Every summer, thousands of people make the curvy, sometimes nerve-wracking journey to the summit of one of Colorado’s most iconic “fourteeners”: Pikes Peak. Unlike most other fourteeners, there’s more than one way to reach the summit—by foot, bike, car, or the historic Cog Railway.
There’s another option—and it might take you back to your school days.
Pikes Peak has launched a fleet of bright yellow school buses as part of a shuttle service that travels the scenic highway to the summit.
“The goal of the shuttle service is to provide another option for visitors that want to visit the Pikes Peak Highway but are not comfortable driving themselves or feel that their vehicle would not be able to make the round trip,” said Sarah Braun, Pikes Peak Parks Operations Administrator, in an email.
It can also be convenient for larger groups.
“For us, we have a big crew, it was the idea of having everybody all together and not having to deal with a rental car and all that and the stress of driving someone else's car,” said Nebraskan Tim Morris, who rode the shuttle up with his extended family.
Visitors can purchase shuttle tickets online for $35 round trip, which includes park entrance fees.
Each day offers 15 timeslots, with 80 tickets available per slot. Most days have at least two shuttles running, while weekends and holidays may have three to four shuttles in operation at one time. Visitors park at mile marker 7 up Pikes Peak Highway in order to catch the shuttle.
On designated days, there are even shuttles early enough to catch the sunrise on the summit of America's Mountain.
Aside from the panoramic views and relieving the pressure of white-knuckle driving, shuttle drivers also provide educational commentary, similar to a tourist bus in Los Angeles, for example.
“There were tons of little factoids and stories along the way, like pointing out the avalanche path and the tornado stories, all of which we would have never known just driving up,” said Morris.
Fred Potter, who drives one of the shuttles, said that getting to cater the experience to the visitor’s preference is one of his favorite parts of the job: “I like explaining what you are going to see and what you want to see. It's your preference if you want to get off and enjoy a picnic or take pictures.”
Taking the shuttle might save you a couple of bucks…and your brakes as well.
“We drove 1500 miles to ride up this hill, and our bikes overheated,” said Bill Merriman, whose motorcycle broke down halfway up the highway. Merriman and his group of six from North Carolina were grateful for the shuttle, which took them up safely the rest of the way.
In 2024, the Pikes Peak Highway saw approximately 450,000 visitors. During the summer busy season, visitation will range from approximately 1,000 to 4,000 visitors per day, according to Braun.
With heavy summer traffic on the winding 153-turn road, Pikes Peak officials hope the shuttle service will help ease congestion and improve the overall visitor experience.
“Shuttles help to regulate the number of vehicles that park at the summit, help to spread traffic out along the highway, and allow for serving even more visitors,” said Braun.
New this year, the shuttles also operate on a circulating schedule with stops at Glen Cove, Devils Playground, and the summit.
Whether you’re catching sunrise views, avoiding rental car hassles, or simply along for the ride, traveling to Colorado’s iconic peak aboard a classic yellow school bus offers another way to reach the summit.
