Garden of the Gods
Ancient Landscapes: From Deserts to Seas
Our geology tours will be back in full in 2026!
* We have very limited availability in 2025. To inquire about a tour please send us an email to info@trailgems.com
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Ancient Landscapes- Private Hike
On this immersive hike, you'll learn the incredible story of ancient deserts, mountains, and seas that led to the fantastic scenery on display today in the Garden of the Gods National Natural Landmark. Together we'll identify minerals, fossils, faults, and details that reveal the rock's secret history. This hike offers spectacular scenery in a quieter, less traveled area that is unparalleled in its display of the park’s geologic history. This is a private hiking tour just for your group! Your group may be up to six individuals. For larger groups or to add additional people after booking, please contact us.
Details:
Duration: 2 hrs.
Meeting Time: 9:00am
Meeting Location: South Garden Parking Lot (P10), Colorado Springs, CO 80904
Round-trip length: 1.85 miles
Elevation gain/loss: 395 ft
Difficulty: Moderate/Intermediate
What to bring:
All tours include a rental day pack and trekking poles if needed, bottled water, trail snacks, and use of field equipment. All you need to bring is your camera/phone and comfortable hiking shoes.
Price:
$99 per adult, $69 per child (ages 6 to 16)*
*Each child (young or old) will receive a geology sample bag that includes a fossil and a trail gem!
Rick
We highly recommend taking a guided tour with Trail Gems Geology Tours. Our family loved our geological tour through Garden of the Gods! We were all amazed with not only the beautiful views on our hike but the abundance of information and knowledge shared with us. We would have missed seeing the coolest things if we had walked the trail on our own. I think our favorite part was seeing the fossils. The mid-hike snacks were much appreciated too! Thank you again Eric for a fun, memorable morning during our vacation in Colorado! Wish we could have you in our back pocket on all of our hikes 🙂
Ancient Deserts to Ancient Seas guided hike meeting location:
Your Guide
Eric Billmeyer
Eric has over 18 years experience teaching geology and physical geography at the local university and has led trips throughout Colorado, Utah, and Ireland. This hike is Eric's favorite in the Garden of the Gods.
