The easy ways up Pikes Peak: the highway, the cog, and a permit to book ahead

The Barr Trail is the hard way up Pikes Peak. Most people get to the 14,115-foot summit a gentler way: they drive or ride.

The drive is the Pikes Peak Highway, which climbs about 19 miles from the gateway to the top. In summer it takes a little planning. The City of Colorado Springs says that from May 22 through September 30, a vehicle going past Mile 7 needs a timed-entry permit, which costs a couple of dollars and gives you a window to arrive at the gateway. The permit is on top of the regular admission. You can book it about a month ahead, so the easy move is to reserve before you go rather than hope for a spot at the gate.

If you would rather let someone else handle the steep grade, there is the Broadmoor Manitou and Pikes Peak Cog Railway out of Manitou Springs. It reopened in 2021 after a roughly $100 million rebuild, with new Swiss-built trains running the 9-mile line to the summit, and it bills itself as the highest cog railway in the world. Seats sell out, so advance tickets are the way to go.

Either way you arrive at the summit visitor center, which opened in 2021 and is known for its high-altitude donuts. For current hours, permit dates, and prices, start at the City of Colorado Springs Pikes Peak tickets page.