Garden of the Gods

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For the Garden of the Gods in Southern Illinois, see Shawnee National Forest. For Hawaii, see Lanai.

A view of Garden of the Gods showing some of its unusual hogback formations

A sandstone formation

Scene from the 1950s. The formation at the right of the picture is a balancing rock.

Garden of the Gods is a public park located in Colorado Springs. It contains red sandstone hogback formations, similar to the Red Rocks west of Denver. The name Colorado is said to come from the color of this sandstone.

The hogbacks, so named because they resemble the backs and spines of a pig, are ridges of sandstone whose layers are tilted. Instead of lying horizontally, some layers are even vertically oriented. Each hogback can range up to several hundred feet long, and the tallest (called The Kissing Camels) rises to a height of 320 feet tall. [1] Entrance to the park is free according to the wish of Charles Elliott Perkins, whose children donated the land to the city of Colorado Springs in 1909. It contains numerous trails for hiking, walking, mountain biking and horseback riding. One of the most popular trails, Perkins has been paved, in an effort to combat the erosion of the park's central garden caused by its numerous visitors. Because of the unusual and steep rock formations in the park, it is an attractive goal for rock climbers. Rock climbing is permitted, with annual permit obtained at the Garden of the Gods Visitor and Nature Center. The only requirements are reading the rules, having proper equipment, climbing with a "buddy", and staying on established climbing routes. Due to the sometimes unstable condition of the sandstone—particularly after a great deal of precipitation—several fatalities have occurred over the years.

Near the entrance to the park is Rock Ledge Ranch Historic Site, a recreation of rustic ranch of the late 1800s. The walking tour features a restored ranch house, demonstrations of smithing and facts about Native American activity in the area, including a small recreation of a Native American campsite. Unlike Garden of the Gods, Rock Ledge Ranch charges a small entrance fee.

Also nearby is the Garden of the Gods Visitor and Nature Center, proceeds from which support the Garden of the Gods Park.

[edit] The name

Many people assume the name comes from a native American name for the area. In fact, the name of the park only dates back to August 1859 when two surveyors helping to set up nearby Colorado City were exploring the nearby areas. Upon discovering the site, one of the surveyors, M. S. Beach, suggested that it would be a "capital place for a beer garden." His companion, the young Rufus Cable, awestruck by the impressive rock formations, exclaimed, "Beer Garden! Why it is a fit place for the gods to assemble. We will call it the Garden of the Gods." The beer garden never materialized, but the name stuck.[2]