If you’re planning a trip out west, you owe it to yourself to spend some time in the Garden of the Gods. It’s a public park situated in the hills outside of Colorado Springs, Colorado, just a short drive from Denver.

The park offers unparalleled natural beauty, whether it’s the ancient red sandstone or Pike’s Peak looming in the distance.

The Garden of the Gods’ red rock formations were created during a geological upheaval along a natural faultline millions of years ago. Archaeological evidence shows that prehistoric people visited Garden of the Gods more than 3,500 years ago.

Over the years, the area has been inhabited by Apaches, Cheyenne, Comanches, Kiowa, Lakota, Pawnee, Shoshone and Ute.

Hiking, rock climbing, jeep and Segway tours are just a few ways to explore the Garden. Check out the visitor and nature center and see the world’s only known fossil of an entirely new dinosaur species, Theiophytalia kerri.

Follow blogger Rob Papke on a photographic tour of the Garden of the Gods.