Hike the Pike
Pike's Peak, the nation's easternmost fourteener, offers several trails up to this way-too-famous summit named for explorer Zebulon Pike, who described it in 1806."Zebulon's Peak" would have been a cooler name, in our humble opinion, but the mountains is no less staggering as it rises 7,800 vertical feet above the town of Manitou Springs. Did you know that the song "America the Beautiful" was written atop Pike's Peak? About 60,000 hikers a year use the Barr Trail to get up the mountain; perhaps the trail should be renamed as the "Pike Turnpike."

More on hiking in Pike National Forest

Climb A Working Fire Lookout
The Devil's Head Fire Lookout is the last operating fire lookout on the Front Range. The lookout is open to the public and offers a 360-degree view of the surrounding forest. The original structure went up in 1912 and was eventually replaced with a glass-enclosed structure equipped with modern fire-detecting devices. A moderate hike of 1.34 miles will get you from the trailhead located at the Devil's Head Picnic Ground to the fire lookout that sits on top of Devil's Head Mountain.

Move on to U.S. Campground Guide

Camp in Thin Air
Situated on a ridge above the Rampart Reservoir, the 21-site Thunder Ridge Campground sits at an elevation of 9,200 feet. Aspen groves, spruce and wild rose thrive at this altitude, giving the campground a Garden of Eden quality . . . if Eden were in the mountains. A few choice sites command views of the 320-acre reservoir that offers fishing for rainbow and Mackinaw trout. The nearest town is Woodland Park, located at the intersection of Baldwin Street and US 24.

Bike With Beavers
Bicyclists can go for a pleasant pedal along a 2.1-mile paved trail (that's 3.4-km for you Canadians) from South Meadows to Manitou Lake. The Manitou Park area once served as the summer hunting grounds for the Ute Indians. The bike trail meanders its way through wispy willows and alongside a creek where you can watch busy beavers building their dams.