Colorado Springs Adventure with huskies - Colorado Elopement + Wedding Photographer | Kept Record
visiting colorado springs, colorado:
In May of 2022, my little family and I packed up our Jeep and spent 11 days on a road trip through Colorado. Beginning in Ogden (our neighborhood about 45 minutes north of Salt Lake City, UT), we drove our beloved red Jeep through the Rocky Mountain state with stops in: Grand Junction, Gunnison, Colorado Springs, Denver, Estes Park (and Flaming Gorge, Utah!). I’m excited to share a bit of our experience in Colorado Springs in this blog post - with pictures of my husband and I, and of course, our two huskies Lucy + Pepper. Colorado Springs was a fairly dog-friendly place to visit and after all, Lucy and Pepper are definitely part of our family!
Check out a few of my favorite highlights from this leg of our trip.
Heyooo friend! I’m Morgan, the lead photographer + founder here at Kept Record.
I specialize in documenting intimate weddings + elopements in Utah, California, and Colorado, for adventurous introverts — and their dogs. I love helping couples feel confident + comfortable in front of the camera so they can look back on this milestone with organic, effortless, candid photos that really tell their story.
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Contact me today to talk about pricing, packages, and availability - just hit the contact button here to get started!
Getting married in Colorado?
Click here to see Allie + Sam’s winter wedding in Aspen!
where to stay + what to do on your visit to colorado springs
Where to stay (with your dogs!) in Colorado Springs
We stayed in Colorado Springs for about 3 days in the first week of May. If you’re traveling with dogs, I highly encourage you to check out La Quinta! There are lots of dog-friendly options to choose from, but La Quinta is a great value + we think their dog policies are more reasonable for travelers than alternative hotels or lodging! Always double check with each hotel to make sure of course ;)
There’s actually more than one La Quinta in Colorado Springs - the one we stayed at was a little further south of the city off of Academy Blvd (named for the local Air Force Academy).
What to do in Colorado Springs, Co
Near Colorado Springs, we drove through one of the cutest small towns I’ve ever seen: Manitou Springs! I would love to go back and get the chance to really explore this area more. There were art galleries, bakeries, and even an old-school arcade! At Red Dog Coffee we got lattes and one of the most delicious cinnamon rolls I’ve ever seen — and they had treats for dogs, too!
Iconic red rocks, shooting upwards towards the sky earned the much-loved Garden of the Gods its name. Pets are allowed to join visitors to this Colorado Springs attraction, so long as they’re leashed + picked up after (LNT!). We enjoyed a chilly morning walk through the sandstone geological formations, but it was definitely more of a leisurely stroll than a “hike.”
Maybe if we’d planned to stay longer + explored more of this area we would have found some hiking trails, but the main area largely consists of paved sidewalk paths. Visiting on a Friday morning was quite crowded with families, neighborhood joggers, and a few schools on field trips. Just something to keep in mind! Nevertheless, Garden of the Gods was a beautiful place to see + I’d recommend it for anyone seeking a lower-exertion activity with their family or dogs. Here are a few of my favorite snaps from our misty morning at the park!
Another one of the area’s biggest attractions is Pikes Peak. With a summit at 14,115 feet, the iconic national landmark of Pikes Peak is a special mountain with tons of history and almost as many twists and turns. It’s popular for folks in auto racing - in 1916 the highway was completed and it’s been a haven for racers interested in the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb ever since.
Just before the park’s entrance there’s a small amusement park with tons of character: The North Pole- Santa’s Workshop! It looked like a ton of fun to check out but they’re only open certain days in the off season + I can’t say for certain but I don’t think that’s a location meant for furry friends. Maybe next time!
We weren’t able to make it all the way up the summit because of a storm, but we did make it up to the Timberline, which is about 12,000 feet elevation. We got out to take in the epic views of Colorado Springs from so high — and of course, run around in some fresh snow (some of us enjoyed this portion more than others).
Out of all the things we did in Colorado Springs, the real highlight for us all was Red Rock Canyon Open Space. Just a few minutes from Garden of the Gods but with only a fraction of the visitors, this public open space is really underrated! With a ton of similar scenery and gorgeous rock formations this area has a variety of trails ranging in difficulty, several places for rock climbing and biking, as well as off-leash dog areas. We got several hours of great hiking in here and really enjoyed it! I highly recommend visiting this spot — I think it might even have better views of Garden of the Gods than inside the park itself! Here are a few snaps from my phone of our time there:
Colorado Springs definitely has a fair amount of dog-friendly activities, but always check before you plan your visit! This site has a great resource of popular attractions and whether or not dogs are allowed to join on your visit.
As always make sure to follow the 7 Leave No Trace principles to preserve these beautiful spaces + any others that you visit:
1. Plan ahead + prepare
2. Travel on durable surfaces
3. Dispose of waste properly
4. Leave what you find
5. Be careful with fire
6. Respect wildlife
7. Be considerate of others!
I’ll share more photos and tips about visiting our favorite places in Colorado in upcoming posts - places like Black Canyon of the Gunnison, Boulder, and Estes Park!
In the meantime if you liked this post, check out these next:
Allie + Sam’s Aspen Elopement (plus tips for eloping in Colorado!)
Morgan + Tyler’s Redwoods Wedding with their Dogs
Isez + Ismael’s Winter Elopement in Northern Utah
Jacey + Tyler’s Antelope Island Bridal Session
Ready for me to document your Colorado Springs wedding or elopement? I can’t wait to talk with you! Hit the contact button here to get started >>>