The first thing you should know about the Manitou Incline is that you canât just walk up and start climbing it. In its outlaw days, before the former utility-railroad-turned-tourist-attraction was legal to climb, devotees could do that. They arrived by the thousands from near and far.
But those freewheeling times led to trouble: The old railroad ties were deteriorating, the soil was eroding and people were getting injured, even dying.
The base is at 6,500 feet and the summit is at 8,590 feet, a gain of more than 2,000 feet in less than a mile. That takes a tremendous toll on bodies â even ones accustomed to strenuous activity at high altitude â and it can take hours for El Paso County Search and Rescue to reach hikers in distress.
Reservations required at the Manitou Incline this summer koaa.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from koaa.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Changes are afoot yet again at the Manitou Incline.
The city of Colorado Springs, representing the land-owning and top managing entity of the popular trail, on Thursday announced adjustments to the number of reservations allowed at certain times of the busy summer days ahead.
Hikers booking for free online will now see 65 slots available every half-hour from 6 am. to 10 a.m., up from the previous 45 for every half-hour during all opening hours. Now from 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., 45 spots will be available every half-hour, while they will be down to 25 every 30 minutes from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m.
RELATED: