This may sound weird to say, but we had a really difficult time coming up with a featured attraction for today’s post… Yes, Colorado is essentially the outdoor capital of the world, but that is what makes choosing the best of the best so difficult! However, after much thought (and reading over what locals and tourists had to say), we think it is fitting to name Pikes Peak as Colorado’s top outdoor attraction! To get you introduced (or reintroduced) to this famous summit, here are a few fun facts about the attraction that you may have never known:
While the discovery of Pikes Peak is typically credited to Zebulon Pike (pictured), it has been speculated that Spanish explorers were actually the first to conquer the peak some 100 years earlier.
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Surprisingly, the famous Gold Rush slogan “Pikes Peak or Bust” didn’t even pertain to the famous mountain; the gold rich area was actually in Denver, but the term was coined because miners and travelers could still see the distinct peak from the area.
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In 1893, Katherine Lee Bates wrote her iconic “America the Beautiful” after seeing the spectacular view from the top of Pikes Peak.
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The Pikes Peak Cog Railway was founded in 1889 with limited service to the Halfway House Hotel.
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Pikes Peak stands at a whopping 14,115 feet tall and comes in as the 53rd highest and the 89th most prominent peak in America.
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The highest point of Pikes Peak was named a National Historic Landmark in 1961.
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There is a temperature difference of 30 degrees between the top and base of Pikes Peak.
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There are several ways to reach the top of Pikes Peak, including the Broadmoor’s Pikes Peak Cog Railway, Pikes Peak Highway, or - of course - hiking the famous 14er.
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Check out even more outdoor goodness by visiting the 7 Wonders Of The World That Are Actually Right Here In Colorado!
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