Cheyenne Mountain

Cheyenne Mountain is a prominent granite-cored mountain just south of Colorado Springs, Colorado, noted for the hardened military complex constructed within it. The mountain and its cavernous facility were built during the Cold War era and remain a high-security defence site.

From public areas and nearby parks visitors can view the mountain’s sheer south face and the surrounding Front Range landscape; the adjacent state park provides hiking trails and scenic viewpoints. The interior military complex is not open to casual visitors, though limited official tours have been offered at times.

A large subterranean command complex was excavated and fitted inside Cheyenne Mountain during the 1960s to house NORAD and related defence centres as a hardened, blast-resistant facility. Over subsequent decades command functions have shifted between sites but the Cheyenne Mountain complex has continued to serve as a strategic backup and facility for multiple defence organisations.

The mountain sits on the western edge of the southern Colorado Front Range, immediately south of the city of Colorado Springs. The terrain around the mountain is a mix of conifer-covered slopes and developed suburban and parkland areas.

• Access: The command complex built into the mountain is a restricted military facility; public access to the interior is controlled and occasional public tours are limited and must be arranged in advance.

What to See #

• Cheyenne Mountain Complex: Cheyenne Mountain Complex - a hardened, subterranean military command facility built into the mountain that has housed NORAD and other joint military commands.
• State park and public viewpoints: Cheyenne Mountain State Park and surrounding recreational areas that offer trails and viewpoints of the mountain from public land outside the restricted military zone.