• Menu
  • Skip to right header navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Uncover Colorado Logo

  • Blog
  • Activities
    • Year-round
      • Brewery Tours
      • Casinos & Gaming
      • Colorado Brands
      • Federal Lands
      • Food & Dining
      • Ghost Towns
      • Gondola & Chairlifts
      • Hot Springs
      • Mine Tours
      • Museums
      • Paintball
      • Public Parks
      • Scenic Drives
      • Shopping
      • Sports Teams
      • State Parks
      • Train Rides
      • Transportation
      • Wildlife
      • Zip Lines & Aerial Parks
    • Spring, Summer & Fall
      • Amusement Parks
      • ATV Rentals
      • Biking
      • Boating
      • Camping
      • Drive-In Theaters
      • Fishing
      • Golf Courses
      • Hiking
      • Horseback Riding
      • Rock Climbing
      • Tubing & Paddling
      • Waterfalls
      • Whitewater Rafting
    • Winter
      • Cross Country Skiing
      • Dog Sledding
      • Ice Climbing
      • Ice Fishing
      • Ice Skating
      • Skiing & Snowboarding
      • Sleigh Rides
      • Snow Tubing
      • Snowmobiling
      • Snowshoeing
  • Events
    • January
    • February
    • March
    • April
    • May
    • June
    • July
    • August
    • September
    • October
    • November
    • December
  • Lodging
    • Budget Hotels
    • Historic Hotels
    • Luxury Hotels
    • Bed & Breakfasts
    • Cabins & Glamping
    • Casinos with Lodging
    • Dude Ranches
    • Hot Spring with Lodging
    • Wineries with Lodging
    • Campgrounds
  • Towns
  • Trip Planner
  • Search
  • Blog
  • Activities
  • Events
  • Lodging
  • Towns
  • Trip Planner
Balanced Rock, Colorado
Balanced Rock, Colorado. Photo: Jeff

Balanced Rock in the Garden of the Gods

November 20, 2022 By //  by Brian Church

FacebookTwitter

Practically begging you to take its picture minutes from both Manitou Springs and Colorado Springs, this 35-foot, 1.4-million-pound red rock is free to visit, photograph, and appreciate. Located near the southern entrance of the Garden of the Gods, Balanced Rock is an enormous, roadside sandstone boulder, which is frankly a natural piece of art.

With one look at the formation, it is very easy to see why this tourist attraction has been deemed “Balanced” Rock. The 700-ton spectacle juts out from a small base area and appears to be balancing above its surroundings. Faintly layered with different reddish hues, Balanced Rock is made up of hematite, coarse sand, silica, and gravel.

History and Cultural Significance

Like the other striking features within Garden of the Gods, Balanced Rock was formed by the uplift of the Rocky Mountains combined with erosion over millions and millions of years. Balanced Rock is located across the road from the additionally picturesque Steamboat Rock, with the pair of features sharing two, often crowded parking areas.

Balanced Rock, Colorado
Balanced Rock, Colorado Springs. Photo: daveynin

Due to the precariousness, many visitors wonder whether or not Balanced Rock will topple to the ground. While some concrete has been added to its base to prevent damage from tourists, most people believe that Balanced Rock is “rock solid” and would likely only fall down in the event of a large earthquake or another catastrophic event.

As one of the most popular attractions in Colorado Springs, visitors are encouraged to be respectful both of each other and of the natural wonder that is Balanced Rock. Before your visit, please note that drones are not permitted in the Garden of the Gods, and parking is only allowed in designated spaces

Millions of years in the making, Balanced Rock became a paid tourist attraction in the 1890s when a family bought the land, put up a fence, and began charging 25 cents to see the iconic formation. Joining the rest of the Garden of the Gods as a free attraction decades later, charged entry for Balanced Rock ceased in 1932 when the land was sold to the City of Colorado Springs.

Since the advent of the camera, Balanced Rock has been the subject of countless tourist photographs with popular poses like “holding up” or “pushing” the sandstone feature captured by visitors every day. Balanced Rock has also made its way into media many times over the last century, both in artwork and business.

For example, Balanced Rock was a central feature in this above-featured commercial for Resse’s Puffs Cereal in the 1990s.

How to Get to Balanced Rock in Garden of the Gods

Beginning at the Garden of the Gods Visitor & Nature Center, Balanced Rock is located approximately 3 miles into the park. Heading west towards the Central Gardens, take a right onto the Juniper Way Loop, circle the rock features, and eventually bear a right onto Garden Drive. Follow Garden Drive for about 1 mile and Balanced Rock will be on the right side of the road.

Balanced Rock, Colorado
Balanced Rock, Colorado. Photo: Jimmy Emerson, DVM

Alternatively, it is very easy to get to Balanced Rock via the park’s southern entrance, located near US 24 in Manitou Springs. From Manitou Ave (Business Route 24), cross over Fountain Creek on Beckers Ln, take a left on El Paso Blvd, and a right on Garden Drive. Once you’re in the park, Balanced Rock is just ahead, less than half of a mile on the left.

Details

Address: Balanced Rock, Garden Dr, Colorado Springs, CO 80904

County: El Paso County

Coordinates: 38.864766, -104.897439

Access: Paved roads

Fee: None

Hours: 5:00 am to 9:00 pm (10:00 pm in the summer)

Season: Year-round

Website: gardenofthegodscolorado.com

Brian Church

About Brian Church

Brian Church is a freelance writer and outdoor enthusiast based in Denver, Colorado. Learn more on Local-Mountain.com.

FacebookTwitter

Join our Colorado travel community

Enter your email below and grab our free locals' guide and monthly what's up designed to help you live your Colorado life and uncover fun things to do. —and never miss out again.

Previous Post: «Arapahoe County Fair, Aurora, Colorado The Top Events in Aurora, Colorado
Next Post: 14 Stunning Denver Statues & Sculptures Big Sweep, CO»

Primary Sidebar

Join our Colorado travel community

Enter your email below and grab our free locals' guide and monthly what's up designed to help you live your Colorado life and uncover fun things to do. —and never miss out again.

Recent Posts

  • Upcoming Spring Festivals in Colorado
  • 8 Great Springtime Colorado Festivals
  • 9 Colorado Ski & Snowboard Companies
  • Brief Timeline of Colorado’s Ski and Snowboard History
  • Fly Directly to these Colorado Ski Resorts with Airports Nearby

Footer

Get In Touch

  • Home
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Resources
  • Disclaimer
Facebook Instagram Pinterest Twitter

Disclosure: Uncover Colorado is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.

Things To Do

  • Travel Blog
  • Colorado Activities
  • Colorado Events
  • Colorado Towns
  • Colorado Hotels
  • Colorado Restaurants
  • Colorado Transportation
  • Made in Colorado

Cheers! Mile High Happy Hour shares showcases Denver neighborhoods' restaurant happy hours.

Winter Activities

  • Federal Lands
  • Ghost Towns
  • Hot Springs
  • Ice Skating
  • Ski Resorts
  • Snow Tubing
  • State Parks
  • Train Rides

Copyright © 2023 · Uncover Colorado | Sitemap | Advertise