Welcome to North America’s highest railroad!

Starting from a terminal about 3/4-mile from dowtown Manitou Springs, the Manitou & Pike’s Peak Railway climbs from 6,280 feet above sea level to 14,100 feet in only nine miles. Based on technology developed to get trains over the Swiss Alps, the cars get their traction from cogwheels engaging saw-toothed rails down the center of the conventional track. They grind their way up grades as steep as 25% --- one foot up for every four forward --- at a steady nine miles per hour. (A safety brake kicks in automatically if the train exceeds this speed; it can stop a 70-ton car in two or three seconds. Since the trains began running under steam power in 1893, there has never been a serious accident.)

Shortly after leaving Manitou Springs, the rails climb through a narrow canyon lined with ‘elephant rock’, an unusual form of porous granite found only here and in the Missouri Ozarks. Then it passes through a different kind of canyon: tall, dark green, and dense pines and firs pressing almost against the tracks. Photography is virtually impossible here unless you’re in a front or rear seat; tight three-and-two seating, commuter-train style, also makes it difficult. For most passengers, it’s a sight to be savored but not photographed except in clearings and above the timberline. White-barked aspen, with yellow-gold leaves glowing in sunlight, add color to the less-densely wooded areas.

Above the timberline, on a sharp curve near the summit and only feet from a precipitous drop, there’s a dramatic view of far-below forests, rock formations, and a blue-watered reservoir --- the lookout point said to have inspired the hymn ‘America the Beautiful’.

The summit is a reasonably flat piece of dirt and gravel about two football fields long and one soccer field wide. There are two buildings: a combination restaurant/souvenir shop/restroom facility and a smaller meeting and exhibit building. Two cars that had each won several Pike’s Peak Auto Races were on outdoor display. The flagstone-walled observation decks were uncomfortably windswept in early October --- at least 25 m.p.h., I’d guess, and likely much stronger. It was a struggle working my camera while keeping my cap from going overboard. The temperature was relatively mild --- probably low 40’s and, away from the wind, easily manageable with a good winter sweater under my light spring jacket. Passengers were allowed 40 minutes on the summit; sufficient for most of us.

Is this the WORLD’S highest railroad? No. There are two lines across the Peruvian Andes in South America that get above 15,000 feet. However, it does top Europe’s highest railroad, the Jungfraujoch cog railway in Switzerland, which peaks at 11,332 feet.

Though I can’t prove it, I believe this is the world’s third-highest railroad.

The round-trip ride costs $24.50 per adult and is well worth it. Enjoy the photos!