There is much to see in the Tri-lakes Area in El Paso County! We have Colorado’s best restaurants, water sports, hiking trails, and much, much more. Check out our recommendations below, and there’ll be more information when you arrive at Monument Glamping.

Our Involvement

Monument Glamping proudly supports local commerce and nonprofits in the northern El Paso County and Tri-Lakes areas. Here are some of our latest investments in our community:

• Members of the American Glamping Association.
• Members of our local Tri-Lakes Chamber of Commerce.
• Door prize for a free stay, donated to Pikes Peak Hospice.
• Silent Auction for a free stay, donated to Tri-Lakes Cares.

Would you like to have Monument Glamping be a part of your good work? Contact us and we’ll be glad to be involved!

Our Suggestions for Local Food

Your grill is always available for you. Pick up some goodies and go at it. If you would like to eat local (we’ll let you google the regular chains), here are our favorite localities:

In Monument:

• Arlene’s Beans – New Mexican restaurant in town…let us know how you like it!
• Bistro on 2nd – American bistro dishes from meat to seafood. Cozy place, too!
• Black Forest Foods – Sandwich and fries type of place with sidewalk seating.
• Broken Bones BBQ – If you like brisket, this is the place to be.
• Coffee Cup Cafe – Perfect breakfast house. They don’t skimp on the bacon! 
• Columbine Gardens – There are several oriental restaurants in town, but this is our fav.
• Evergood Adventure Wines – They actually make wine from lemons — Delicious!
• Jasmine Garden – Standard Chinese eatery in a casual strip-mall setting.
• Jing Young Chinese & Hot Pot – Chinese restaurant on the south side of town.
• La Casa Fiesta – Mexican sit-down restaurant in town, and the closest to the camp.
• Lolly’s Ice Cream – One of the newest places in town. All natural ingredients!
• Papa Bear Pizza – Local and family-owned, they make the best pizza around.
• Pikes Peak Brewery – Homestyle brewery with great finger food. Great atmosphere, too!
• Ramen Chops Noodle Bar – Bowls of noodles are an awesome feast!
• Serrano’s Coffee – Local coffee shop on this side of I-25.
• Three Margaritas – Another Mexican restaurant, great service and food.
• Trail’s End Taproom – A great place for a bottle of suds after a good hike.
• Wesley Owen’s Coffee – Another local coffee shop…get the “T-Rex” Scotch egg. Delish!

In Palmer Lake:

• Bella Panini – A very nice sit-down Italian. Pizza and pasta are all excellent.
• O’Malley’s – Cook-your-own steak and homemade fries, a Harley hangout in the summer.
• Rock House Ice Cream – Have the kids sit on the wall and pull for horns.

Hiking Trail Suggestions

The mowed trail on our property is nothing compared to the trailheads a short drive from you. We’ll let you find the popular sites online (i.e. Garden of the Gods, Pikes Peak, etc.), but we have a few secret spots we like to recommend. These trails are local. 

Monument Rock (easy). Start at Mount Herman Trailhead for a two-mile hike, or drive up Mount Herman Road another mile to cut the distance in half. Monument Rock is tough to miss. Just walk West and you’ll get to it.

Mount Herman (intermediate). This is a 2.1 mile walk, but a steady incline to the top of the big mountain to the west of our home. Drive up Mount Herman Road (a little rough for low-clearance vehicles) around the mountain to get to the trailhead. If you want to see a beautiful view, this is the trail to hike! A journal awaits you at the top to make your mark.

Palmer Lake Reservoir (intermediate). There are two reservoirs, both one and two miles up the trail. If you keep hiking (approximately 4 miles in) you will come to a valley of boulders that is absolutely breathtaking. No dogs allowed on this trail and a parking fee is required at the trailhead.

Palmer Lake (easy). Drive up Hwy 105 to the next town, one of our favorite mountain towns to visit. The lake itself has a pleasant trail all the way around it. Closest rentals are in Colorado Springs. Perfect for kayaks, water boards, and fishing.

From the Front Porch on Your Site

Several Colorado attractions are just minutes away. Consider these:

• Our trails 10 feet
• Our creek 100 feet (approx)
• Pike National Forest 1 mi
• Monument Rock 1.4 mi
• Monument Lake 1.8 mi
• Historic Downtown Monument 2 mi
• Palmer Lake 4 mi
• Western Museum of Mining and Industry 7 mi
• Air Force Academy Visitors Center 10 mi
• Focus on the Family 12 mi
• Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame 15 mi
• Pulpit Rock Open Space 16 mi
• Garden of the Gods Visitors Center 19 mi
• Rock Ledge Ranch Historic Site 19 mi
• Academy Riding Stables 19 mi
• Downtown Colorado Springs 20 mi
• Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center 20 mi
• Colorado Springs Pioneers Museum 20 mi
• Red Rock Canyon Open Space 22 mi
• Old Colorado City 22 mi
• US Olympic Training Center 22 mi
• Memorial Park 23 mi
• Renaissance Festival 24 mi 
• Broadmoor World Arena 25 mi
• Outlets at Castle Rock 26 mi
• Manitou Springs 26 mi
• Miramont Castle 26 mi
• Manitou Springs Cliff Dwellings 26 mi
• Cave of the Winds 26 mi
• Manitou Incline 27 mi
• Cheyenne Mountain Zoo 27 mi
• Cheyenne Mountain State Park 27 mi
• North Cheyenne Canon Park 27 mi
• Broadmoor Seven Falls 27 mi
• Denver Tech Center 40 mi
• Downtown Denver 50 mi

Visiting from Outside Colorado?

Many of our guests are visiting from outside Colorado. Here are some friendly suggestions to help make your visit wonderful:

• Altitude Sickness. Nauseousness is common when hiking a trail, but running to lower ground is not the recommended solution. We are at approximately 7,000 feet. The best way to acclimate is to drink plenty of water. Aspirin is the recommended over-the-counter solution. 
• Lightning. We live where the highest percentage of lightning strikes occur in the U.S. Be aware that most strikes happen before it starts raining, which is different from lower altitudes. Sitting outside to await a storm rolling in is not advised. If hiking a mountain, try to be off by mid-afternoon when most storm clouds roll in.
• Wild Animals. We have waterfowl and deer on our property daily, and we are fairly close to civilization (downtown Monument is two miles away). However, we are close to Pike National Forest and sometimes get unwelcomed critters. Please review the special section on wild animals.