Dog-Friendly Hikes near Colorado Springs, CO
The city's parks are leash-only by ordinance, but Red Rock Canyon's two Dog Loops give you a legal off-leash warm-up before the real hike.
Two managers matter here. City ordinance 6.7.107 requires a leash in every Colorado Springs park and open space; Garden of the Gods spells it out as at least six feet, and the Perkins Central Garden Trail is the paved, busy walk through its red fins. Just south, Red Rock Canyon Open Space is the exception: dirt trails are leash-only, but the Upper and Lower Dog Loops are designated off-leash areas off the main lot. In North Cheyenne Cañon, Mount Cutler and the Columbine Trail are leashed, with bears active in late summer. The other manager is Colorado Parks & Wildlife at Cheyenne Mountain State Park, where dogs get about two miles of designated trail and nothing else.
Parking is the constraint. Garden of the Gods lots fill mid-morning on weekends year-round; arrive before 9 a.m. Red Rock Canyon's two lots fill by mid-morning and neighbourhood parking is restricted. The Mount Cutler pullout fills early, so park at Starsmore and ride the free seasonal shuttle when it runs.
No dogs: the Manitou Incline, the Pikes Peak Summit Visitor Center and the summit shuttle. Sandstone radiates heat by noon in summer, and the canyon road can close for snow.
- Perkins Central Garden TrailColorado SpringsLeash required · 1.5 mi
- Red Rock Canyon Open Space – Greenlee/Mesa Loop and Dog LoopsColorado SpringsLeash required except in the designated Upper/Lower Dog Loop off-leash areas · 1.75 mi
- Mount Cutler TrailColorado SpringsLeash required · 1.1 mi
- Columbine Trail (Starsmore to Helen Hunt Falls)Colorado SpringsLeash required · 4 mi
- Cheyenne Mountain State Park dog trails (Acorn Alley, Bobcat Way, Raccoon Ridge)Colorado SpringsLeash required; dogs allowed only on designated trails · 2 mi
Leash rules come from each land manager's published regulations on the date shown on the trail page. Rules change seasonally; check before you go.
Hiking with dogs near Colorado Springs: FAQ
Can I take my dog up the Manitou Incline?
No. City rules do not allow dogs on the Manitou Incline. For a short, steep climb with a dog nearby, Mount Cutler in North Cheyenne Cañon gains about 400 feet in 1.1 miles on a hikers-only trail where leashes are required, and the lower Columbine Trail follows the creek from Starsmore.
Where can dogs go in Cheyenne Mountain State Park?
Only on roughly two miles of designated trail near the day-use area: Acorn Alley, Bobcat Way, Raccoon Ridge and the marked portion of Soaring Kestrel, on a hand-held leash of six feet or less. Dogs are not allowed on any other trail or in the backcountry, and rangers ticket on the main trail system.
Are there off-leash areas on Colorado Springs trails?
Yes. The city maintains three unfenced voice-control dog runs, at Red Rock Canyon Open Space (the Upper and Lower Dog Loops), Garden of the Gods and Palmer Park's Yucca Flats, plus four fenced dog parks. Everywhere else in city parks, including the rest of Garden of the Gods, dogs must be leashed.