, it really ain't all the bad especially if you are like most and take a light weight pack. Plus, the ascent are basically a set of stairs -- some more giant than others -- but stairs nonetheless. Those that do struggle are those who decide to go as light weight as possible and decide to either take nothing or a single water bottle to hold. The incline is completely exposed and strenuous therefore water and electrolytes are your best companions against the constant onslaught of sun, therefore, not really recommended. Keep in mind, advanced reservations are required. The permit (secured online) is free, but parking in and around the area is not. The permit recommends places to park, namely the Hiawatha Gardens Parking Lot located at 10 Old Man's Trail. Rates vary depending on the month and if on a weekday or weekend. I spent ~2 hours in the area. It was just over 1 hour to go up, and 30-45 minutes to go down via the Barr Trail (~4 miles total). That being said, the 1-3 hour rates at the Hiawatha Gardens Parking lot ($1.50-$2) could be a sweet deal. The shuttle runs every 20 minutes from this lot which I hear is not always the best timing. I did decide to park more hassle-free near the base at Iron Springs Chateau Parking (444 Ruxton Ave.), in that light. The confirmation email for my reservation advertised this at $10 for 4 hours, but it actually ended up being $15. Maybe a weekend rate?Either way, the incline was great and although I was fogged out at the top, at least it masked the potential heart ache of the infamous false summit. Some describe the Incline as touristy but there are plenty of locals here going up and down on repeat so that is very false. I guess it is at altitude so bare that in mind. Some poor trail etiquette from the tourists. Note: If someone of decent athletic shape wants to run down the Barr Trail, let them pass! Too many trail hoggers complaining of how crazy people are to run down the trail when in reality, they are increasing their risk for injury when they decide to not move out of the way! Show some common sense people!

Excellent hike to do in the early morning. If you want to avoid a lot of the crowds go early around 5 am. It will be much cooler. There is no check in process. You will see just a few people starting that early. Mainly the locals. There is paid parking available for $15.00 cash that is walking distance. We avoided the 6 am shuttle service to get an early start. This hike is moderate if you're an active person. If you are not this will be a challenge. Make sure you take some water. We did this in just over an hour. This did not include the 3 miles hike back down. I recommend going back down the stairs if your body can handle it. After your done go have breakfast at the Loft coffee shop. Excellent place for a light breakfast and coffee.

A challenging feat with astonishing views.My idea to book a reservation for an early time slot backfired as there were no parking spots open at the Ruxton Ave site. However, the friendly and helpful parking attendant let me know of a more low-key option at the bottom of the hill, which was a success. Thank you!Once you get to the base, there are outhouses to use and then you'll check in and start the climb. I'm gonna be honest the first hundred steps will make you question yourself, but keep trekking because it gets easier and more comfortable as you go on. There are three bail-out points. The first being at 395 steps, second at 1300 and third at 1800 steps. Don't be discouraged if you can't make it to the top, just getting to these points is a feat.As I'm afraid of heights, there were many times when I felt uneasy. Don't be afraid or embarrassed to do a crawl and use your hands. This definitely made me feel more at ease, in control and balanced. From the top, 2768 steps, you can take the barr trail, which is a 3.5 to 4 mile trail back down that took us a little over an hour or you can walk the stairs back down. However, I highly do not recommend this as the stairs are steep, uneven, and rocky at points. Advice: Take it slow and don't go too fast at the beginning. Yes, the steps are easier, but you don't want to wear yourself out before the real climb begins. Take lots of breaks, it's not a race. Bring more water than you think you'll need. I'm not much of a water drinker on hikes, but I finished two water bottles, ran out and needed more. Bring a snack. Wear sunscreen, a hat, loose clothing/layers and reliable shoes. To be honest, I felt more hot than anything. As long as you take breaks often, your legs won't hurt as much. The next day, my hips hurt more than anything.All in all, I'm looking forward to doing this again. And if you're afraid of heights, dont look down and keep moving forward! It's all worth it!

The Manitou Incline is a tough and a very challenging hike. I had no idea what I was getting myself into! I was visiting from Southern California and I did not acclimate to the altitude beforehand, my sister dropped me off at 6am and said "see you later". The views are incredible, I love being able to say that I DID IT. It took me exactly one hour to complete, I am definitely looking forward to climbing again!

My family did the incline today. It was amazing and very difficult. We had a great time. Have to say that no online tickets were available but we still did it and no one asked for our ticket. Challenge is finding a parking spot. We found a spot close by for 15 cash. This is definitely worth it. The hike down is awesome as well.

Very challenging but exceptional workout. Don't forget to make a reservation for the time slot you want. Take it easy. No need to start fast.There are so many friendly folks. Say Hi. Encourage those who need it. Best choice for parking is normally Hiawatha Parking. Then there's a free shuttle that takes you right to the Incline start. Same free shuttle takes you back afterwards or just walk back.

First timer from Los Angeles here!! We were worried that the altitude would get us. So we were taking it slowly. We got to the top in 1.5hrs after a Spartan race. Will definitely come back again

The hike is worth the workout out. You see people doing it twice or a third time going up and down the hill on that day. Your legs will feel the accomplishment. I went during my second trimester and passed a lot of people. Slow and steady wins the race. Don't go with toddlers when there's snow because there are a bunch of stairs covered in thick snow that cover up to an adult's calf. You see the steps' number when you hit milestones. My family parked 2 miles away from the place because it cost $15 cheaper. Recommend street parking away from the village. People run from 5 miles away up to the stairs.