Comfort Inn Manitou Springs

Stratton Spring

by OlenaKyiv

Stratton Spring was drilled by the Stratton Foundation as a service to the town, where popular pedestrian and traffic routes follow earlier Native American trails. Spring is coming out from the well with a sculpture of a girl.

Located near restaurant Loop.

Cliff House Hotel

by OlenaKyiv

The town of Manitou Springs grew up around the gold mines in the Pikes Peak area in the late 1850s. The structure that became the 20-room boarding house known as "The Inn" originally was a stagecoach stop on the route from Colorado Springs to Leadville, one of the most famous stagecoach runs of the American West.

In 1886 Edward E. Nichols, who came to Manitou Springs to fight tuberculosis, bought The Inn, renaming it The Cliff House and converting it to a sophisticated resort hotel that capitalized on the sparkling waters and mineral springs in the region. In the 30 years that followed the founding of the Manitou Bath House Company, Nichols expanded the hotel from 20 rooms to 56, and eventually to 200.

(to be continued - see next tip)
Address: 306 Cañon Avenue
Phone: 719-685-3000
Cliff House Website

Cave of the Winds

by rebibi

A large cave with many stalagmites and stalactites can be seen on a guided tour for $ 15.-- which lasts about 3/4 of an hour. We haven't had to wait for a long time but may be in high season the queue will be long.
The caves are open year round, summer 9 am to 9 pm, winter 10 am to 5 pm.

A lot to do, stay a while

by Toughluck

Nestled in a narrow valley, Manitou Springs is an old time tourist town that does not show it's age. Stretched along Manitou Ave and some along Canon Ave, the town is basically a single row of buildings offering a wide variety of choices. There are antique shops, and fine art galleries. Gift shops vie with clothing stores and home decoration stores. Fine jewelry and inexpensive bric-a-brac for the teens and younger kids. Souvenirs galor. And don't assume that each shop is one type of items only. Look around and you'll find lots to variation along the street and in each shop.

Don't miss the arcade and toy shops. As I said, this is an old time tourist town. Tucked away in the middle is an old style arcade with games for the entire family.

You'll find fine dining and a hot dog stand on the street (it's not near any corner). We spend a day and have another week of wandering to do.

Oh, and the 'Springs'? yes, there are natural springs. Soda springs and sulfur springs. Hot and cold springs. From west to east - Ute Spring (west on Manitou Ave); - Iron Spring (west on Ruxton Ave); - Twin Spring (just west of town on Ruxton Ave); - Stratton Spring (so corner of Ruxton and Manitou); - Cyeyenne Spring with spring house (Manitou Ave center of town); - Navajo Spring (hidden in the Arcade on Manitou Ave); - Shoshone Spring with house (Manitou-center of town); then off a bit are Wheeler Spring on Park Ave, behind Soda Springs Park ( near the Post Office); an d- Minute Spring (east of town).

Natural Beauty at a Cost

by Randyi66

The Colorado/Manitou Springs area has some wonderful natural beauty areas. But some of the areas such as the caves, seven falls, cliff dwellings are private property and require entry fees. Do some research and find out which ones you are willing to pay for before you get there. The Garden of the Gods is free, but expect a lot of car traffic and people walking around.