• Skip to main content
  • Skip to footer

Springs Bargains

Colorado Springs Events, Deals, and Cheap Things to Do

Circa Real Estate Group
  • About
    • Contact Us
  • Things To Do
    • Local Events
    • Free & Cheap Things To Do
    • Grand Openings
    • Summer Fun
  • Shopping
    • Thrift/Discount Store Directory
    • Neighborhood Garage Sales
    • Farmers Markets & CSAs
    • Groceries
      • Coupon Database
      • Coupon Policies & FAQ
      • Grocery Price Reference
      • Milk Price Tracker
      • Printable Grocery Coupons
  • Dining
    • Kids Eat Free Nights
  • Real Estate

Things To Do & See

St. Peter’s Dome Hike

Published May 3, 2018 by Carrie in Things To Do & See

The St. Peter’s Dome hike is off the beaten path but is quite short (less than two miles round trip) and offers great views and some rock scrambling (if you desire to get to the very top).  Our family did this hike way back in 2009 when our oldest was four (he’s now almost thirteen!) and we did it again this spring so I wanted to update the blog post I’d written about it and add some new photos.

The trailhead is on Gold Camp Road about a mile past the intersection of Old Stage and Gold Camp (see below for detailed directions).  You’ll be driving up about eight miles up Old Stage Road to get there, and be forewarned that the road is curvy with lots of washboarding and potholes, though it’s totally passable by most vehicles.

The sign at the trailhead for St. Peter’s Dome indicates it’s a 0.7 mile hike. The first part of the trail is relatively flat, and then it begins climbing and the switchbacks begin. As you near the top, the trail becomes pretty narrow and there is a lot of loose rock which can be challenging for kids.

When you get near the top, you might realize that you’re content to check out the view from near the top  – if you want to go all the way to the top of the dome, you’ll need to use a knotted rope to get up the next boulder. (The rope seems sturdy, but who knows how long it’s been up there!)

The rope in 2009 – it seems to have been replaced since then. Regardless, it’s use at your own risk!

When we were here most recently in spring 2018, we had a harder time locating the rope than we remembered previously, but finally found it – and ultimately opted not to go up to the top mostly because no one was excited about having to come back down the same way.  There have been staircases to get the top in the past, apparently, but nothing other than the remnants of an old metal staircase remains.

There are some large boulders that you can climb on to get a view over the ridge into the valley, though Jeremy told me that it was somewhat ironic that the place where you park has as good as or better views than the top of the hike. ;)

Still, it’s a fun hike that’s quite short but still feels like you actually went on a hike!

The tallest peak in the center of this photo is St. Peter’s Dome – but you’ll be driving most of the way up!

How to get to the St. Peter’s Dome trailhead: since part of Gold Camp Road is closed because of a tunnel collapse years ago, you’ll need to take Old Stage Road to Gold Camp Road. Once you reach the point where Old Stage merges into Gold Camp, drive about a mile to reach the St. Peter’s Dome trailhead. It’s easy to find, on the northeast side of the road there will be a small parking area and some large boulders. There’s also a small sign that indicates where the trail is.

Here’s a Google map. Note that the St. Peter’s Dome trailhead starts on the part of the map where it says “Eagle’s Nest”.

Filed Under: Things To Do & See Tagged With: hikes

Hike Castlewood Canyon State Park

Published April 26, 2018 by Carrie in Things To Do & See

Castlewood Canyon State Park is that breathtaking canyon you’ve probably passed many times on your way to Denver on Highway 83 and gasped at its beauty and then just like that, it was gone.  (Well, the beauty isn’t completely gone, but the picturesque canyon is in view on second and gone the next!)

Well, you should stop next time!  Castlewood Canyon truly is a beautiful park with quite a variety of features: old homestead ruins, a waterfall, the remains of a dam that burst in 1933, and of course miles of hiking trails and beautiful views.

On our first visit, which took place last summer, we parked at the main parking lot off Highway 83 and did a few miles of hiking to the dam and waterfall.

[afop]

Some trails near visitor center/main entrance are paved and wheelchair/stroller-accessible

Some boulder-hopping was necessary to cross this part of the trail – of course, the kids loved that!

[afop]

The Castlewood Dam

The Castlewood Dam was built in 1890 and collapsed in 1933, sending a “fifteen-foot wall of water” into Denver.  (The Denver Public Library has some of that history here.)

The Lucas Homestead Ruins

On the west side of the park there are the remains of the old homestead of Patrick and Margaret Lucas.  It was fun to explore this and imagine how the house must have been put together originally and what the various walls must have been.

It took until our third trip to the park to finally get to the homestead.  The first time, we intended to hike from the main park entrance to the homestead, which is on the other end of the park – about 3.5 miles one-way, which was more ambitious than I realized!  On a future trip we parked at the Falls Lot and did about a .7-mile hike to get to the homestead.  Once we got to the homestead I realized that there is a parking lot right in front of it, but hey, we wanted to hike.  (Obviously, my map-interpreting skills are lacking.)  The Falls Lot is a nice mid-way point between the homestead, the falls, and the dam.

We visited once in winter and enjoyed seeing the waterfall frozen over.

This is the Highway 83 bridge that you’ve probably driven on.  The little pavilion you can see from Highway 83 is the Bridge Canyon Overlook, which somehow I didn’t get a picture of that day.  (It was cold!)

When we were there in April, we observed many raptors soaring above the canyon, which was really fun to watch!  Certain trails and climbing areas at Castlewood Canyon are closed during part of the year to protect the raptors during their nesting season – be sure to check the website for closure information.

A sign for Cave Trail caught my eye last time we were there, but we didn’t have time to take it.  It looks like it’s a short hike that might be worth it, because of course it’s a cave!

Main entrance off Highway 83
Or you can take the Castlewood Canyon Rd. to get to the west entrance

Note that there are two entrances to the park: the main entrance off 83 and then the west entrance off Castlewood Canyon Rd., which can be access off Lake Gulch Rd. if you’re coming from the Springs.  I probably would recommend the west entrance if you are interested in the homestead, falls, and dam but don’t want a long hike.  The main entrance has the visitor center and quite a bit of paved trail if you need wheelchair- or stroller-accessible.

A state park pass is required to visit Castlewood Canyon – you can purchase a day pass for $7.  Bring cash, especially during the off-season, as there may not be a ranger at the visitor center.  (There are self-pay stations at both entrances to the park.)

Be sure to check the Colorado Parks and Wildlife site for official information on Castlewood Canyon State Park.  I hope you are able to get out and enjoy some of our state parks!

Filed Under: Things To Do & See Tagged With: hikes

Inexpensive Ways to Enjoy Local Theater

Published April 23, 2018 by Carrie in Things To Do & See

There are plenty of opportunities see a play or musical here in the Springs, but I know that not many of us can or want to spend the hundreds of dollars that it can take to take our whole families.  I wanted to highlight some of the smaller local production companies whose performances cost around $10 or less per person to attend.  We’ve been to performances from several of these groups and while of course they’re not Broadway-quality, I and my kids have greatly enjoyed them!

If you’d like to take your children to the theater without spending a mint, here are some great local options:

Village Arts of Colorado Springs
Past performances include: West Side Story, Cats, and The Pirates of Penzance
Website | Facebook Page

First Company Theater
Past performances include: The Boxcar Children, Number the Stars
Website | Facebook Page

Academy of Children’s Theater/Academy of Community Theater
Past performances include: Suessical Jr.; The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe; Alice in Wonderland
Typical ticket price: $10
Website | Facebook Page

STARZ Theater Company
Past performances include: Singing in the Rain Jr., Annie Jr., Anne of Green Gables
Typical ticket price: $10
Website | Facebook Page

Fountain Community Theater
Past performances include: Clue the Musical, Looking Glass Land, On the Thirteenth Day of Christmas
Typical ticket price: $9 with discounts for seniors, military, children, and family groups
Website | Facebook Page

Don’t forget to also check out local high schools’ productions – there’s too many to list here, but tickets are often $10 or less.  And of course, when I hear about free or cheap performances I will continue to share them on the front page of Springs Bargains!

Filed Under: Things To Do & See Tagged With: not hikes

The Wyoming Territorial Prison Historic Site

Published April 16, 2018 by Carrie in Things To Do & See

Last summer, our family took a short trip to Wyoming and the kids and I spent a day in Laramie while Jeremy was doing a mountain bike race.  Mostly, we visited the Wyoming Territorial Prison Historic Site in Laramie, and it was really pretty cool so I wanted to share it here as it could be a nice day trip or one-night trip from Colorado Springs.

Built in 1872, Wyoming Territorial Prison was both a federal and state prison for about 30 years, when it closed its prison doors and became an agricultural research station for the University of Wyoming until 1989.  As you can imagine, a prison-turned-barn required a lot of work to restore and while I’m no expert, the restoration job seemed really well done.

The site includes the main prison, a work house, the warden’s house, and several other historic buildings.  The prison housed the infamous Butch Cassidy for a time, and there is a special exhibit about his outlaw gang.

 

The site was pretty interactive – you could go in and out of some of the jail cells, go into the watchmen’s tower.  My kids’ favorite part was the stagecoach and jail wagon that they could get on!

A volunteer showed us how the prisoners used to make brooms to sell – they even grew their own broom corn.

 

In one of the buildings is an exhibit related to the site’s time as an agricultural research lab.  The best (and worst) part of this exhibit was the part where you could reach your hand inside a simulated cow’s stomach to feel how the cow’s digestion was doing.  It felt very, um, real!

At the time of this posting, admission to the site is $5 for adults and $2.50 for ages 12-17.  Children 11 and under are free.  Note that it is not open year-round.  Get all the information you need right here!

Filed Under: Things To Do & See Tagged With: not hikes

Mt. Cutler Hike at N. Cheyenne Canon Park

Published March 29, 2018 by Carrie in Things To Do & See

Just two miles round trip, Mt. Cutler is a nice and easy hike that’s great for families.   It’s located in North Cheyenne Canon Park, about a mile and a half from the main gate where Cheyenne Blvd. meets Evans Ave., which is also where the (free) Starsmore Visitor and Nature Center is located.

[Read more…] about Mt. Cutler Hike at N. Cheyenne Canon Park

Filed Under: Things To Do & See Tagged With: hikes

National Museum of WWII Aviation

Published February 21, 2018 by Carrie in Home & Family, Things To Do & See

It’s not often included on lists of “must-dos in Colorado Springs”, but if you have a WWII or aviation buff in your family, you should definitely check out the National Museum of World War II Aviation here in the Springs. It’s located next to the Colorado Springs Airport, and recently I had the chance to check it out with my son and two of his friends.  (I suspected that an aviation museum was probably not going to interest my four girls, so I swapped kids with a friend for a morning.)

The museum hosts many restored WWII-era planes, and the boys were constantly spouting out strings of letters and numbers: “Oh look, there’s a P-130-F!” I totally made that string up, but it was nice to know that they actually do absorb some information after the hours they’ve spent poring over military history books!

[Read more…] about National Museum of WWII Aviation

Filed Under: Home & Family, Things To Do & See Tagged With: not hikes

$6 Tuesday Deal at Icon Cinemas

Published January 5, 2018 by Carrie in Events & Entertainment, Things To Do & See

Thanks to my friend Naomi for the tip that Icon Cinemas (Interquest and Voyager) offers a $6 deal on Tuesdays: all movies are $6 each!  My friend mentioned that there is a $1 fee if you buy your tickets online, but if you purchase them at the theater, you can avoid the $1 fee.

Filed Under: Events & Entertainment, Things To Do & See Tagged With: not hikes, summer movies 2019

Helen Hunt Falls/Silver Cascade Falls Hike

Published December 5, 2017 by Carrie in Home & Family, Things To Do & See

Colorado has so many beautiful winter days that are warm enough for getting outdoors that I’m going to be publishing a few fun hikes that we’ve done recently even though I know hiking is the last thing on most people’s brains in December.  It just feels so good to get outside and be active in God’s creation that I want to encourage you to put on a few layers of clothing and do it!

We recently visited Helen Hunt Falls – which is not a hike at all; you park right at the base – and then took the trail up to Silver Cascade Falls.  Though the water is low at this time of year, it was still an enjoyable, easy hike that got us out in the fresh air and gave us some great views.

[Read more…] about Helen Hunt Falls/Silver Cascade Falls Hike

Filed Under: Home & Family, Things To Do & See Tagged With: hikes

  • « Go to Previous Page
  • Go to page 1
  • Go to page 2
  • Go to page 3
  • Go to page 4
  • Interim pages omitted …
  • Go to page 7
  • Go to Next Page »

Footer

Sell Your Home
Buy A Home
Build A Home

Copyright 2008 - 2021 Springs Bargains

a service of Circa Real Estate Group

Terms of Use | Privary Policy | Disclosure

Equal Housing Opportunity

Contact Springs Bargains

Subscribe for free