Cascade-Chipita Park, CO

Chipita Park is the newest entrant to the collection of towns in the Ute Pass. This picturesque, quaint, small-town is centered around a lake and in the shadows by the glorious Pike’s Peak.

Known initially as Ute Park, the town was established in the late 1800s as a vacation spot for tourists who wanted to escape the sweltering summers of Kansas and its neighboring states.

In the mid-1900s, it was renamed Chipita Park after Chief Ouray’s wife, Chipeta. Since then, the charming little town has become home to more than 1,200 people and serves as a beautiful tourist destination south of Colorado Springs.

Things to do in Chipita Park

Chipita Park is located in the shadows of the 14,110 ft Pike’s Peak, affectionately termed as America’s Mountain. It remains the mainstay for most of the sight-seeing attractions and activities of the town.

The mountain offers many outdoor enthusiasts activities, including hiking trails, high altitude mountaineering courses, and several visitor centers and attractions, including the US Army Pike’s Peak Research Laboratory.

Other local attractions include breathtaking hiking trails to Catamount and Crystal Falls and picturesque picnic spots near Gazebo Lake. From hiking to camping and dining out in the charming Victorian themed restaurants, you’ll never run out of things to do in Chipita Park.

Homes for Sale in Cascade-Chipita Park

Climate

Chipita Park’s climate is characterized by lukewarm and very comfortable summers and dry, freezing winters. Much like the rest of Colorado, the average annual temperatures hover around 55 °F.

The summers last for 3.5 months from June to September with mid-July highs of 74 degrees, while winters last from November to March with December lows of 15 degrees. It also receives 300 days of sunshine, much higher than the US national average of 210.

The blossoming town generally receives partial cloud cover all year round with high chances of precipitation between April and October with an average rainfall of 2 inches. The snowy period is highly variable and generally lasts for eight months between September and May, making the town an ideal spot for a holiday getaway.

Education

With an estimated spend of $9,500 per student, the Manitou Springs School District No. 14 and the Woodland Park School District are the two leading educational hubs that nurture the young minds of Chipita Park.

Nursery educational needs are served by a total of 4 preschools spread across and around the town while plans to set up a charter school in the Woodland Park School District have been formulated.

With only a mere 20 minutes by car, the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs will be the central hub of higher education for your student, with over 100 options spread across the undergraduate to the doctoral level. Other options include the Universities of Colorado at Boulder and the highly reputed University of Denver, located at a driving distance of 1.5 hours.

The United States’ Air Force Academy, the youngest of the five national military academies and the crown jewel of Colorado’s military education institutions, is also just a 30-minute drive from Chipita Park.

Living in Chipita Park-Cascade

Spread over 8,615 acres centered around the beautiful Gazebo Lake, Chipita Park is home to a close-knit community of an estimated 1,200 people. The town is governed by El Paso County and identifies Cascade as its mailing address.

Real estate prices vary between $250,000 to $1.5 million with median listings falling between $300,000 to $400,000. Eighty percent of the population owns their homes.

Transportation

Although public, direct transportation routes through Chipita Park are few, they’re ever-present in its neighboring town of Cascade. You can avail any of 8 major bus routes viz., 1, 10, 19, 3, 5, 7, 9, and 33, that pass either directly through or very close to the town. The shortest route is a 25-minute transit via bus seven from Family Market, Colorado Springs.

The soon to be repaved US-24 W connects the town with its nearest major city of Colorado Springs in a mere 25-minute drive. On the other hand, you can get to the capital of the state, Denver, in a 1.5-hour drive from Chipita Park via US-24 W and I-25.