About Pike's Peak
Pike's Peak was discovered by Zebulon Montgomery Pike in 1806. Today, a red train takes visitors up the steep incline to the summit. People are not sure whether it is 14,110 feet or 14,115 feet- an issue that has been debated for a long time. It was first called the "Grand Peak" by the man who discovered it- Pike.
Fun Facts
-The first woman who climbed Pike's Peak was Julia Holmes in 1858.
-Zebulon Pike never set foot on the mountain that is named after him.
-Today, people are debating what the real height of the peak is- 14,110 feet or 14,115 feet.
-On May 25, 1876, a man and his wife claimed that their daughter was eaten by giant rats (they lived on the summit of Pike's Peak). This same man had earlier said that Pike's Peak was erupting!
-"Pikes Peak IS NOT the highest mountain in Colorado. It is 31st out of the 54 mountains in the state over 14,000 feet, the highest being Mt. Elbert at 14,433 feet." (source- http://cograilway.com/AboutPikesPeak.htm)
-The lyrics to "America the Beautiful" were inspired by a trip by Katharine Lee Bates to the summit.
SOURCE- http://cograilway.com/AboutPikesPeak.htm
-Zebulon Pike never set foot on the mountain that is named after him.
-Today, people are debating what the real height of the peak is- 14,110 feet or 14,115 feet.
-On May 25, 1876, a man and his wife claimed that their daughter was eaten by giant rats (they lived on the summit of Pike's Peak). This same man had earlier said that Pike's Peak was erupting!
-"Pikes Peak IS NOT the highest mountain in Colorado. It is 31st out of the 54 mountains in the state over 14,000 feet, the highest being Mt. Elbert at 14,433 feet." (source- http://cograilway.com/AboutPikesPeak.htm)
-The lyrics to "America the Beautiful" were inspired by a trip by Katharine Lee Bates to the summit.
SOURCE- http://cograilway.com/AboutPikesPeak.htm
History of the Cog Railway
The Cog Railway was first started by Zalmon Simmons. He went up Pike's Peak on a mule; back then a mule was the only was to travel to the top. After making that trip, he decided it should be more comfortable to get to the top, and he was determined to find out how to fund it and start it. The company was started in 1889, and they began to construct the train and pathway. Finally, the first ever train trip to the summit was on June 30, 1891. As the years progressed, more additions were made and it is now taking many people up to the summit! For more information on the history of this invention, you can visit http://cograilway.com/history.htm.
Where is it located?
Pike's Peak and the Cog Wheel Route (Cog Railway) are located in Manitou Springs, CO. On the route up to Pike's Peak, there is a train that brings you to the top- along with a tour guide that tells many jokes and stories. We came here during our trip out west when we went to Boulder, Colorado Springs, and Denver.