# Manitou Incline
The Manitou Incline is an extreme hiking trail in Manitou Springs, Colorado, made up of 2,768 railroad-tie steps that climb nearly 2,000 vertical feet in less than a mile on the eastern face of Rocky Mountain, below [Pikes Peak](https://www.edgepedia.org/pikes-peak).[1](https://coloradosprings.gov/manitouincline) It follows the roadbed of the former Mount Manitou Scenic Incline Railway, a cable-hauled funicular that carried passengers to about 8,600 feet from 1907 until 1990.[2](https://www.manitouspringsco.gov/DocumentCenter/View/790/Manitou-Incline--Brief-Overview-PDF) After the rails were removed, the remaining ties became one of the region's most popular workout destinations, and the trail has been legal to hike since February 2013.[2](https://www.manitouspringsco.gov/DocumentCenter/View/790/Manitou-Incline--Brief-Overview-PDF)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Length and gain | About 1 mile (0.9 mi by one count) with 2,020 ft of elevation gain, from a base at 6,530 ft to a summit at 8,550 ft[3](https://manitousprings.org/where-to-play/manitou-incline/) |
| Grade | Average grade 41%; the steepest section reaches 68%[3](https://manitousprings.org/where-to-play/manitou-incline/) |
| Steps | 2,768 railroad-tie steps[1](https://coloradosprings.gov/manitouincline) |
| Railway era | Built in 1907 to haul materials for a hydroelectric plant; operated as a tourist ride from 1912 until January 1990[4](https://www.manitouspringsco.gov/DocumentCenter/View/1283/Incline-Site-Development-and-Management-Plan---February-2011-PDF) • [5](https://www.denvergazette.com/2015/07/12/timeline-incline-history-winds-through-a-century-d3f902a2-d5f4-5164-91cc-17e6fc6ec153/) |
| Legalization | Hiking became legal on February 1, 2013, after federal legislation resolved the railway abandonment status[5](https://www.denvergazette.com/2015/07/12/timeline-incline-history-winds-through-a-century-d3f902a2-d5f4-5164-91cc-17e6fc6ec153/) |
| Use | The U.S. Forest Service estimated 70,000 annual users; a tourism estimate puts annual visitors at 250,000[2](https://www.manitouspringsco.gov/DocumentCenter/View/790/Manitou-Incline--Brief-Overview-PDF) • [3](https://manitousprings.org/where-to-play/manitou-incline/) |
| Fastest known time | 17 minutes 45 seconds by Joseph Gray, December 21, 2015[5](https://www.denvergazette.com/2015/07/12/timeline-incline-history-winds-through-a-century-d3f902a2-d5f4-5164-91cc-17e6fc6ec153/) |
## The railway years
The Incline was completed in 1907 as a 1-mile cable tram built to support construction of a hydroelectric plant and its waterline, hauling materials up the mountainside.[4](https://www.manitouspringsco.gov/DocumentCenter/View/1283/Incline-Site-Development-and-Management-Plan---February-2011-PDF) A Denver Gazette timeline dates the start of construction to 1906, when Colorado Springs built a train to haul pipes up Mount Manitou to the Ruxton Hydroelectric Plant.[5](https://www.denvergazette.com/2015/07/12/timeline-incline-history-winds-through-a-century-d3f902a2-d5f4-5164-91cc-17e6fc6ec153/)
**Conversion to a tourist ride.** After construction finished, the railway was purchased by Dr. Newton M. Brumback and converted into a tourist attraction offering a 16-minute ride to Mount Manitou Park, which advertised 10 miles of hiking trails and claimed to be the "longest and highest incline on the globe."[4](https://www.manitouspringsco.gov/DocumentCenter/View/1283/Incline-Site-Development-and-Management-Plan---February-2011-PDF) The train opened on May 9, 1912; the public was initially skeptical of its safety, and ridership picked up after the fare was reduced from $1 to 50 cents.[5](https://www.denvergazette.com/2015/07/12/timeline-incline-history-winds-through-a-century-d3f902a2-d5f4-5164-91cc-17e6fc6ec153/) The original summit house, built from leftover construction materials, burned down, and a replacement was built in 1914.[6](https://www.visitcos.com/things-to-do/outdoors/manitou-incline-near-colorado-springs-colorado/history/)
**Penrose ownership.** In 1923 Spencer Penrose, the Colorado Springs entrepreneur known for building [The Broadmoor](https://www.edgepedia.org/the-broadmoor-hotel) and constructing the Pikes Peak Highway, purchased the Incline and added new cars with nicer benches and retractable roofs.[6](https://www.visitcos.com/things-to-do/outdoors/manitou-incline-near-colorado-springs-colorado/history/) The summit house was rebuilt again in 1958 and remained until the Incline closed.[6](https://www.visitcos.com/things-to-do/outdoors/manitou-incline-near-colorado-springs-colorado/history/)
**Closure.** In January 1990 the owners, Oklahoma Publishing Co. and El Pomar Foundation, closed the train, citing declining ridership and rising costs; its final year saw 45,000 riders.[5](https://www.denvergazette.com/2015/07/12/timeline-incline-history-winds-through-a-century-d3f902a2-d5f4-5164-91cc-17e6fc6ec153/) In April 1990 a rockslide caused $100,000 in damage to the tracks, ending reopening hopes despite a petition of 35,000 signatures.[5](https://www.denvergazette.com/2015/07/12/timeline-incline-history-winds-through-a-century-d3f902a2-d5f4-5164-91cc-17e6fc6ec153/) The owners removed the rails, leaving a natural staircase of railroad ties.[2](https://www.manitouspringsco.gov/DocumentCenter/View/790/Manitou-Incline--Brief-Overview-PDF)
## From illegal staircase to legal trail
Locals began climbing the ties for exercise even though a portion of the route crossed private property and hiking was illegal.[7](https://www.manitouincline.com/) In 1997 the Incline Club, formed by trail runner Matt Carpenter, began organized Thursday workouts on the trail, spreading its popularity; in 1999 and 2000 the Manitou and Pikes Peak Cog Railway, which owned a third of the tracks, posted trespassing signs and a rope without success.[5](https://www.denvergazette.com/2015/07/12/timeline-incline-history-winds-through-a-century-d3f902a2-d5f4-5164-91cc-17e6fc6ec153/)
Legalization took years of negotiation. In June 2011 the U.S. Forest Service informed local officials that no federal railway abandonment document existed for the Incline right-of-way, halting the process; on January 10, 2013, President Barack Obama signed a bill resolving the abandonment issue, and the trail officially became legal to hike at 7:05 a.m. on February 1, 2013.[5](https://www.denvergazette.com/2015/07/12/timeline-incline-history-winds-through-a-century-d3f902a2-d5f4-5164-91cc-17e6fc6ec153/) The route is owned by three parties: the City of Colorado Springs owns the bottom 25% on behalf of Colorado Springs Utilities, with the Manitou and Pikes Peak Railway among the other owners.[2](https://www.manitouspringsco.gov/DocumentCenter/View/790/Manitou-Incline--Brief-Overview-PDF)
**Repairs.** The Incline closed in August 2014 for $1.5 million in repairs, including replacement of ties and hillside stabilization, and reopened that December.[5](https://www.denvergazette.com/2015/07/12/timeline-incline-history-winds-through-a-century-d3f902a2-d5f4-5164-91cc-17e6fc6ec153/) A second round of repairs in 2016 cost $1 million and addressed retaining walls, drainage, and slope stabilization.[5](https://www.denvergazette.com/2015/07/12/timeline-incline-history-winds-through-a-century-d3f902a2-d5f4-5164-91cc-17e6fc6ec153/)
## Visiting today
The Incline closed on March 17, 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic and reopened on August 4, 2020 with a free reservation system that remains in place.[6](https://www.visitcos.com/things-to-do/outdoors/manitou-incline-near-colorado-springs-colorado/history/) A free online reservation and signed waiver are required before hiking; reservations are released on the first of each month, and parties larger than 8 people are not allowed.[1](https://coloradosprings.gov/manitouincline) Hours are 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. from May 1 through October 31 and 6 a.m. to 3 p.m. from November 1 through April 30, with 45 reservations per half hour.[1](https://coloradosprings.gov/manitouincline) Manitou Springs reports that 40% of users do not use the reservation system, which complicates monitoring of trail capacity.[8](https://www.manitouspringsco.gov/585/Manitou-Incline)
**The climb and the descent.** Seasoned athletes may summit in under 30 minutes, while most hikers complete the round trip in about 3 hours.[3](https://manitousprings.org/where-to-play/manitou-incline/) Downhill use of the steps is not allowed; hikers descend on Barr Trail, a steep but scenic path of roughly 3 miles back to the base.[3](https://manitousprings.org/where-to-play/manitou-incline/) Two bailout points connect to the Ute Pass trail, at railroad tie 396 for a quick return to the trailhead and at tie 1300, near the halfway point, for a 1.5-mile walk down.[1](https://coloradosprings.gov/manitouincline) No pets, smoking, or trash receptacles are permitted on the trail, and hikers are told to pack out everything they carry in.[1](https://coloradosprings.gov/manitouincline)
**Records and events.** The trail has attracted competitive athletes and record attempts: mountain runner Joseph Gray set a fastest known time of 17 minutes 45 seconds on December 21, 2015, and Greg Cummings completed a record-breaking ascent on January 11, 2020.[5](https://www.denvergazette.com/2015/07/12/timeline-incline-history-winds-through-a-century-d3f902a2-d5f4-5164-91cc-17e6fc6ec153/) • [3](https://manitousprings.org/where-to-play/manitou-incline/) The Incline also serves as a memorial venue; first responders gather there for an annual 9/11 climb honoring the 343 firefighters killed in the [September 11 attacks](https://www.edgepedia.org/september-11-attacks).[9](https://www.axios.com/local/colorado-springs/2026/09/11/local-9-11-anniversary-defense-events)
## References
1. [Manitou Incline, City of Colorado Springs](https://coloradosprings.gov/manitouincline)
2. [Manitou Incline in Brief, City of Manitou Springs](https://www.manitouspringsco.gov/DocumentCenter/View/790/Manitou-Incline--Brief-Overview-PDF)
3. [Manitou Incline, Visit Manitou Springs](https://manitousprings.org/where-to-play/manitou-incline/)
4. [Incline Site Development and Management Plan, City of Manitou Springs (February 2011)](https://www.manitouspringsco.gov/DocumentCenter/View/1283/Incline-Site-Development-and-Management-Plan---February-2011-PDF)
5. [Timeline: Incline History Winds Through a Century, The Denver Gazette](https://www.denvergazette.com/2015/07/12/timeline-incline-history-winds-through-a-century-d3f902a2-d5f4-5164-91cc-17e6fc6ec153/)
6. [History of the Manitou Incline, Visit Colorado Springs](https://www.visitcos.com/things-to-do/outdoors/manitou-incline-near-colorado-springs-colorado/history/)
7. [Manitou Incline, manitouincline.com](https://www.manitouincline.com/)
8. [Manitou Incline, City of Manitou Springs](https://www.manitouspringsco.gov/585/Manitou-Incline)
9. [How 9/11 reshaped Colorado Springs, Axios](https://www.axios.com/local/colorado-springs/2026/09/11/local-9-11-anniversary-defense-events)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Sports, games, and recreation › Individual sports and outdoor recreation › Other individual sports and outdoor recreation › Outdoor recreation and equestrian sports › Hiking and long-distance trails › Named trails and trail lists › United States named trails*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 17, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Edited: Sep 17, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Last review: Oct 21, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license