Most visitors who come to the Pikes Peak region for rock formations go straight to Garden of the Gods, then stop. Palmer Park, on the other side of Colorado Springs, is the city park that rewards the next day: sandstone bluffs, grassy mesa-top, and a trail system big enough that you can wander for hours without retracing a step.

Here is what the park actually offers, how to pick a route, and where it fits next to the other trail guides on this site.

What Palmer Park Is

Palmer Park is a City of Colorado Springs park of just over 730 acres with more than 25 miles of multi-use trails, according to the city’s Trails and Open Spaces page. Other listings round the acreage to 737, so treat the exact figure as approximate. The park sits on a mesa above the city, with sandstone formations, meadows, and the Grandview Point overlook looking toward Pikes Peak and the Front Range.

Entry is free. The park’s listed hours are 5 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily (one section of the city page says 6 a.m., so confirm before a dawn start). Parking lots sit at the main trailheads, the Grandview overlook, and the sports fields.

It is a multi-use park. Hikers share the trails with mountain bikers and horseback riders, and weekends bring all three. Hikers who prefer quiet should go early or midweek.

The Three Trails to Know First

The park’s trail network is dense and overlapping, so it helps to anchor on three names that the city page and most trail guides lead with.

Mesa Trail

The Mesa Trail runs along the top of the mesa and starts near the Yucca Flats parking area. It is the easiest way to get the “on top of the city” feeling with views in both directions.

Yucca Trail

Yucca Flats is the park’s main trailhead area, reached from Paseo Road on the west side by a dirt road that ends at a circular lot. One trail guide describes it as one of the largest and most secure lots in the park. The Yucca trails wander the flats and rock outcrops around it.

Templeton Trail

The Templeton Trail drops from the top of the mesa and follows its lower edge, which gives you a change of scenery from the open top: ravines, rock walls, and more shade.

A Sample Loop

One published route from Yucca Flats links the Mesa, Yucca, Edna Mae Bennett Nature, and Templeton trails into a loop of about 2.7 miles. A separate Templeton-to-Mesa loop is listed at about 3.7 miles with roughly 600 feet of climbing. Mileages vary between sources because the trails cross and braid, so carry a current map rather than trusting a single number. Hiking Project and the city’s own trail map both cover the park.

These are not demanding routes by Pikes Peak standards. The elevation here is far below Barr Trail, and the gain is gradual. That makes Palmer Park a good choice for an acclimatization day, a rest day between bigger climbs, or a family outing.

Dogs and Etiquette

Dogs are allowed on the park’s trails when leashed, per trail-guide listings. The park also has a large off-leash dog park, so the rules differ by area. Watch the posted signs rather than assuming.

Because bikes share the trails, hikers should stay to the right on narrow singletrack, step aside for horses, and keep dogs close on blind corners.

How Palmer Park Fits a Manitou Springs Trip

Palmer Park is across Colorado Springs from Manitou Springs, so budget a drive rather than a walk. It complements the rest of the region well:

  • Instead of Garden of the Gods on a crowded day. Garden of the Gods is the famous one; Palmer Park offers a similar sandstone-and-grassland character with more room. See our camping near Garden of the Gods guide if you are also planning where to stay.
  • Before or after a big mountain day. Pair it with a hard effort like the Manitou Incline or Barr Trail as the easy day.
  • Shoulder-season hiking. The mesa is far lower than Pikes Peak, so it is often hikeable when the high country is icy. Late fall afternoons get cold and the sun sets early, so pack a layer and a headlamp.

Quieter Options Inside the Park

The Edna Mae Bennett Nature Trail, listed at about 2.6 miles, winds through rocky bluffs with views over ravines, canyons, and rock formations, and it is a good pick if the Mesa Trail is busy. Grandview Point is the easy win for non-hikers in your group: you can reach the overlook by car, take in the Pikes Peak and Front Range view, and then decide how far to walk.

If you want a longer day, stitch together several trails from one trailhead rather than moving the car. The park’s 25-plus miles of trail are tightly packed, so a loop that returns to the same lot is easy to design, and you can shorten it at any junction if the weather turns.

What to Pack for a Mesa Day

Shade is thin on the mesa top, so water and sun protection matter even in October. In the cooler months, wear layers, because the wind picks up on the exposed top and temperatures drop quickly after sunset. Closed-toe shoes with real tread help on sandstone slabs and loose dirt, and a charged phone with the trail map downloaded covers you if cell service or junction signs are unhelpful.

Before You Go

Check the City of Colorado Springs Parks page for closures after heavy rain or snow, since sandstone and clay trails can be slick and easily damaged when wet. Bring water, because the mesa has little shade, and carry a paper or downloaded map. Trail names and mileages differ between apps, and signage at junctions is not always complete.

Sources: Colorado Springs Trails and Open Spaces: Palmer Park; Wikipedia: Palmer Park (Colorado Springs); The Outbound: Templeton Trail to Mesa Trail loop.