Feel the morning chill roll off Pikes Peak? Clara Brown felt it, too, as her wagon rattled toward Colorado’s gold camps nearly 160 years ago. Her story—and countless others like it—still echo through the churches, trailheads, and quiet grave markers tucked just minutes from your RV door.
Key Takeaways
The loop you’re about to explore squeezes big history into a small mileage footprint, so even first-time visitors can dive deep without burning precious vacation hours. Think of the list below as your pocket compass—scan it now, refer to it later, and share it with travel buddies who need the quick version before committing to the full read.
• You can visit important Black history sites near Pikes Peak RV Park in one easy weekend.
• Most places are inside a 30-minute driving loop around Manitou Springs, Old Colorado City, and downtown Colorado Springs.
• Five quick stops: Payne Chapel, Evergreen Cemetery, Colorado College Tutt Library, Old Colorado City Historic District, and Garden of the Gods.
• Stops have parking for RVs, wheelchair-friendly paths, and fun photo spots.
• A sample day: coffee at 8 a.m., museum by 9, chapel by 11, lunch in the park, Garden of the Gods after 1:30, back to camp by 4.
• Kids get a scavenger hunt and evening crafts; adults can enjoy history talks by a Clara Brown re-enactor.
• Local food and markets—like Kaya’s Kitchen and the Melanin Market—let you taste and support today’s Black community.
• Nearby trails show hidden pioneer stories; download maps before you hike.
• Extra time? Drive 80 minutes to Denver’s Black American West Museum for deeper stories.
• Share photos with hashtags #BlackColoradoHistory and #ManitouPioneerTrail to keep these stories alive.
If you’ve ever asked, “Where can I actually see this history without losing half my weekend?” keep reading. This quick-hit guide maps GPS-ready stops, kid-approved scavenger clues, scenic selfie spots, and wheelchair-friendly museums—all within a 30-minute loop of Pikes Peak RV Park.
Ready to walk the same streets, hike the same ridges, and photograph the same sunsets Black pioneers once did? Let’s roll.
Why Black Colorado History Fits Perfectly Into a Weekend Stay
By 1870 roughly 500 African Americans lived in the Colorado Territory, pushing wagons, prospecting for ore, and opening businesses beside better-known names. Their labor helped stitch supply lines between the high plains and mining camps, even though territorial newspapers rarely credited them. Visiting their landmarks offers a fast, authentic way to anchor your Rocky Mountain getaway in a story bigger than any single summit.
Most sites sit inside a tight triangle bounded by Manitou Springs, Old Colorado City, and downtown Colorado Springs. That means you can spend more time exploring and less time idling on I-25. Whether you’re traveling with grandkids, hiking buddies, or a tripod and drone, the route keeps gas costs low and photo opportunities high.
Pioneers Whose Footprints Still Mark the Front Range
Clara Brown, celebrated as the “Angel of the Rockies,” journeyed from enslavement in Virginia to entrepreneurial success in Central City. She invested laundry profits into real estate, funded churches, and financed reunions for formerly enslaved families, acts that earned her a permanent plaque on Eureka Street (Clara Brown bio). Her generosity ripples southward: newspaper clippings and a short film about her greet visitors at the Colorado Springs Pioneers Museum.
Down on the Santa Fe Trail, Charlotte and Dick Green brought life to Bent’s Fort with music, meals, and courage. Dick even rode with U.S. forces during the 1847 Taos Revolt, securing freedom for both of them afterward (Charlotte & Dick Green). Their hospitality echoes today in the friendly welcome you’ll feel at local Black-owned cafés and campfire story nights.
These stories matter because they place skilled cooks, freighters, laundresses, and soldiers squarely in Colorado’s pioneer narrative. When you step into Payne Chapel or gaze across Garden of the Gods, you’re not just sightseeing—you’re standing in the living classroom they built.
Five Stops Within 30 Minutes of Your Hook-Ups
Park the rig, pop the slides, and set your GPS. Each of these locations includes parking notes, mobility perks, and a quick photo cue to streamline your adventure. Because every stop is less than a half-hour apart, you can lose yourself in stories instead of stop-and-go traffic, making the loop ideal for families and weekenders.
As you drive, notice how the scenery shifts from Victorian storefronts to red-rock monoliths, reflecting the diversity of experiences Black pioneers navigated. Each destination reveals another layer of heritage—whether it’s a stained-glass chapel window or a dusty military headstone—that turns the region’s landscape into a sprawling open-air archive. Take time to breathe in the mountain air between stops; the short distances give you permission to linger without sacrificing your schedule.
Payne Chapel A.M.E. Church, 3625 Marion St., Colorado Springs. Street parking fits Class B vans; call ahead for Sunday tours. Look up at the original stained glass for an unbeatable reel.
Evergreen Cemetery, Section 21, 1005 Hancock Expy. Pull-through lanes accommodate tow vehicles, and benches appear every 50 yards. Seek out headstones of Buffalo Soldiers, their U.S. flags fluttering against Pikes Peak’s skyline.
Colorado College Tutt Library Special Collections, 1021 N. Cascade. Visitor Wi-Fi helps digital nomads upload notes while browsing pioneer-era Black newspapers. Quiet pods double as midday co-working nooks.
Old Colorado City Historic District, W. Colorado Ave. Free two-hour street parking lines 25th Street near murals. Fuel up at locally owned Hold Fast Coffee, then snap a side-by-side shot: you and the 1890 sandstone storefront.
Garden of the Gods North Gateway. Arrive before 8 a.m. for ample RV spaces in the main lot. The paved loop is wheelchair-friendly, and sunrise paints the red rocks the color of fresh copper pennies.
Half-Day Loop You Can Finish Before Dinner
Start at 8 a.m. with a latte in Old Colorado City while you imagine 1890s boarding houses buzzing with Black entrepreneurs. At 9 a.m., cruise two miles to the Colorado Springs Pioneers Museum; spend an hour with rotating panels on African American settlement and snag a kids’ scavenger sheet at the front desk. Payne Chapel sits half a mile east, an easy stop at 11 a.m. for architecture buffs and Instagram storytellers.
Pick up lunch from Spur of the Moment Soul Food Truck parked at America the Beautiful Park—fried catfish po’ boys travel well. By 1:30 p.m. you’re circling Garden of the Gods where Buffalo Soldiers once mapped early military roads. Roll back into Pikes Peak RV Park by 4 p.m., and queue up the short film “Angel of the Rockies” on the outdoor screen. Total mileage: 17.5. Total backtracking: zero.
Hands-On History That Keeps Kids—and Adults—Moving
Families grab a one-page scavenger hunt at check-in: spot a Buffalo Soldier insignia, a sandstone marker stamped “1890,” and a freedom-quilt block hidden in museum textiles. The sheet doubles as a bingo card, perfect for back-seat competition during short drives. The challenges are lighthearted enough that adults can play along without feeling silly.
After sundown, the camp store offers $2 craft kits so everyone can stencil freedom-quilt patterns onto bandanas. A re-enactor portraying Clara Brown lights the Friday night fire ring each month, turning bone-dry facts into flickering storytelling kids remember long after the marshmallows disappear. Even shy visitors find themselves chiming in once the first chorus of pioneer songs drifts into the dark.
Eat, Shop, and Celebrate With Today’s Community
Put your food dollars where the history lives by grabbing jerk chicken or vegan plantains at Kaya’s Kitchen, open Thursday through Sunday with a shady dog-friendly patio. Third Saturdays bring the Melanin Market pop-up to Soda Springs Park; art prints, aromatherapy candles, and live drums invite slow browsing. Local vendors relish questions about their crafts, often sharing family stories that echo the pioneer resilience you’ve been tracing.
If you time your visit for mid-June, hop the free shuttle from the RV park to Juneteenth Colorado Springs; expect gospel choirs, heritage dancers, and BBQ smoke curling into the Front Range air. Simple etiquette goes a long way: ask before filming performers, tip musicians, and tag businesses so future travelers find them. The festival pulse reminds visitors that Black Colorado history is as vibrant today as it was on wagon routes a century ago.
Trail Miles With a Side of Hidden History
Red Rock Canyon Open Space pairs a four-mile loop with remnants of an 1890s freighting road once steered by Black teamsters. Download the GPX file from the park website before you lose signal, and keep an eye out for chisel marks in the red sandstone walls.
Prefer singletrack? Ute Valley Park’s rolling bike trail skirts an interpretive sign about homesteader George Washington Allen, a former cavalryman turned rancher. The plaque sits under a shady juniper—an ideal pause for water or a quick selfie that links adventure with heritage.
Worth the Longer Drive When Time Allows
Denver’s Black American West Museum & Heritage Center, housed in Dr. Justina Ford’s Victorian home, sits just 80 minutes north (Black American West Museum). Exhibits rotate through stories of Black cowboys, doctors, and stagecoach drivers, offering deeper context to the trail markers you just visited. Interactive kiosks let you trace the migration of Black cowboys across the High Plains, providing context that deepens everything you’ve already seen.
Weekday mornings are best for parking a Class C rig in the free lot. Bring headphones: the museum’s oral-history station plays first-person accounts that make the I-25 miles fade fast on the return trip. A thermos of coffee and a downloaded playlist of frontier blues makes the return trip feel like its own rolling museum.
Quick Reference for Digital Nomads and Planners
Free Wi-Fi zones cluster conveniently: Tutt Library, Pikes Peak Library District’s 21C branch, and Loyal Coffee downtown. All three spots serve excellent espresso, and each keeps ample outlets for laptops that run longer than your curiosity timer. Quiet nooks upstairs or on shaded patios let you fine-tune photos before they go live.
If you’re digging deeper into family roots, the library system’s genealogy desk offers free access to Ancestry Library Edition and local census rolls—perfect for tracing pioneer names you encountered on trail signs. Early risers can snag private study rooms for Zoom calls without background noise. Evening users will appreciate that Loyal Coffee stays open late, letting you schedule uploads after a sunset hike.
The stories of Clara Brown, the Greens, and Colorado’s Buffalo Soldiers are still unfolding—and your footsteps can be the next line. Spend your days tracing their routes, then pull back into Pikes Peak RV Park for Wi-Fi uploads, a creekside sunset, and a campfire where new friends trade legends under star-studded skies. Book your stay now and make our park your home base for exploring Black pioneer heritage, one short, scenic loop at a time. Full hookups, rich history, unforgettable nights—see you at the foot of the Peak.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: How long does the suggested five-stop loop actually take if I’m moving at a relaxed pace?
A: Most guests finish in five to six hours, including drive time, a museum visit, coffee or lunch stop, and photo breaks; early risers who hit the road by 8 a.m. are usually back at Pikes Peak RV Park before 3 p.m. with plenty of daylight left for a campfire.
Q: Is the route friendly for wheelchairs, strollers, and limited-mobility travelers?
A: Yes—Payne Chapel and the Colorado Springs Pioneers Museum have ramps and elevators, Evergreen Cemetery has paved lanes with benches every 50 yards, and Garden of the Gods offers a fully paved Central Garden Trail; just call ahead if you’d like museum staff to roll out portable stools for gallery rests.
Q: Where can I park a Class A or tow vehicle without stressing about tight turns?
A: Garden of the Gods’ main lot, Evergreen Cemetery’s pull-through lanes, and the free lot behind the Pioneers Museum all accept larger rigs before 10 a.m.; for narrower streets like those at Payne Chapel, it’s safest to drop your toad or opt for a rideshare from Old Colorado City’s spacious municipal lot.
Q: Do I need advance tickets or reservations for any of the stops?
A: The five local sites are walk-in friendly and free, but phoning Payne Chapel a day or two ahead guarantees access to the sanctuary, and the Tutt Library Special Collections desk appreciates an email heads-up so staff can pull pioneer newspapers before you arrive.
Q: How much do the kids’ scavenger hunt sheets and craft kits cost?
A: The one-page scavenger hunt is complimentary at RV-park check-in, while the after-dark quilt-pattern bandana kit runs $2 and sells out fast on Fridays—swing by the camp store before dinner to snag yours.
Q: What’s the best season or day of the week to explore these heritage spots?
A: Late spring through early fall offers mild temps and open trails, but any weekday morning rewards you with lighter traffic, uncrowded museum galleries, and primo sunrise lighting on the red rocks if Instagram is on your agenda.
Q: Are dogs welcome on this history loop?
A: Leashed pups are fine at Garden of the Gods, Red Rock Canyon, and Evergreen Cemetery; they’ll need to stay outside the museum and chapel, so plan a shaded vehicle spot or tag-team with a travel partner when you step indoors.
Q: How well marked are the historical plaques and trail intersections?
A: Major interpretive signs stand at eye level and include QR codes for quick context, but some pioneer-era road beds in Red Rock Canyon require the downloadable GPX file or AllTrails map to spot subtle chisel marks and wagon ruts.
Q: Where can I grab Wi-Fi and a quiet table if I need to clock in during the outing?
A: Tutt Library, Pikes Peak Library District’s 21C branch, and Loyal Coffee all provide free high-speed connections, plentiful outlets, and seating tucked away from foot traffic, making them perfect for a one-hour video call or photo upload.
Q: Is photography or drone use allowed at the landmarks?
A: Handheld shooting is welcome everywhere on the loop, but drone flights are prohibited in Garden of the Gods and over cemetery grounds; always ask permission before photographing worship services, private tours, or individual re-enactors.
Q: How do I get the GPX file for the heritage-rich hiking options?
A: Visit the City of Colorado Springs’ Red Rock Canyon Open Space web page on your phone, tap the “Maps & Routes” section, and download the GPX to your favorite navigation app before you leave the park’s Wi-Fi zone.
Q: Any etiquette tips for visiting Black heritage sites and community events?
A: Treat churches, gravesites, and markets as living cultural spaces—speak softly, dress casually but respectfully, tip musicians and vendors, and tag businesses or landmarks in social posts so your dollars and digital shout-outs help sustain local stewardship.
Q: Can I combine these history stops with a moderate hike or bike ride?
A: Absolutely—start at Red Rock Canyon for a four-mile loop that ends less than ten minutes from Old Colorado City’s murals and cafés, or ride Ute Valley Park’s singletrack before detouring two miles to Evergreen Cemetery to pay respects at the Buffalo Soldier section.
Q: What if the weather turns nasty halfway through my loop?
A: Shift indoor-friendly stops—Pioneers Museum, Tutt Library, and Payne Chapel—to the front of your schedule, keep an eye on the Pikes Peak RV Park weather cam, and remember most parking lots let you shelter in place until storms roll past within an hour or two.
Q: Where can I find a bite to eat that ties into the heritage theme?
A: Kaya’s Kitchen serves jerk chicken, plant-based bowls, and sweet plantains just five minutes from the Pioneers Museum, while the Spur of the Moment Soul Food Truck often parks at America the Beautiful Park during lunch, making both spots convenient—and delicious—refueling options that honor the community you’re learning about.