Pikes Peak in Colorado Springs announced Wednesday that it has broken half a million annual visitors for the first time in its history.
“We are extremely pleased to break the half million mark so early in the season,” said Jack Glavan, manager of Pikes Peak, in a statement. “While we anticipated an increase of visitors this year due to both steady growth the last few years, plus the closure of the Pikes Peak Cog Railway, this is a monumental season for Pikes Peak.”
For the first time in 70 years of operation by the City of Colorado Springs, Pikes Peak – America's Mountain has welcomed more than half a million annual visitors! Between Jan. 1 – Sept. 30, 527,696 people visited Pikes Peak!
— City of Colorado Springs (@CityofCOS)
The city recorded visitors to the mountain based on people traveling the 103-year-old Pikes Peak Highway that takes people up to the summit, although you don’t have to reach the summit to be counted.
Pikes Peak has seen more visitors every year since 2011. As of Sept. 30, 527,696 people have visited Pikes Peak. That’s nearly double the number from 2009, when 273,005 people visited the mountain.
Pikes Peak is currently undergoing a facelift, with construction on a new Summit Complex to be completed by 2020. Upgrades include an interactive and interpretive education area focused on the history, significance and geology of Pikes Peak; an improved kitchen and expanded dining facilities; and better retail space.
