This 2,744-Step Staircase in Colorado Goes Directly to the Clouds

You know those hikes that nourish you? The ones where you feel your body with such presence, where you can feel the air in your lungs as you inhale and exhale? Where, when you get to the summit you feel like you’ve managed to permeate a pure, wide open world?

The Manitou Incline in Colorado is one of those places.

The hike is actually a 2,744 step staircase with nearly 2,000 feet in elevation. Don’t let it’s less than a mile distance fool you— the trek is considered an advanced hike. The Incline, as it is affectionately known by locals, attracts an estimated 70,000 tourists annually.

The Manitou Incline was originally built in 1906. Initially, the incline operated as a cable car that would transport materials to build pipelines on Pikes Peak. When the pipeline was completed, the car was opened up for public use. After some skepticism, people began taking the ride for $.50. In 1958, the Incline was re-established as a tourist attraction.

In 1990, a massive rockslide caused $100,000 worth of damage (worth more than $196,000 in today’s currency, according to an inflation calculator). As a result, the car was completely destroyed, and the rails were removed. The railroad ties, though, remained in the form of the massive staircase that is now the Incline. Locals started using the stairs as an intense workout, but a portion of the land was privately owned, so people couldn’t (legally) make the full climb until 2013, when public-private cooperation led to the public opening of the Incline trail.

Located in the Rocky Mountains near the Manitou Springs, the trail attracts all sorts of people: runners, military, Olympic athletes and hiking enthusiasts from around the world. However, the trail is not ADA accessible.

Joseph Gray and Allie McLaughlin hold the record for climbing the Incline, finishing in 17:45 and 20:07, respectively. For the rest of us folks, the climb takes over an hour.

As you’re heading to the summit, don’t let yourself be fooled! There’s a false summit just more than half way up. After that, you’ll have just 300 steps to go. The views here are also absolutely breathtaking (and not just because of the physical exertion of hiking!).

When you arrive at the summit, you’ll misleadingly see a plaque on the final step that says “2768,” that should indicate that the hiker has climbed 2,768 steps from bottom to summit. In fact, the trail currently stands around 2,744 steps, as the number of steps fluctuates due to deterioration and trail maintenance.

The summit is well worth the effort. Standing 8,600 feet up among the clouds, you’ll see sprawling views of the Rocky Mountains, made up of a palette of vivid colors and textures.

To descend, visitors are discouraged from descending the stairs as a fall down so many steep steps could be deadly. Instead, visitors are encouraged to use two and a half miles of the Barr Trail, a scenic, windy path.

While the trail is absolutely free, visitors who come by car must pay for parking.

Can you breathe through it and ascend the stairs to see one of the world’s natural treasures?