Garden of the Gods is a public park located in Colorado Springs, Colorado, US.
It was designated a National Natural Landmark in 1971.
At about 250 BC, Native American people camped in the park; they are believed
to have been attracted to wildlife and plant life in the area and used overhangs
created by the rocks for shelter. Many native peoples have reported a connection
to Garden of the Gods, including Apache, Cheyenne, Comanche, Kiowa, Lakota,
Pawnee, Shoshone, and Ute people.
In 1879 Charles Elliott Perkins, a friend of William Jackson Palmer,
purchased 480 acres of land that included a portion of the present Garden of the Gods.
Upon Perkins' death, his family gave the land to the City of Colorado Springs in 1909,
with the provision that it would be a free public park. Palmer had owned the
Rock Ledge Ranch and upon his death it was donated to the city.