About Visit Manitou Springs

Our Mission

Visit Manitou Springs is an independent travel and tourism guide dedicated to showcasing everything that makes Manitou Springs, Colorado a remarkable destination. From the eight natural mineral springs that gave the town its name to the Manitou Incline and the Pikes Peak Cog Railway, from the Victorian-era founding to a downtown packed with independent restaurants, galleries, and shops, Manitou Springs has a story worth telling.

About Manitou Springs

Manitou Springs sits at about 6,320 feet above sea level at the foot of Pikes Peak, just west of Colorado Springs along US-24. Founded in 1872 as a health resort built around its naturally carbonated mineral springs, the town remains one of Colorado's most distinctive small communities. Its compact, walkable downtown is a National Historic District, and the surrounding foothills offer some of the best-known hiking in the state.

The town's character comes from its layered history: long use of the springs by the Ute and other Native peoples, the Victorian resort era that built its grand homes and bathhouses, and a modern arts-and-outdoors culture that keeps the historic main street busy year-round. Today, Manitou Springs pairs that heritage with independent cafes, breweries, galleries, and easy access to Garden of the Gods, Cave of the Winds, and the Cog Railway.

The Mineral Springs

No guide to Manitou Springs would be complete without its namesake mineral springs. Eight naturally carbonated public springs are spread through downtown, each with its own mineral profile and taste, and all free to sample on a self-guided walk. The springs are the reason the town exists, and tasting your way between them is still one of the best ways to experience it.