One hour from COS · GMU 59 limited entry
The nearest big-game limited-entry private-land hunt to COS airport — 60 miles west, 90 minutes by car. A 138-year working cattle ranch on the south slope of Pikes Peak.
The short answer
Elk Glade is the closest substantial guided elk hunt to Colorado Springs — approximately 60 miles west, a 90-minute drive on Old Stage Road, on the south slope of Pikes Peak in GMU 59. Fully guided bull elk, mule deer, and spring turkey hunts on a 138-year working cattle ranch with 2,100 acres of family-owned land and over 25,000 acres of leased land. Six-night packages from $9,950; pickup from COS airport included with the hunt.
Geography
Most Colorado elk hunters book a western-slope unit — Eagle County, Routt County, Garfield County. The herd numbers are higher there, the tradition is longer, the public-land acreage is vast. But the trade-off is real: those units are a 4–6 hour drive from any major airport, the limited-entry tags require high preference-point counts, and the public-land pressure during rifle 2nd and 3rd seasons is constant.
The south slope of Pikes Peak — GMU 59 — is a different proposition. It’s a 90-minute drive from Colorado Springs airport, the limited-entry hunt density is materially lower than on the western slope, and the private-land participation through the Landowner Preference Program gives qualifying ranches like ours guaranteed annual tags.
The country itself is dramatic. Pikes Peak rises north of the ranch at 14,115 feet; the south face holds snow into July and reflects heat onto the lower benches at night. The canyon system the ranch sits in is the headwater drainage for East Beaver Creek (a year-round cold-water trout stream) and sits inside the largest wildlife corridor between New Mexico and Wyoming on the Colorado Front Range — recognized with a Colorado Parks and Wildlife grant to Elk Glade.
For a Colorado Springs-based hunter or a hunter flying into COS, this is the shortest path to a real Colorado elk hunt — one that doesn’t involve a full driving day each way.
Logistics from COS
Colorado Springs Airport (COS) has direct service from most major US hubs — Denver, Dallas, Atlanta, Chicago, Phoenix, Las Vegas, and others. Most domestic flights into COS are under 4 hours. Rental cars and rideshare are available on-site.
Pickup from COS is included with multi-night hunt packages. If you'd rather drive yourself (some hunters prefer the flexibility), grab a rental at the airport and follow Old Stage Road west. The trip planner has full directions, including the cell-service-drops-past-Broadmoor warning.
From COS the route runs ~12 miles to The Broadmoor (the most identifiable landmark), then 35 miles up Old Stage Road, then 6 miles of well-maintained gravel to the H.C. Rathke gate. No cell service past Broadmoor; bring a printed map for the last leg.
Check in at the ranch lodge that has served as ranch headquarters for years. Hot shower, hot meal, then the next morning's hunt at first light.
Why a Colorado Springs hunter chooses us
If you live in the Colorado Springs metro and want a guided elk hunt without losing a day each way to the drive, the western-slope outfitters can’t match us on convenience. You can leave home Friday at 5 PM, be at the ranch by 7 PM, hunt Saturday and Sunday, and be back at your desk Monday morning.
If you’re flying in from out of state and have a finite number of vacation days, the math gets even cleaner. A western-slope hunt eats a full travel day on each end — that’s two days of guided hunt time you’re paying for that you’ll spend in a rental car instead. Booking COS for an Elk Glade hunt converts those two days back into the field.
We’ve hosted hunters from 28 states and 4 countries over the years. The most common feedback after a first hunt is some variant of “I had no idea this country existed an hour from a Colorado airport.” It exists. We built the road in.
Elk Glade is approximately 60 miles west of Colorado Springs, an ~90-minute drive via Old Stage Road through Cheyenne Mountain. Pickup from COS airport is included with multi-night hunt and ranch-stay bookings.
Yes. COS is the closest commercial airport to Elk Glade and the recommended arrival point for guests flying in. Denver International (DIA) is also workable — about a 3-hour drive south to the ranch via I-25 — but COS saves you about 90 minutes each way and has direct service from most major US hubs.
Game Management Unit (GMU) 59 — the south slope of Pikes Peak — is the nearest big-game unit to Colorado Springs with substantial limited-entry private-land access. GMU 511 and GMU 58 are also within an hour's drive. GMU 59 is where Elk Glade has run guided hunts for decades.
The western-slope units (Eagle, Garfield, Routt counties) have larger herds but face heavier pressure and longer drives from any major airport. The south slope of Pikes Peak — GMU 59 specifically — has less hunter pressure, dramatic ranch-country terrain, year-round private water (East Beaver Creek), and a 90-minute commute from a major airport. Trade-offs both ways; we think the south slope wins on convenience and quality of hunt.
The lodge sits at 8,500 feet. The ranch country ranges from approximately 8,000 feet at the lower bench up to 9,500 feet at the canyon rim. Most of the elk hunting takes place between 8,500 and 9,500 feet — high enough to require some altitude acclimation for sea-level hunters, low enough to avoid the most severe weather.
Yes — many of our hunters stack a Broadmoor night either side of their hunt week for the recovery + dining + airport-proximity advantages. See our Broadmoor stacking page for the practical logistics.
Plan your hunt
Plan a hunt from Colorado Springs
Tell us your flight arrival window and target hunt week and we’ll confirm pickup logistics, walk you through the CPW draw or voucher path, and hold your dates on the calendar.
From the journal
The Hunt · September 30, 2026
The list, with reasons. The brochure version on most outfitter sites lists what you need; this is what we've seen guys show up without and regret. Andre walks the gear shelf piece by piece.
Andre · 7 min read
The Hunt · September 22, 2026
The CPW elk draw deadline, the preference point math, the OTC vs. draw decision, and the landowner voucher window. Pre-application notes from a guide on the south slope of Pikes Peak.
Andre · 7 min read
The Hunt · September 22, 2026
Bulls get the photos. But ask anyone who hunts to eat which animal they'd rather have on the grill, and the answer is usually a cow.
Jim Johnson · 3 min read
