Garden of the Gods Engagement Session / Colorado Springs
Elizabeth and Quinn met me on the outskirts of Colorado Springs for their engagement session at Garden of the Gods. It was a summer evening and a nearby storm had rolled through and left us with some moody clouds and a fairly empty parking lot. We actually ended up having one of the trails all to ourselves! Garden of the Gods is an incredible spot right near town for many reasons but the biggest difference is that this park is totally free!
Garden of the Gods is private land donated by Charles Elliott Perkins and his family, who loved it so much that upon donating it, required that it be free to the public forever. Even without an entrance fee the park is still very well maintained and has an excellent visitor center. It may actually be one of the most well marked parks I have ever been to! It is just a short 15 minute drive from downtown Colorado Springs and the red rocks jut out of the land in such an unexpected and delightful way. It feels like natures playground just plopped right outside of town. The visitor center balcony provides a great panorama view. Driving into the park you quickly feel like you’re in a totally different place surrounded by such a unique landscape. The road winds through the park with ample parking areas and trail heads at each.
Pro Tip: There is very limited cell service in the park so be prepared! The visitor center does have wifi.
Being so accessible to the city and free I was excited to have the trail to ourselves. While there are longer hikes, there are many short and easy ones to take you close to the rocks. In addition to the hiking trails there are trails for biking, horseback riding and rock climbing. Garden of the Gods may be small but there is plenty to do and explore!
What is also so incredible about this park is that they allow weddings for FREE. There are six areas in the park you can get married at for free on a first come first serve basis, each are listed with their capacity here. Note that they do not allow decorations. This is a great option for more simple elopements. However on the other end of the spectrum, if you were hoping for more flexibility to invite more guests, include some stunning decor, and have a lavish reception on your wedding day then the luxurious Garden of the Gods Resort might be more your style. You can have the gorgeous red rock park for your backdrop but all the convenience and amenities of the resort! If you’re having your wedding at the resort but don’t want to forgo all of the adventure it has to offer, you can plan a multi day celebration and spend the day before or after with your bridal party planning an adventure throughout the park.
Either way, I don’t think you can go wrong having your engagement session or wedding at Garden of the Gods in Colorado Springs!