Distance: 2 miles
Elevation Gain: 1075 feet
Trailhead: 6600 feet
Hiking time: 30 minutes, more or less, depending on your fitness level and your effort to push yourself
Difficulty: Strenuous
Season: All seasons
Hike type: One way up and another way down
Near: Manitou Springs, CO
Direction: From Colorado Springs, take the US 24 W and exit at Manitou Springs. Turn west to Manitou Ave. Turn left on Ruxton Ave and continue onto Hydro Street until you reach the trailhead. From Manitou Springs, take Business 24 through this town. Turn southwest on Ruxton Ave. toward the Cog Railway. Park at the Barr Trail parking lot if not full. Otherwise, parking on the side of Ruxton Ave. may be your next best option. Make sure that you find a legal parking space to avoid getting a ticket. Avoid the Cog Railway parking, for your car will be towed. Since is a sensitive issue, your car will not go unnoticed.
Description: At the parking lot, the Barr trailhead is located on east-side while the trail toward the Manitou Incline is located on the north-side. This trail climbs uphill so it serves as a warm-up before reaching the Incline. Since I haven’t hiked for a month, so I was already exhausted by the time I reached to the Incline! I then got nervous, wondering if I would finish at least a mile up.
This hike is as tough as it looks. Going uphill is my weakest part of hiking, plus the heat and high altitude makes this hike the most difficult one for me. Taking frequent breaks and staying hydrated helped me keep going. After 0.68 miles up, I used the bailout to hike back down on Barr trail.
The total time of my hike was 1.24 hours: my active time was 45 minutes while my resting time was 35 minutes, due to being out of shape. I hope to improve at my next visit and not envy those passersby, haha.
It was worth the hike, because it’s a great workout with an awesome scenery to enjoy. I highly recommend bring water, especially cold water. You will definitely need it! Also, wear some sunscreen or sunblock and a hat. During summertime, I encourage you to wear a wicking shirt to stay dry. You will sweat! Haha, also wear a pair of shorts instead of pants. It helps to stay cool. However, if you’re allergic to touching any leaves or plants, wear an ultra light convertible pants so you can remove or reattach the bottom parts if need to. Since the trail can be heavily populated by active hikers or athletics in training, allow them room to pass and avoid stopping others behind you as well. As you climb up, remember to stop and take in the views around you. As you hike down on the Barr trail, watch your footing as it’s easy to lose attention and your foot may give on a small rock. I hope that you have a safe but fun workout!
