🌤 Weather at Cheyenne Mountain State Park by season
| Spring | Summer | Fall | Winter |
|---|---|---|---|
| 24–65 °F | 50–81 °F | 24–72 °F | 16–44 °F |
Each range runs from the coldest monthly average low to the warmest monthly average high in that season (1991-2020 climate normals), measured at Cumbre Vista - Colorado Springs 1, 16 mi away, elevation 6,942 ft. Conditions at the park can differ from the station, especially where elevation differs — check a forecast before you go.
The park itself ranges from about 6,800 to 7,900 ft in elevation — higher ground runs cooler than the figures above.
Cheyenne Mountain State Park in Colorado Springs offers 28+ miles of trails, 61 campsites with stunning Front Range views, abundant wildlife including elk and bears, and spectacular Pikes Peak views!
🦌 2026 Expansion!
Nearly 500 acres added to the park’s 2,701 acres—new trail planning underway!
28+ Miles, 21 Trails
| Trail Info | Details |
|---|---|
| 🥾 Total Miles | 28+ miles |
| 📍 Trail Count | 21 trails |
| ⛰️ Dixon Trail | Challenging, Pikes Peak views! |
| 🐕 Dog Trails | Raccoon Ridge, Acorn Alley, Bobcat Way |
61 Campsites
| Camping Info | Details |
|---|---|
| 🚐 Full Hookup RV | 51 sites |
| ⛺ Walk-In Tent | 10 sites |
| 🚿 Showers/Laundry | Mid-April–Mid-October |
| 📅 Open | Year-round |
Best views: Swift Puma Heights and Raptor Glen loops!
270+ Wildlife Species
| Wildlife | Details |
|---|---|
| 🦌 Mule Deer | Common |
| 🦬 Elk | Regular sightings |
| 🐻 Black Bears | Present—store food properly! |
| 🦁 Mountain Lions | Present |
| 🐦 Bird Species | 200+ species |
FAQ
Can I see Pikes Peak from the park?
Yes! The challenging Dixon Trail offers panoramic views including Pikes Peak. Many campsites also have excellent mountain views.
Are dogs allowed at Cheyenne Mountain State Park?
Dogs only on Acorn Alley, Bobcat Way, Raccoon Ridge and marked Soaring Kestrel. There is no access to the dog trails from the Limekiln Trailhead, so plan your start elsewhere. Dogs are also not allowed on trails used for the park's Terrain Hopper accessible hikes.
What wildlife might I see?
The park hosts 270+ species including mule deer, elk, black bears, mountain lions, bobcats, and 200+ bird species. Guided nature walks are offered!
🏔️ Colorado Springs’ Premier State Park
Things to Do
Cheyenne Mountain State Park stacks 21 named trails — about 28 miles in all — up the mountain’s east face, crossing three life zones between the prairie at the entrance and the 9,300-foot summit. Easy loops like Blackmer (3.5 miles) and Zook (1 mile) roll through scrub oak near the campground, while the Talon trails push into ponderosa forest on the mountain’s lower slopes.
Hiking to the Top: the Dixon Trail
The serious objective here is the Dixon Trail: 4.5 miles one way with roughly 3,500 feet of climbing to the top of Cheyenne Mountain. Bikes and horses must turn around at the 2.5-mile mark — the upper mountain is hikers only — and the full round trip from the Limekiln trailhead runs about 17 miles, so the park’s guided summit hikes budget 8 to 9 hours. Two hiking-only trails, Mountain Loop (1.4 miles) and Dragon’s Backbone (0.85 miles), explore the summit area once you’re up. Dogs are not allowed on Dixon, and there’s no camping along the trail.
Beyond the Trails
The archery range on Pine Oaks Road is a destination in itself: a static range with targets from 10 to 80 yards plus a 28-station field course with 3D animal targets (the field course needs a separate permit, ages 17 and up). A 9-hole disc golf course and 22 first-come picnic sites fill out the day-use side. One thing you won’t find is water — the park has no lake, so plan on trails, not paddling.
Best Time to Visit
The campground runs year-round, but the Camper Services Building — showers, laundry, and the activity room — closes from November through April, and winter camping consolidates into a single loop with flush toilets. If you want full amenities, book between May and October. Guided Dixon Trail summit hikes run only as weather and trail conditions permit; CPW warns that conditions on the upper mountain change fast, so check the park’s event calendar before planning a summit day. The park itself is open daily 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. year-round, with 22 picnic sites available in every season.
Visitor Tips
Entry costs $10–$12 per vehicle with Colorado plates ($15–$17 out-of-state) or $4 if you arrive on foot or by bike; Colorado residents can add the $29 Keep Colorado Wild Pass through their vehicle registration instead — as of August 2026. Campsites ($21–$41/night plus the daily pass, 51 full-hookup and 10 walk-in tent sites) book up to 6 months ahead at cpwshop.com, and the two camper cabins ($120/night, 2-night minimum) allow no pets.
Two quirks worth knowing before you go: dogs are allowed on only about 2 miles of designated trails (Acorn Alley, Bobcat Way, Raccoon Ridge, and a marked stretch of Soaring Kestrel) — on a 28-mile network, that’s the exception, not the rule, so this is not the park for a long trail day with your dog. And the park borders Fort Carson: morning reveille and training noise carry across the campground, and any sirens you hear are the Army’s weather warning system, not the park’s.
Hours, fees and facility details verified against cpw.state.co.us on August 28, 2026. Fees change — confirm before you travel.
Explore More Colorado State Parks
Cheyenne Mountain State Park is one of many outstanding state parks in Colorado. Discover more parks in our Best State Parks in Colorado guide, or use our Park Finder to search by activity, location, or features.
Keep exploring: The closest neighbors are Mueller State Park (within about an hour’s drive) and Lake Pueblo State Park (within about an hour’s drive).
🐾 Dogs & Pets at Cheyenne Mountain State Park
Park policy: CPW flags this park as 'Animal Access Limited'. Leashed dogs are welcome on roughly 2 miles of designated trail and are banned from every other trail and from the backcountry; the leash must be six feet or shorter and hand-held. Waste bag dispensers and trash receptacles are placed along the dog trails.
- Pets allowed?
- Dogs only on Acorn Alley, Bobcat Way, Raccoon Ridge and marked Soaring Kestrel
- Leash rule statewide rule
- Leash not exceeding 6 feet required at all times.
- Beaches & swim areas statewide rule
- It is unlawful to allow a dog or other pet within any area used as a swimming or water-ski beach.
- Cabins & lodging statewide rule
- Some parks offer pet-friendly cabins and yurts (e.g. Golden Gate Canyon, State Forest, Mancos and Ridgway yurts) for a $10 per night pet fee.
- Pet fees statewide rule
- No day-use pet fee; $10 per night pet fee in participating pet-friendly cabins/yurts.
- Park-specific rules
- There is no access to the dog trails from the Limekiln Trailhead, so plan your start elsewhere. Dogs are also not allowed on trails used for the park's Terrain Hopper accessible hikes.
- Statewide exceptions statewide rule
- Designated off-leash dog areas at Chatfield and Cherry Creek State Parks (registration/fee applies).
- Dogs & wildlife
- CPW's mountain lion guidance tells you to keep children and pets close on the trail, and at this park dogs are only allowed on the Acorn Alley, Bobcat Way and Raccoon Ridge trails and the marked portion of the Soaring Kestrel Trail, on a six-foot or shorter handheld leash.
Are dogs allowed at Cheyenne Mountain State Park?
Dogs only on Acorn Alley, Bobcat Way, Raccoon Ridge and marked Soaring Kestrel.
Beyond that, Colorado’s statewide rules apply.
Rules verified July 2026 via cpw.state.co.us. More: Colorado state parks guide · Dog rules in all 50 states compared
🐻 Wildlife at Cheyenne Mountain State Park: What to Watch For — and Watch Out For
Worth watching for: Colorado Parks & Wildlife lists deer, black bear, mountain lion and bobcat, as well as coyote, fox and prairie dogs among the animals that call this 2,701-acre park home, plus red-tailed hawks, golden eagles and wild turkey. The park's own highlights page sends you through grasslands filled with prairie dogs and into the forest to catch a glimpse of mule deer, and notes the long loop trail is popular with local birdwatchers for its migratory species, with raptors soaring overhead. CPW's species list for the park also includes prairie rattlesnake, North American racer, western milksnake and great short-horned lizard. The park is open daily from 5 a.m. to 10 p.m., so you can be on trail before the heat.
Watch out for: The park's official highlights page states that visitors frequently report seeing rattlesnakes cross the trails, and CPW lists black bear and mountain lion as resident species. The park brochure notes that the ten walk-in basic tent sites nestled among the scrub oak each come with a bear-proof box for storing food at the site - use it, and use the bearproof trash cans rather than leaving food or coolers out. Colorado Parks & Wildlife advises that if you meet a bear you should stand still, stay calm and wait for it to leave, make loud noise, never run or climb a tree, and always leave the animal an escape route. For mountain lions, CPW advises speaking calmly, moving slowly, raising your arms and opening your jacket to look larger, picking up small children or pets, backing away slowly rather than running, and fighting back if attacked.
Are there bears at Cheyenne Mountain State Park?
Yes — see above for where they occur in the park and how to behave. Sightings are a normal part of a healthy park; incidents are rare when visitors keep distance and store food properly.
Wildlife information verified July 2026 via cpw.state.co.us.
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