The Manitou Springs Incline—PHEW. NOT for the faint of heart. This is a challenging hike that is sure to test your physical toughness, and your mental toughness even more. The Incline gains nearly 2,000 feet of elevation in just ONE mile. Its average grade is 45% and is as steep as 68% in some places…
And you will climb up 2,768 steps in the process.
Now, while it is difficult, it’s still doable.
And it’s a major accomplishment that will have you feeling pretty dang good about yourself, which makes it a great hike. It has become a tourist attraction of sorts and is one of the more popular hiking trails in the Pikes Peak Region. Reservations are required and we’ll get more into that below.
A Little Incline History
The Incline has been around since 1907 and was once old cable car tracks of the Cog Railroad that went to the top of Manitou Mountain. A rock slide in 1990 washed out the rail bed and it was decided not to repair the tracks. Instead, it became the popular hiking trail that it is today!
Quick Facts: The Manitou Springs Incline
- Location: Manitou Springs, Colorado
- Miles: 4.0 miles.
- Type: Loop. You will come down Barr Trail.
- Type: Or Up and Down. This makes it 2.0 miles.
- Elevation Start: 6,590 ft.
- Elevation Gain: 1,978 ft.
- Time: Roughly 2-3 hours for the full hike.
- Fastest Time (Incline Portion): 17:45 by US mountain running team member Joseph Gray.
- Challenge: Hard
- Popularity: Very
- RATING: 4 Stars
- Comparable to Climbing: The Empire State Building. The Eiffel Tower, twice. And the Statue of Liberty, six times. YIKES!
What are you going to see on The Manitou Springs Incline?
A lot of steps. Lol. Look up from the bottom and you’ll see what seems to be an impossible amount of stairs to climb. But the Manitou Incline hike also offers some pretty great views—you need to reach the top, or simply turn around, to catch them. As you make your way up, you’re surrounded by trees. And behind you is the city of Manitou Springs and Colorado Springs. Plus, of course, some mountains.
You will also see a wide variety of people! From young and limber athletes to older folks, you see a little bit of everyone. And they all have the same painful look on their face as you do!
Who Should Hike The Manitou Springs Incline?
There are a few things to consider before you take on The Incline. For starters, you need to be in shape. Keep in mind that Olympic athletes complete this intense hike for training purposes. Also, you gain quite a bit of elevation in a short time and if you’re not acclimated, you will likely be affected by the high altitude. This can lead to shortness of breath, headaches, and other symptoms. If you are a visitor completing the hike, make sure you do it later in your trip and NOT the first day or two.
Now, I don’t want to completely scare you off. While this is for active people, don’t make it out to be some impossible mission. It’s a popular fitness challenge in the area and thousands of people complete this hike every single day. I work out consistently, including hikes, and it was a great challenge. And there were definitely people that were not in the best shape getting after it!
Go slow and take your time! It’s not a race. Take 10 steps and take a break if that’s the way you need to do it!
Remember: Everyone hikes The Incline at their own risk.
Free Online Reservation
You are required to make a free reservation in order to do The Incline. Reserve days and times on their online reservation system and you will be grouped with a number of hikers (45 per 30-minute slot) in order to keep everyone spaced out as much as possible. You can reserve spots for others but limit your group to four. And you can reserve multiple spots for yourself—just make sure you use them!
In my experience on a Friday morning in April, there was not an overwhelming amount of people. You could obviously always see others, and at times people were very close to you, but everyone is moving at their own pace. (May-September will be much busier.)
Reservations during summer hours (April-October) are 6 a.m.-6 p.m. And winter hours (November-March) are 6 a.m.-2:30 p.m. NOTE: We arrived a little late to our reservation due to the shuttle (more on that below) and it was not a big deal at all.
How to Get There
From Colorado Springs Area (it’s right around the corner)
Hop on US-24 W from Colorado Springs until Sunshine Trail. From there, park at Hiawatha Gardens Parking Lot located at 10 Old Man’s Trail in Manitou Springs. It is $1/hour to park here (we did 4 hours just to be safe)—make sure you display the ticket on the dash.
Once you park, you will see the bus stop and catch the free shuttle. It runs every 10-20 minutes and goes along Manitou Avenue to Ruxton Avenue where you will exit and take a short hike to the Incline trailhead.
NOTE: you can review additional Incline parking options here.
The Manitou Springs Incline Hike
Once you arrive at the trailhead and base of The Incline, check in with the staff at a table to the left to show proof of reservation. You can simply display your phone receipt.
From there, get to steppin’! There aren’t many details for the first mile outside of just keep climbing. And eventually, after grimaces and four-letter words, you will reach the top of The Incline!
Three important things to note during the first mile:
- Don’t be fooled—there is a “false summit” two-thirds of the way. You will think you reached the top, but there is still more to go beyond your eyes. You’re ALMOST done though and the toughest part is over.
- If you need to take a break (you will—numerous times), just step off to the side. There’s plenty of space to catch your breath and take a drink of water. Bonus if you find the tree-shaded area!
- There are three bail-out points if you can’t make it. The last one is about halfway and will bring you right down on Barr Trail.
Seeing that silver-plated “2,768” marking the Last step will leave you with a smile and a feeling of accomplishment!
At the top, take some time to drink water and rest. When you get a little energy back, make sure to take a picture or ten! And then you will begin your journey along 3 miles of the Barr Trail. Good news? It’s all downhill, obviously lol. (Besides one TINY section that no matter how small, you will curse…)
It’s easy to stay on the trail and you’ll weave down through the forest. Honestly, this part feels like a bit of a blur, and by the last half-mile, I was ready to be DONE. But you will make it to the base of Barr Trail where there’s a parking lot and shuttle stop to pick you up and bring you back to your car.
P.S. You can utilize downhill use of the incline, but the mile walk down is rough on the knees and it’s discouraged with the number of people coming up. Also, NOT the place you want to misstep and take a tumble.
The Manitou Springs Incline Tips
Whether it’s your first time or your tenth, follow these tips for this advanced hike:
- Make Incline friends! A positive to being one of the more popular trails, there are plenty of others to motivate you and be your friend along the way.
- Look down. Which is rarely a tip, ha. But looking up at all of the steps will NOT be beneficial. One step at a time.
- And turn-around. Don’t forget to take in some views for motivation when you rest.
- Tell yourself “X More Steps” before you take a break. Even if it’s only 10 at a time!
- Laugh and smile. Literally, sometimes that’s all you can do!
Preparation + What to Bring
- Wear Sunscreen. This hike will rarely have you in the shade. Don’t forget SPF lip balm.
- Hiking Shoes. You’ll want quality shoes.
- WATER! Plenty of water. I carried a 28 oz. bottle and was wishing I had more.
- I did NOT wear a backpack. NO extra weight needed.
What to Wear
The coolest, comfiest outfit that makes sense for the weather. The LAST thing you want to be on this hike is too hot. We had a warm April day (75-80) and I was in shorts and a tank. And I remember thinking, wow am I glad I did not wear leggings. When it doubt, UNDERDRESS. Plus, you won’t have a backpack to store layers.
After You Hike The Manitou Springs Incline
You might not want to do much! Haha. Or maybe you’ll feel like celebrating! Get off the shuttle in the downtown Manitou Springs area where there are quite a few options for food and drinks including The Keg Lounge, Townhouse Sports Grill, and/or Border Burger Bar.
Your other close option is Colorado Springs if you’re staying there or just want to visit. My FAVORITE restaurant in CO Springs is White Pizza. All the recovery carbs! (It’s light and wood-fired, not heavy and tiring lol.)
The Incline: The Best Hiking Guide
The Manitou Springs Incline, a challenging trail, to say the least, will leave you feeling so accomplished. As one of the more popular attractions in the area, it’s a great feat to say you did! The 4 mile hike on a spectacular trail (sort of LOL) is one you will not forget!
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Looking for Additional Hikes in the Area?
Raspberry Mountain Trail is one of my FAVORITE hikes just a little north of Manitou Springs in Divide, Colorado. Tall about incredible views! Visit my Colorado recommendations page for even more ideas.
