Pikes Peak Highway: Self-Guided Audio Driving Tour

Driving 18 Miles to 14,000 Feet: Pikes Peak's Audio Stories

You drive your own car up Pikes Peak on a winding 18-mile route while an audio guide tells 29 stories about gold miners, water reservoirs, hiking trails, and the mountain's history. The tour works offline with GPS-triggered audio, includes scenic stops and optional hikes, and lets you start, pause, and explore at your own pace. One purchase covers your entire vehicle, and you keep lifetime access to revisit the tour anytime.

Step-by-step itinerary

Drive and explore Pikes Peak Highway

• Start drive on Pikes Peak Highway
• Stop at historic cog railway site
• View Crystal Creek Reservoir
• See North and South Catamount Reservoirs
• Take a break at small parking area
• Arrive at Glen Cove Visitor Center
• Optional hike on Barr Trail
• Observe lightning landscape area
• Visit the bottomless pit viewpoint

The experience

You turn onto the Pikes Peak Highway and the road starts climbing. The audio kicks in automatically (GPS-triggered, no fiddling with your phone), and a voice begins telling you about the gold miners who walked these slopes, the Ute paths that came before the road, and the Race to the Clouds that still happens every year. Over 18 miles and 29 separate stories, the mountain unfolds in front of you while the app narrates what you're actually looking at: Crystal Creek Reservoir, the Bottomless Pit overlook, the barren lightning fields near the summit. You're not on a bus with forty other people. It's just your car, your family, and the road.

The tour takes about 1 to 2 hours to drive straight through, but that's only if you don't stop. Most people do. There's Glen Cove Visitor Center at the halfway point, a small parking area for a quick break, and the Barr Trail (a 10-mile hiking route that dates back to the gold rush) if you want to stretch your legs and see the north face of Pikes Peak up close. You pause when you want, hike when you want, take photos when you want. The audio waits for you. No schedule, no group pace, no pressure to keep moving.

Before you go, download the Action Tour Guide app over WiFi or cellular, enter the password that arrives in your email, and download the tour file. Once it's on your phone, it works completely offline using GPS: no signal needed on the mountain itself. The route map is built in, the stories play automatically as you drive, and everything stays on your device. If you get stuck, support is available by chat, email, or phone. One purchase covers everyone in your car, not per person, and the access is lifetime. You can do this tour today, again next month, or years from now on a return trip to Colorado Springs.

What’s included

• Self-guided audio tour with 29 stories and GPS-triggered narration.
• 18-mile driving route up Pikes Peak with offline functionality.
• scenic stops, overlooks, and optional hiking trails marked along the way.
• route maps and area previews in the app.
• lifetime access to download and use the tour anytime.
• one purchase covers everyone in your vehicle.
• support available by chat, email, or phone.
• flexible pacing: start, stop, pause, and explore at your own rhythm.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery day

GroupPrivate

Audio guideEnglish

Meeting point and pickupNo hotel pickup: you go to the meeting point. Ends at a different place from where it starts.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.

Prices and times updated 24 days ago

Good to know

Easy physical levelPublic transport nearby

Operated by Guide With Action

Is this one for you?Right for families or small groups who want to explore Pikes Peak without joining a crowded tour bus, and for anyone who prefers to control the pace, stop for hikes or photos, and keep the tour on their phone for future visits to Colorado Springs.

Traveler reviews

4.17★★★★★★★★★★

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Top questions

How long does the Pikes Peak audio tour take?

About 1 to 2 hours if you drive straight through, but you can take longer by stopping at overlooks, visitor centers, or hiking trails along the way.

Do I need cell service or WiFi during the drive?

No. Download the tour file over WiFi or cellular before you start, and it works completely offline using GPS navigation.

Is one purchase enough for my whole family?

Yes. One purchase covers everyone in your car, not per person. Everyone listens together on the same audio tour.

Can I use this tour more than once?

Yes. You have lifetime access with no expiry. Use it anytime on any trip, as many times as you want.

What app do I need to download?

Download the Tour Guide app by Action. After booking, you'll receive a password in your email to unlock and download the Pikes Peak tour.

Are there hiking trails along the route?

Yes. The Barr Trail is a popular 10-mile hiking route that dates back to the gold rush. There are also shorter walking options and scenic overlooks where you can stop.

What devices work with this tour?

iPhone with iOS 15 or later, Android version 9 or later, or a GPS-enabled iPad or tablet with cellular capability.

Can I start the tour at any point, or do I have to begin at the starting point?

You can begin at the suggested starting point or join anywhere along the route shown in the app.