Visitors Still Need a Pass to Visit Air Force Academy, Including Nearby Bike Trails

Local travel writer Rich Grant, author of 100 Things to Do in Denver Before You Die, took his buddy Sid Wilson, a Vietnam veteran, down to Colorado Springs to the Air Force Academy on May 9. The two intended to visit the Southeast Asia Memorial Pavilion that overlooks the campus at the north end of the Heritage Trail.

"They have a tremendous memorial to the war there, so I said he had to go see it," Grant says.

Grant, a seasoned visitor who has built a career writing about Colorado's prime attractions and destinations, visited the Academy just last year, biking from Monument to the Academy on the New Santa Fe Regional Trail, nearly seven miles of which pass through the Air Force Academy campus.

But this time, Grant and Wilson were turned away at the front gate. According to the AFA, the trail and memorial are part of a campus-wide closure to unverified outsiders.

"You have to turn around [at the gate], and an armed guard holds your license as you turn around, and hands it to you when you're exiting," Grant recalls.

The two then went to the registrar's office, where they learned that civilians are "temporarily" barred from visiting the Air Force campus without a United States Department of Defense sponsor. Wilson's veteran's ID would allow him to sponsor Grant for a day pass — but that ID had expired, so the two were turned away.

The AFA implemented campus visiting restrictions for security reasons on January 4, according to statements offered to local media at the time. The Air Force now says there was "no specific act that prompted this change."

If you have a DOD sponsor, you can request a base pass from the Pass and Registration Office located at the South Gate," an Air Force press release notes.

So if you don't have a pass, that means no biking on the seven miles of trail that pass through the campus — which is a shame for civilians, according to Grant.

"It's a beautiful trail," says Grant. "You could bike right up to the chapel and bike up to the information center."
The adjusted rules for civilian visitors apply to sports fans, too, according to the Academy, so you'll likely need a DOD sponsor to cheer on the Air Force Falcons in person this fall unless the temporary restrictions are loosened or lifted.

"There are no updates on gaining access to the U.S. Air Force Academy since the temporary measures were implemented in January 2025," says an AFA spokesperson in response to Westword queries.

The Cadet Chapel, the most popular tourist destination on campus, attracts more than 500,000 people annually, according to the Air Force. An architectural marvel with seventeen 150-foot spires resembling jets pointed to the sky, the chapel has been closed since 2019 for renovations and is due to reopen in 2027. However, it may still be off limits to civilians when the makeover is finished. The AFA spokesperson tells Westword, "There has been no determination on future updates of the Academy's access policies after the Chapel renovations are completed."

So, what's a jilted travel writer to do when turned away by men in uniform? "We went to Manitou Springs," Grant says.