Balancing Rock, at the entrance of the Garden of the Gods park. One of the most unique natural attractions in the United States, the Garden of the Gods was declared a National Natural Landmark in 1972 because of its massive towering sandstone formations and beautiful scenery. It is also a park of the city of Colorado Springs and is quite different from any city park you have ever visited. The first people known to have lived here were the Ute Indians, about 10,000 years ago, who used the Garden of the Gods as a winter campsite. In 1859, two surveyors wandered into the area. One of the men suggested it would be a good place for a beer garden. The other exclaimed, "Beer garden! This is a fit place for the gods to assemble. We will call it the Garden of the Gods." It is called that to this day. In 1897, a railroad man by the name of Charles Perkins bought 480 acres in what is now the heart of the park where he intended to build a summer home. This never happened. He died in 1907. Just prior to Christmas Day 1909, his children donated the land to the City of Colorado Springs according to his wish that "it remain forever free to all the people of the world." Today the park is 1,367 acres or about two square miles in size. Over one million people visit the Garden of the Gods each year. The rocks in the garden are nearly 300 million years old. When you first see them, you may wonder why they are red. The red color is due to iron oxide. The tallest rock formation in the park at 320 feet is the Kissing Camels, and it does look like two camels giving each other a kiss! 55 different species of animals and 131 varieties of birds live in the park. The world famous mountain Pikes Peak towers above the Garden of the Gods. At 14,110 feet in elevation, it is the 31st highest of the 54 mountains in Colorado that are over 14,000 feet.