Perkins Central Garden Trail

Garden of the Gods, Colorado Springs

Family Hiking trail including strollers and wheelchairs

Perkins Central Garden Trail is a paved trail roughly 1 1/2 miles round-trip.  Perkins Garden Trail begins at the North's main parking lot inside Garden of the Gods, and heads south along the base of the highest rock formations in the park.

We did not hike the entire Perkins Central Garden Trail on our first visit to the park due to limited time and we wanted to see the Siamese Twins rock formation, however I did a hike down to signature rock and the Gateway between the Northgate Way rock and the South Gateway rocks. While in the gatway, I found a position where I could get a glimpse of Pikes peak thorugh the vegetation and the rock formations.

The area we hiked this weekend of Perkins Central Garden Trail took us past the kissing camels, the North Gateway Rock, South GateWay Rock, signature Rock, and white Rock.  At the top of White rock is the formation I have not seen the Garden of the Gods give a name to, but it appears to me like a buffalo.

On future trips to the Garden of the Gods, we will explore the rest of Perkins Central Garden Trail, and will include pictures along the way.  Here you will see pictures from the area of the Perkins Central Garden Trail that we did a hike and take pictures of.

Click on the images on the left to get a larger view.

	This is a picture of the Entrance of Garden of the Gods, and South Gateway Rock.  The picture is taken from the Visitor Center, and the Perkins Central Garden trail will take you between this rock formation and the North Gateway Rock to the right.
	to the north of the South Gatway Rock is the North Gateway Rock, which is also noted by two other names.  On the top of this rock, if you view the larger image, you will see the Kissing Camels formation, and the south side of the rock is called Signature rock because it has names and other etchings on the rocks from as far back as the 1800's
	On the left side of the trail as you enter Perkins Central Garden Trail is the rock formation known by Garden of the Gods as White Rock.  I noticed a rock formation at the top that looks like  a Buffalo.  Here I have shown a close up of that spot on the top, and one with the buffalo Superimposed over it: Buffalo Rock
	This is the view between the North and South Gateway rocks.  just to the right of center you can see a smaller rock which is blocking the view of Pikes Peak.  The rock on the left is the South Gateway Rock, and the rock on the right is the North Gateway Rock, which also fosters the Kissing Camels and the Signature rock.
	This is the Kissing Camels Rock, also known as the North Gateway Rock. The Kissing Camels can be identified from over a mile away, this picture was taken from just a few yards away from the base of the rock itself.
	This is the north end of the North Gateway Rock taken from close up.  You will see many holes through out the rock.  These holes provide natural habitats for many birds, including the Prarie Falcon.
	That was all the further we went on our first trip to Garden of the Gods, because we want to get to the Siamese Twins Rock which is further south in the park. This rock formation is along the road to the Siamese twins. I wanted this picture because it shows how these rocks just seem to shoot out of the ground in a somewhat unified yet random appearance.