Shows and Attractions Found on Our Tours

In 1833, English Professor Katherine Lee Bates traveled to the summit of Pikes Peak by carriage. She was so moved by the spectacular views that she wrote a poem that night in her hotel room, titling it "Pikes Peak." The poem was later published and titled "America," but we know it today as the lyrics to "America the Beautiful." One can easily see "...Purple mountain majesties above the fruited plain" beholding the awe-inspiring sights from the summit of Pikes Peak. The Mountain was named for Zebulon Pike, who first documented and tried to climb it in 1806. Because of the 25 percent grade, cog trains (employing tracks with gears) must be used to reach the summit of Pikes Peak by rail. The Pikes Peak Cog Railway was started by Zalmon Simmons (founder of Simmons Beautyrest Mattress Company) in 1889 and delivered its first passengers to the summit in June of 1891. Though vastly defferent from those first rail cars, today's locomotives deliver passengers to the 14,110 ft. summit at least six times per day. Pikes Peak Cog Railway is the highest railway in the United States.