Pikes Peak Highway
Cascade, CO → Pikes Peak summit · ~19 miles to the summit · half day
Stylized illustration, not a photo — the real place looks different (and that’s half the fun).
The Pikes Peak Highway is a toll road that climbs from the foothills near Cascade to the 14,115-foot summit of Pikes Peak — “America’s Mountain,” the view that inspired “America the Beautiful” and the namesake of the famous hill-climb race.
Good to know: A toll applies, and a timed-entry permit is required to drive to the summit from late May through Sept 30 — reserve ahead. The upper road closes for snow; use low gears on the descent.
Updated July 2026.
Drive to the top of a 14,000-foot summit.
You can steer your own car to the top of a Colorado Fourteener, switchbacking above the treeline to a summit view over the whole Front Range.
States on this route
The signature stops
What to pull over for.
The best stops on the Pikes Peak Highway are the places that define the drive, not just the nearest towns. Roamward orders them for the road: start with Crystal Reservoir, Glen Cove, Devil’s Playground, Pikes Peak Summit, then open each stop guide for the pull-over context.
01Crystal Reservoira mid-mountain lake with the peak mirrored in it — open the stop guideCO
02Glen Covethe treeline stop and cooling point on the climb — open the stop guideCO
03Devil’s Playgroundan above-treeline overlook among lightning-prone boulders — open the stop guideCO
04Pikes Peak Summitthe 14,115-ft top with the summit visitor center and donuts — open the stop guideCO
Where to eat
Restaurants along this route.
Restaurants on the Pikes Peak Highway are chosen for trip usefulness: gateway-town location, a clear reason to stop, and enough quality to make a traveler save the pick. Start with Avery Brewing Co., Avery Brewing Company, Black Cat Bistro, Blackbelly Market.
A curated set of trip-useful meals near the route — enough to anchor driving days without turning the guide into a phone book.
- Avery Brewing Co.
Sprawling taproom with 30-plus taps, a seasonal menu, and a big beer garden. (Gunbarrel)
- Avery Brewing Company
Pioneering 1993 Boulder brewery with a spacious taproom, full food menu and one of the city's largest draft lists.
- Black Cat Bistro
Seasonal farm-to-table menu sourced from the owners' own certified organic farm. (Pearl Street)
- Blackbelly Market
Hosea Rosenberg's whole-animal, farm-driven restaurant with an in-house butcher. (East Boulder)
- Boulder Dushanbe Teahouse
The only authentic Tajik teahouse in the Western Hemisphere, hand-carved by artisans. (Boulder Creek)
- Bramble & Hare
Rustic farm-to-fork sibling to Black Cat serving food from the family organic farm. (Pearl Street)
- Busaba
Authentic, well-loved downtown Thai kitchen serving Boulder since 2010. (Pearl Street)
- Chautauqua Dining Hall
Historic wraparound-porch dining hall at the foot of the Flatirons. (Chautauqua)
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Stay & experience
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Things to do near Pikes Peak Highway
Browse guided tours and bookable activities that fit this stop.
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