Pikes Peak Turns Into a Locals' Mountain This Winter, and It Starts at the Cascade Gate

For most of the year, the Pikes Peak Highway entrance in Cascade feels like a visitor attraction. In summer the gate opens at 7:30 a.m. and the last car goes up at 6 p.m. A carload costs $65, and timed-entry permits are part of the summer system. Since October 1, the gate has opened at 9 a.m. instead, with last entry at 3 p.m., the summit closing at 4 p.m. and the downhill gate closing at 5 p.m.

Shorter hours look like a cutback. The rest of the winter setup works differently, though. Through April, the City of Colorado Springs cuts admission roughly in half, covers the toll for local library cardholders, and opens the road each day only as far as the weather allows. All three favor people who live a few minutes from the gate.

The Toll Drops on December 1

The City's current rate sheet, dated September 2026, has two pricing seasons. The summer rate runs May 1 through November 30. The winter rate starts December 1 and lasts through April 30.

The carload rate falls by $30 overnight. A family drive any time through November 30 still costs the summer price. Starting December 1 it costs about half that, and the hours stay the same 9-to-5 pattern that started in October.

A Library Card Covers the Toll

The $35 winter carload rate isn't the cheapest option. From October 1 through April 30 every year, Pikes Peak Library District and Rampart Library District cardholders can check out no-cost passes to drive the highway. On its events page, the City calls the program "a great way for locals to enjoy the mountain."

How it works depends on which library card you hold:

• Pikes Peak Library District: Reservations go through the PPLD Culture Pass page. The account holder has to be 12 or older with a card in good standing, and passes can be booked up to 30 days ahead. You print the confirmation as your ticket, and it's good only on the date you picked. Each patron can reserve up to two passes per location per year.
• What the PPLD pass covers: Two adults 16 and over plus two children ages 6 to 15. Kids 5 and under ride free. The pass is listed as available October through April.
• Rampart Library District: Cardholders can check out a Pikes Peak backpack and up to four admission passes in person at the Woodland Park or Florissant branch.

The two-per-year limit at PPLD makes those passes worth saving for a clear day. Because bookings open 30 days out, you can plan around the forecast without booking months ahead.

Saturday, November 21, Six Miles Up

The one winter event on the highway's calendar before Thanksgiving is Rocky Ram's Holiday Spectacular. It runs Saturday, November 21, from 9 a.m. to noon at the Crystal Reservoir Gift Shop, six miles up the highway. Admission is a non-perishable food item or a monetary donation of your choice. You drop it off at the Pikes Peak entrance on the way in, and it covers all of the event's activities.

Here's what the morning includes:

1. Photos with Santa and Mrs. Claus, taken on your own phone or camera so you have them right away
2. A live Christmas tree from Pikes Peak to take home, which staff will bale and send off with twine to tie it to your car
3. A holiday craft
4. Touch-a-truck vehicles, plus Rocky Ram and Ranger Donut

The City asks guests to register through its event page.

For the price of a canned good, you get the event's activities and a live tree from six miles up the road. The highway then closes all day on Thanksgiving, November 26, and reopens at 9 a.m. on November 27. It also closes on Christmas Day and reopens at 9 a.m. on December 26.

How Far Up You Get Depends on the Morning

The City says the highway is open year-round, weather permitting, and that snow and road conditions may limit access to the summit. For current conditions, check the Pikes Peak homepage or call 719-385-7325 and press option 1 twice.

That posted status changes from day to day. One recent snapshot of the homepage showed the road open to Cove Creek at mile 13.5. On October 14, The Gazette reported that snow had closed the highway at mile marker 13 near Glen Cove.

Both ends of the drive are listed as open year-round when the weather allows. At about mile 13, Glen Cove has the Timberline Cafe, a food and gift shop, restrooms, parking and picnic tables. At the top, the Summit Visitor Center has interpretive exhibits, a café, a gift shop, restrooms and first aid with EMT help.

This is where living close to the gate pays off. If you're coming from Denver, you commit to the trip before you know how far up the road is open. If you live in Cascade or Chipita Park, you can check the status over breakfast, see that the road is open past Glen Cove, and be at the gate when it opens at 9. Since last entry is at 3 p.m., a clear afternoon still leaves time for a trip that starts after lunch.

The Old Ski Area Is Coming Back as a Tubing Hill

Winter recreation on the highway centers on mile 11.5. At 10,600 feet, that's the site of the former Pikes Peak Ski Area, and the City notes that organized skiing on the mountain goes back to the 1930s. The City lists a new Pikes Peak Snow Tubing Hill at that spot, "New in 2027." Rental equipment is required and provided by Pikes Peak, and visitors park in a designated dirt lot. The City says the hill typically operates December through March, weather permitting. It posts openings, closures and ticket details on the tubing hill page.

The same hill is the winter starting point for the ranger-led snowshoe hikes. The City typically runs them on Saturdays and Sundays in January, February and March, once there's enough snow. The ticket covers highway admission, snowshoe and pole rentals, and instruction. The route goes through the historic ski area and covers its history and the wildlife that lives there.

Above that, Glen Cove near mile 13 gives access to backcountry ski terrain. The City tells skiers to confirm current access restrictions with a ranger first, carry a transceiver, shovel and probe, and travel with a partner.

At the Bottom of the Road, the North Pole Has Free Weekdays

The North Pole – Santa's Workshop sits at the foot of the highway and is in its 70th season this year. The holiday season runs from October 29 through December 24, and on open days the park runs 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. It closes at 4 p.m. on Christmas Eve. The park is closed Tuesdays and Wednesdays, except during holiday weeks.

The North Pole sells two kinds of days, and the price difference between them is big:

• Peak days are weekends in November and December, plus Thanksgiving week and Christmas week. Everyone age 3 and over needs a timed online ticket at $38, which includes rides, shows and attractions. Tickets are released weekly, and no discounts apply.
• Non-peak days are Mondays, Thursdays and Fridays outside the holiday weeks. Park entry is free and includes the magic show and a visit with Santa. A $38 wristband covers unlimited rides for ages 3 to 59, no reservation is needed, and military and senior guests get $5 off the wristband. On the park's plan-your-day calendar, the non-peak block runs through December 14.

This setup isn't new. The North Pole used the same peak-day reservation model in 2024, at $32 per person, and in 2025, at $35. This year, only the price went up. A Thursday visit with Santa is still free, and that's easy to plan when the park is down the road.

The North Pole and the highway follow the same pattern this season. The cheapest and most flexible times are midweek, outside the holiday weeks, or on mornings when the forecast clears. Both are easiest to use if you live close by.

If you're one of the people who live near this gate, or you're thinking about owning a home within a few minutes of it, Thetford Team Real Estate knows Cascade and Chipita Park from the ground up. Get your free home valuation or start your search, and let's talk about your move. In the meantime, we'll see you at Crystal Reservoir on the 21st.