There’s no shortage of glowing reviews that exist for Garden of the Gods in Colorado Springs – and rightfully so, the park is stunning. That said, not everyone is satisfied with their park-going experience. From complaints about overcrowding to complaints about there being too many kids at the attraction to complaints about the rocks, some visitors have left the destination with a bad taste in their mouth.

Below you’ll find a few of the worst things people had to say about the park. Don’t stop there though – if you’re looking to make your visit as awesome as possible keep scrolling to find tips at the bottom of this piece.

One common complaint among those unhappy with their visit is that the rocks are underwhelming:

“This place is a total tourist trap, the rocks are smaller than they appear,” wrote Yelp user Haley M. in August of 2020. One-star review.

“This is literally nothing but a pile of rocks. […] Even the offensively pompous title of this place sucks! If this place is truly a land of “Gods”, then a walk-through of this area will convert you to atheism fast than reading a book by Richard Dawkins. […] Yeah, it’s “free”, but so is drinking your own urine, doesn’t mean it’s worth doing,” wrote Yelp user Justin S. in 2013. One-star review.

“Just a garden in [a] city,” wrote TripAdvisor user anumehul in 2020. One-star review.

“It’s just rocks – big rocks. I don’t understand the point, but if you like rocks everywhere, this place is for you,” wrote Yelp user Nova Z. in 2017. Two-star review.

“Garden of the Gods, God’s worst mistake… The brochures make it look good,” wrote TripAdvisor user Bruce L. in 2014. One-star review.

Other visitors seem to be frustrated with the crowding – after all, it is one of the city’s most popular parks:

“Loud motorcycle pipes in the park and people’s car stereos turned up too high ruin what should be a relaxing encounter with nature. The number of yearly visitors has grown out of control,” wrote Yelp usee Bubba B. in 2018. One-star review.

“Between the horse poop all over the multi-purpose trail and all of the tourists in sandals (sandals?! really?!), I just wasn’t digging it,” wrote Yelp user Jackie B. in 2017. Two-star reviews.

“The place was totally packed…like Disneyland on Labor Day Weekend,” wrote Tony S. in 2012. Three-star review.

“It was hard to get a good picture because kids kept pushing or jumping in front of you. Get here early to experience this without kids,” wrote Justin A. in 2011. Three-star review.

Don’t let the negative reviews left by few keep you from visiting though – the positive reviews for Garden of the Gods vastly outweigh the negative ones. Garden of the Gods is, according to many, one of the best spots to visit in Colorado and a great place to see stunning rock formations under the backdrop of a fourteen-thousand-foot mountain – Pikes Peak.

Yelp user Matt C. summed up what this local writer would venture to say a majority of visitors think of the park: “Garden of the Gods remains one of Colorado’s most prized possessions. It’s what every park wishes it could be. An inherently wonderful place to stroll.”

Overall, the park is rated at 4.7 of 5 stars on Yelp with 1,300 reviews and 4.8 of 5 on TripAdvisor with more than 18,000 reviews, at time of publishing.

Looking to maximize your trip to Garden of the Gods? Here are a few tips:

1. Visit during off-hours: Mid-day on a pleasant weekend, things get crowded. Consider visiting earlier or later in the day and during the week. A visit between 5 a.m. and 8 a.m. can have the park feeling like a ghost town with this also being a time that wildlife sightings tend to be more common.

2. Don’t park at the main lot: If you’re willing to do a little bit of walking in one of America’s most stunning spots, skip the parking frustration and find a designated lot that’s not at the base of the main rock features. Use a park map to plan ahead with where you park, as some lots have trails that lead to the main park loop with a few minutes of walking. For the quickest and easiest parking, consider the large gravel lot that’s located on the eastern edge of the park by the roundabout found along 30th Street – from there, it’s about a 10 to 15 minute walk to the main part of the park.

3. Manage your expectations: Is Garden of the Gods a massive national park? No. It’s about 1,300 acres, much of which tends to get ignored by many visitors. Is it a stunning public park that’s free to visit? Yes. While Garden of the Gods isn’t somewhere to ‘get lost in nature’ due to how popular and condensed the space is – it is in the middle of a major city, after all – it’s a great place to admire natural wonders and get some great photos.

4. Add to your experience: Instead of sticking to the 20-minute walk along the paved loop around the main rock features like most, spice up your visit by doing a little more at the park. Go for a hike, book a spot on a horseback ride, go on a Segway tour, try rock climbing (permit and gear or guide required) – there are plenty of ways to make your experience even more memorable.

5. Heed the weather: Colorado Springs is notorious for the afternoon storms that roll through the area during spring and summer, often bringing heavy rain, strong winds, and hail. Watch the weather report and pack layers for your trip in case this happens. Try to visit earlier in the day opposed to later to avoid afternoon storms.

6. Bring plenty of water: If you’re visiting Colorado, you’ll likely feel the effects of the higher elevation. Even walking around a relatively flat park can be physically taxing. Bring plenty of water to drink (without skipping the electrolytes) and don’t push yourself past what your body is telling you to do. Overdoing it on the first day (or any day before you acclimate) can ruin the rest of the trip.

7. Soak up all the information you find: There are a lot of educational signs to be found in the park and the Visitor’s Center is worth checking out, too. The information on these signs will help give you a chance to have a better understanding of what you’re looking at and how special the Garden of the Gods is.

Plan a visit here.

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