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Garden of the Gods is filled with natural beauty

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Contributed by: Garden of Gods Trading Post on 1/9/2007

Pikes Peak through the Gateway Filled with the wonders of nature, the Garden of the Gods was dedicated in 1909 and is a free city park. An abundance of plant and animal life can be found though out its 1,340 acres, as well as the magnificent red sandstone rock formations, for which the Garden is best known. Many of these are over 300 million years old and were sculpted through time by erosion.

In 1879, Charles Perkins, president of the Chicago Burlington & Quincy Railroad, purchased much of the land now known as the Garden of the Gods. After his death, at his request, his family gave the land to the City of Colorado Springs to be used as a park. The stipulations included that it be known as Garden of the Gods and it would remain free forever to all visitors.

Balanced Rock
One of the most famous rocks in the country is Balanced Rock. A layer at the base of the rock has more shale formed from mud that wore away faster and left a small support on which the huge rock is balanced.

The Garden offers the best hiking, picnicking, horseback riding and photography in the region. Naturalist talks are also available covering both the geology and natural history of the Park. Touring time varies with one's desire to hike among the rocks but it would be best to allow 2 to 3 hours. With over 1,000,000 visitors a year, no trip to Pikes Peak Country and Colorado Springs is complete without a stop at the Garden of the Gods, a registered natural landmark.

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