Notes from the host
Bell Rock Retreat
BELL ROCK RETREAT is a unique property on 80 acres with a gorgeous "million-dollar" view of Pikes Peak in Colorado. This is a real Colorado without dust and noise of a big city...The property is located 10 mi North from Woodland Park, 25 mi from Manitou Springs and 30 mi from Colorado Springs. The retreat offers a beautiful view of Pikes Peak and the Rocky Mountains.
The property is tastefully furnished with a mountain theme. Spacious master bedroom ( PIKES PEAK VIEW BEDROOM) has a KING SIZE BED and offers beautiful views of PIKES PEAK. The second bedroom (a family suite) has two QUEEN SIZE BEDS. We call it CABELA'S DREAM BEDROOM since it has a hunter's theme and most of the items were bought at Cabela's Store. A small non-conforming bedroom ( a closet-like room) has a real TWIN SIZE BED. We call this bedroom a PRINCESS CHAMBER since our little girl likes to sleep there. All bedrooms and the living room are upstairs. KITCHEN has all stainless steel appliances. DINING AREA is adjacent to the kitchen.
LIVING AREA is located upstairs between the bedrooms. It has an L-shaped couch and a new big-screen TV and DVD player. The laundry area is conveniently located upstairs nearby the bedrooms.
The property has a water softener system, and a water filtration system for drinking water and some other upgrades including the heated garage. A patio set for 6 persons, BBQ grill and a smoker is located on the spacious deck. The view from the deck is amazing!
The retreat house is located on 80 acres of land on the border with Pike National forest. There is a babbling creek running through the property. You can fish without any license or pan for gold if you know how... You will enjoy a gorgeous view of Pikes Peak from the large deck and most windows.
The property is located in a former mining settlement right across from historic cabins built here during Colorado Gold Rush for miners and prospectors...
There are some other historic towns famous for its historic railroads, mines, and casinos (check out Cripple Creek and Victor). If you crave city amenities Woodland Park is only 10 miles away.
Woodland Park, Colorado
Woodland Park's premier attraction is the Rocky Mountain Dinosaur Resource Center, a terrific new museum with lots of hands-on activities for children. Also explore the nearby Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument, where you'll see giant petrified redwood stumps and learn about the prehistoric times when this high country was under the ocean. Also check out the Colorado Wolf & Wildlife Center, which features rescued wolves, hybrids and foxes. A paved path takes mountain bikers from town to Manitou Lake, a scenic fishing-hole eight miles away from Woodland Park but very close to WPR. The Pike National Forest is a major hub for outdoor recreation in the area.
Woodland Park itself boasts a great variety of stores from interesting locally-owned stores to well-known names such as Walmart, Safeway and City Market. If you need a cowboy hat, a souvenir antique or THE T-shirt, it's there as well as office supplies, jewelry, gifts, auto garages - you name it, Woodland Park has it. There are also lots of "hidden" stores, so don't be afraid to drive slightly off the main Highway 24 to find some really interesting places to browse.
Dining Out
For breakfast or lunch, a local favorite is Joanie's Bakery as well as The Pantry in Green Mountain Falls (the next village down the hill from Woodland Park). It takes only a few minutes to drive there once you pass the Safeway shopping plaza on the right as you are leaving Woodland Park on your way down Ute Pass towards Colorado Springs. Look for the sign that says Green Mountain Falls and follow the road roundabout a mile until you see a small row of stores and the lake on the left. Go to the side of the row of stores (opposite the lake on the side street) and you will see The Pantry. Large portions, great prices - try their versions of Eggs Benny! Lovely people too. Additionally, there are a few dozen places to "eat out" including most of the normal fast-food chains. Go to the Woodland Park restaurants page or click on some of the featured restaurants below.
Joanie's Bakery & Delicatessen
Swiss Chalet Restaurant
Fiesta Mexicana Family Restaurant
Hungry Bear Restaurant
Donut Mill
Fusion Japan
Bierwerks Brewery
Starbucks
Grandmother's Kitchen
Denny's
Wendy's Old Fashioned Hamburgers
Mayflower Chinese Restaurant
Woodland Perk
Mangia Mangia
SONIC Drive-In
Casa Grande Mexican Restaurant
Crystola Bar & Grill
Hiking
There is a local Hiking Trails book for you to browse with other Guest Information at the Retreat. Otherwise, Tourist Information located in the center of Woodland Park can provide more information, some of which are put out by the local Chamber of Commerce.
Golf
Woodland Park Shining Mountain Course is an 18-hole Golf Course about 2 miles out of Woodland Park on Highway 67 on the left. (Same road you take to the Retreat.) The course is 6,464 yards from the championship tees with a par of 70. The course rating is 71.6 and has a slope of 136 on Blue Grass. The seasons are mild and the views spectacular, which makes this a superb location for golfing.
Fishing
There is a beautiful small mountain lake just two miles from WPR on Highway 67. Manitou Lake is so easy to get to that picnickers gather there in droves on summer weekends. There is a larger, man-made lake up Rampart Range Road between Woodland Park and Colorado Springs. Rampart Reservoir holds water piped from a Reservoir near Leadville for use in Colorado Springs. It is open for fishermen and picnickers.
Highway 67 is the main route to Deckers and the South Platte River. The South Platte near Deckers is seen as one of the premier fishing streams in the state and attracts fishermen from across the nation and even from abroad. Its swift-moving water with white caps and large boulders, deep pools and canyons make it one of the most scenic rivers anywhere. It is easy to get to especially as many of the most scenic locations are only a mile or so hike. Considered one of the premier areas for fishing - please see the Colorado Fishing Network.
Skiing
Breckenridge is the closest skiing area. If the weather is right, it takes about 90 minutes to get there but as with any ski mountain the last bit of the road to the area is pretty hairy with several 10 mph hairpins bends - you usually need a 4 wheel drive in winter.
National Parks, Hiking, Camping and Biking
The Retreat is surrounded by the beauty and awe of Pikes Peak National Park. For information on hiking and camping in Colorado, please see and The Colorado Hiker.
Visitor Information Websites
Manitou Springs is about 25 minutes from the Retreat back down Highway 24 towards Colorado Springs. It is famous for quaint art and craft shops and is the home of the Pikes Peak Cog Railway.
Colorado Springs has an airport and is an hour's drive from the Retreat.
Denver is a 90-minute drive from the Retreat and has an International airport.
Canyon City, a great little city not far from the Royal Gorge - take the TRAIN or go Whitewater Rafting!
Breckenridge is about a 90-minute drive (depending on the weather) for fine downhill skiing.