Ha, how much, you say? We might just take you up on that offer! Fun fact: we've actually run up Pike's Peak not once but twice-once during the Pike's Peak Ascent and once in the marathon. No footage of those adventures, unfortunately. But, if you're up for a slightly taller challenge, we've got a video of us walking up Mount Elbert, which stands even higher than Pike's Peak. It was quite the journey! 😄 ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-meJxt2LPmAs.htmlsi=nUbvXETV2Ke8uzft Thanks for your comment, it's always great to see such engaging feedback!
I don't know why everybody seems to think that booking a morning train means you have a higher chance of good weather. I work at the cog railroad on the section crew and I go to the summit almost every day. The time of day has little to no bearing on whether or not it'll be good or bad weather. In the morning, chances are that actually it will be colder because the sun has not had a chance to warm up the area. I would highly recommend booking an afternoon train around 12 pm because that's the hottest part of the day. But I just work there
@@EscapingValerie it’s not that it’s likely to happen to you necessarily, but it happens enough that you should make sure you’re drinking a lot of water!
I was an engineer on the Cog for 4 years. Drove those trains up and down probably about 400 times from 82-86. Sure looks different now, new trains, new summit building, donuts look the same though. It was a great job and had some good people to work with. Best part though was in the winter when the trains shut down and us full timers worked on the trains. I learned a lot there but eventually got tired of going up and the sitting down all day driving was killing me. Never got tired of the view though, I’d recommend it to anyone!
Hello Bryan, thanks for sharing your experience as an engineer on the cog, that is pretty cool. Though we can understand how running up and down that route would eventually get old. Thanks for watching and dropping a comment! We appreciate it.
My father used to work on the old cog train and the Mount Manitou Springs incline cable car. Many fond memories. i took my mother and 2 year old coldest child on that train. i have in my youth climbed PIKES peaks and driven a car to the summit. WELL DONE! Great video! watched it from Thailand. THANK YOU!
Wow, that is amazing and thanks for watching. What seems like a life time ago now we ran up Pikes Peak in the Pikes Peak Marathon, that was an adventure. Bt we've yet to drive up it. Maybe next time.
I've done it 3 times, in 1973, 1980 and 1984. The 1973 ride was in July and when we got to the top, it was snowing! No matter what the weather is at the bottom, always bring at least a jacket! I also did a cog railway ride at Zurmatt, Switzerland 25 years ago.
Making plans to ride the train down from Pikes Peak after my 8th and final hike to the summit of Pikes Peak accomplishing my goal of 100 miles hiked on America's mountain!! It is a beautiful hike and equally beautiful ride on the train!
It is a beautiful hike though we've only done it as part of the Pikes Peak Marathon and Ascend. Congrats on hitting your goal of 100 miles on the mountain, that is awesome!! 🎉🎉🎉
Nice video and overview of the ride. Last time we were in the area, the Cog Railway was shut down during the refurbishing. The family wasn't too thrilled to have me drive to the top with our rental. So passed. Drove it back in the 70's and was no big deal until we met an RV up near the very top switchbacks backing its way down the dirt road. Had reached its limit and was going no higher. That was 'interesting'. So always wanted to take the Cog Railway and just enjoy the scenery on the way up and back.
Love to hear tales of drives up to the top of that mountain. My grandparents used to talk about how the cars would just stall out because carburetors back in their day just couldn't handle the thin air. The train is much more relaxing!
@@Learningtotravel When we did family car trips thru the mountains out west, Dad always brought a timing light and tools. As we got into the higher country, and also on the return, we’d change the timing and carburetor settings for the altitude. We’d probably adjust it two or three times at least. Each way. Much easier today with electronic ignition and fuel injection. Worst case you shut off the car and turn it back on and it all resets itself for the local conditions. 😎
i was there end of may this year and took the last train up and it was worth it to see it at sun set with the deep snow that showed up few days before i got there. ticket was $72 a lot but still worth it. i got window seat on 3 seat side and wasn't extra. the doughnut machine was down when i was there.
You didn't miss anything. The donuts were not good. It comes in a tray of two. Both my grandson and I trashed the second donut. Better bet is to get the soft pretzel.
This ride is on our list this Spring. Done it a few years ago but looking forward to the new trains and the new visitor center! Also, nice informative video!
AWESOME video guys!!! This is DEFINITELY on our list to do and your recommendations for seating are so helpful. Will definitely be paying the extra $10 to select our seats. We're glad this is open again bc for a while they had closed it. Anything else you recommend doing in the Springs?
Funny you should ask as we currently have a "7 Things to do in Manitou" video in the pipeline. The Manitou Incline is a great "hike" or stair climb if you will. (That will be our next video.) The town of Manitou is a great little town with a few good places to eat as well as an old fashioned penny arcade which is pretty cool. Rainbow Falls is worth stopping by. There are some cliff dwellings as well but they have more of a roadside attraction vibe than say Mesa Verde (if that makes sense). Garden of the Gods is close by too. No shortage of things to do. :)
You get about 40 minutes at the top and the train does depart on time, not waiting for anyone who is even a few seconds late as we witnessed on our trip.
How much!?!?🧐where the station 🚉 of the train located!?!?and how long in the train sitting 🪑 and how long the trains will wait on you at the Summit!?!?
Hey there! Great questions! Let’s break it down: Ticket Prices: The price for a ride on the Pike's Peak Cog Railway can vary depending on the time of year and age of the passenger. Generally, adult tickets range from $59.50 to $72, while children's tickets (12 and under) are typically around $49.50 to $62. It's always a good idea to check their official website for the most up-to-date pricing. (www.cograilway.com/ride/rates) Location of the Station: The station is located in Manitou Springs, Colorado. The address is 515 Ruxton Ave, Manitou Springs, CO 80829. It’s a charming little town that’s worth exploring before or after your train ride! Duration of the Train Ride: The trip to the summit of Pikes Peak takes about 1 hour. So, you'll be sitting on the train for a bit over an hour each way. Time at the Summit: Once you reach the summit, you'll have 40 minutes to enjoy the breathtaking views, take some photos, and maybe grab a snack or a famous Pikes Peak donut from the summit house. The train will not wait for you if you are late to return for the ride back down. I hope this helps! Enjoy your adventure on the Cog Railway - it’s truly an unforgettable experience!
Man! We just booked tickets 2 days ago and couldnt find good info on what chairs to pick and how long we get at the top. I wish i wouldve found your video. Good information! Oh well. We booked for October 12th of this year. Looking forward to it. How were the donuts? Were they worth it? ❤
Driving down was horrendous. They want you to drive in low gear, but people in front of you brake so much, it makes you brake too. Halfway down they check your brakes for overheating, ours were, so we had to wait at the gift shop for an hour for the brakes to cool down. We found out later that a day before, someone’s brakes gave out and they plummeted to the bottom.
There are no bathrooms onboard the train. The only restrooms on the mountain are located at the Depot and at the Pikes Peak Visitor Center at the top, so be sure to go before you go. 🙃
It's odd that your subject line asks the question, "Is it worth it?", and yet you don't mention the cost of a ticket, other than an optional $10 upgrade for a reserved seat. If tickets cost $0, then the question would be, "is it worth your time". If, on the other hand, they cost $50,000...most likely it's not worth it unless you're so rich you can afford to be a paying passenger on the ISS. I've driven to the summit twice, in 1994 and again in 2013. And both were memorable, I wouldn't trade them for the world. If I had all of the time in the world I can imagine taking the cog railway. But, there's no doubt in my mind that wouldn't be as precious a memory to ME as driving it. I don't recall whether or not there was an entry fee in 1994, but in a decade ago it was $12. That monolithic gift shop is new since I was last there. Sorry to see it has replaced the more homey shop that existed previously. Even it was visible from the Springs. The gigantic new one must be an eyesore from town. Well done video. Thanks for posting. I have videos from both of my drives on my channel.
It may seem odd but we do not mention price because it is always subject to change and usually does on such attractions from year to year. Our goal with video is for folks who looked into the cog, saw the price, and then wondered if it is worth it. We shared our experience and our thoughts and then sort of leave it up to the viewer if they find it worth it. We've both run up to the summit in the Pike's Peak marathon and both were very memorable and like your drive we would not trade them for the world. It is a very unique mountain with so many ways to visit the summit and we love hearing from people like you and your experience with it. Maybe we need to make a driving up Pikes Peak video. 🤔 Thanks for watching and taking the time to leave such a great comment. Enjoy your travels!
Not long enough, that's for sure. It feels rushed. That is not right considering how much a person pays for the ticket. It's like get them in and get them out as soon as possible to keep that cash flowing.
Cost me $75 for the train ticket; seemed expensive until you consider the alternative of driving yourself with drop offs and your brakes possibly being damaged on the way down. One downside for non-social people like myself is the seats are set up on both sides so they face each other and there’s not enough room on the 2 or 3 seat side so it’s very uncomfortable being forced to face strangers for an hour going up and an hour going back down. And the 3 seat side has way better views.
Hey there! Thanks for sharing your experience with the train journey. You're right, the cost of the ticket might seem a bit steep initially, but considering the hassle and potential wear and tear of driving, it does seem like a more relaxed alternative. I totally get what you mean about the seating arrangement being a bit awkward for those who prefer more personal space. It's a valid point, and maybe something the train service could consider for future improvements. On the brighter side, it's great to hear that the views from the 3-seat side are impressive. Maybe that could be a small consolation for the lack of comfort? Thanks again for your input - it's super helpful for anyone considering this trip!
We were there in late October and it was low 70's (F) and sunny at the bottom but at the top it was very windy and around 40F, though the wind chill had it feeling much colder. 🥶
I fully understand why the motive equipment had to be updated but Glad The original equipment was still running when I took the COG way back in the 80s if I remember correctly