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Suggest a Feature →East Colorado Springs / Falcon, Colorado — GPS Country & the Space Mission
The GPS constellation is operated from here. Colorado Springs is 20 minutes west.
Schriever Space Force Base sits on the high plains east of Colorado Springs — 20 miles from the city and 5,000 feet above sea level, with Pikes Peak filling the western horizon. The base operates GPS, space control, and orbital warfare missions through multiple Space Deltas. The mission is genuinely cutting-edge: the GPS satellite constellation that directs civilian and military navigation globally is commanded from Schriever.
The immediate community is Falcon, Peyton, and eastern Colorado Springs — newer suburban development with more affordable housing than the west side of the Springs. Everything Colorado Springs offers (Garden of the Gods, Pikes Peak, world-class outdoor recreation) is accessible, just a 20-30 minute drive rather than a 5-minute drive.
Must Eat
The spots worth eating at before you PCS out.
Colorado Springs Restaurant Scene (20 minutes west)
"The best of Colorado Springs is 20-30 minutes west. Make the drive."
The Schriever experience for dining and entertainment is Colorado Springs proper — the same restaurants, breweries, and cultural venues described for Peterson SFB. The 20-minute commute from Falcon to the Springs is the defining logistics of Schriever life.
Build the drive to the Springs into the weekly routine for dining and errands. The Interquest Parkway corridor (north Springs) has good dining and shopping that's closer to Schriever than downtown Colorado Springs.
Falcon Road Local Restaurants
"The Falcon/Peyton community's local options. Limited but growing."
The Falcon and Peyton commercial area along Highway 24 and Woodmen Road has grown alongside the residential development serving Schriever. Local Mexican restaurants, pizza, and casual American options are available without the full drive to the Springs.
The Paint Mines Interpretive Park is 20 minutes east of Falcon — extraordinary geological formations (wind-eroded pink and white clay spires) that look like a miniature Bryce Canyon. It's a hidden gem few even in Colorado Springs know about.
Outdoor
Get outside. The land around military installations is usually the best reason to be there.
All Colorado Springs Recreation (20-30 min)
"Everything Peterson SFB has access to — 20-30 minutes west."
Garden of the Gods, Pikes Peak, Cheyenne Mountain State Park, and all Colorado Springs outdoor recreation are accessible from Schriever on a 20-30 minute drive. The commitment required is just the intentional drive rather than walking out the gate.
The Falcon Trail System (immediately accessible from east Colorado Springs neighborhoods) provides mountain biking and hiking without the drive to Garden of the Gods. Research the Falcon Trail for local options.
Eastern Plains Recreation (Hunting and Fishing)
"Pheasant, pronghorn, and plains recreation east of Colorado Springs."
The eastern Colorado plains surrounding Schriever are excellent hunting country — pheasant, white-tailed and mule deer, and pronghorn antelope. Multiple reservoirs (Aurora Reservoir, Rampart Reservoir, Elevenmile Reservoir) provide fishing access within 30-45 minutes.
Colorado hunting licenses are required and the application process for elk and deer can be competitive — start early. The Falcon area's proximity to the eastern plains puts some of Colorado's best pheasant hunting within 30 minutes.
Culture & History
Places with stories. Most military towns sit on deep history — dig in.
Colorado Springs Cultural Venues (20-30 min)
"All Colorado Springs cultural life is 20-30 minutes west."
The U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Museum, the Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center, the Colorado Symphony at the Pikes Peak Center, and the Ivywild School community hub are all within 20-30 minutes of Schriever.
The Fine Arts Center at Colorado College on the west side of the Springs has excellent rotating exhibitions and a strong permanent collection. The Pikes Peak Center for the Performing Arts hosts Broadway touring productions and the Colorado Springs Philharmonic.
Family
Stuff to do with the kids. Rated by people who have brought actual children.
Cheyenne Mountain Zoo (25 minutes)
"America's only mountain zoo. Giraffe feeding. Military discount."
Cheyenne Mountain Zoo is 25 minutes from Schriever via the Powers Boulevard corridor — the mountain setting, the giraffe encounters, and the overall quality make it one of Colorado's most visited family attractions.
Military discount is available. The mountain setting means the zoo has natural elevation changes that add to the visual impact. The conservation programs at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo are among the most active in the country — keeper talks are excellent.
Day Trips
When you need to remember there's a world outside the gate.
"World-class skiing. 2 hours west on I-70."
Breckenridge, Keystone, and Arapahoe Basin are 2 hours west on Highway 24 to I-70 — Colorado's premier ski resort corridor. The drive through Ute Pass and South Park is beautiful even without skiing.
"Colorado's capital city. 1.5 hours north."
Denver is 1.5 hours from Schriever via I-25 — all the major city amenities, Red Rocks, professional sports, and the Cherry Creek arts and shopping district.
The east side of Colorado Springs (Falcon, Peyton, Woodmen Road corridor) is developing rapidly and housing quality is generally newer than the older west-side neighborhoods.
The daily commute from Schriever to Colorado Springs proper is 20-30 minutes on Highway 24 or Woodmen Road — build this into your planning for spouse employment, school activities, and social life.
The Space Force's GPS mission is one of the most important in any branch — the GPS satellite constellation underpins essentially all modern navigation, from civilian smartphones to military precision munitions. That mission context makes the assignment professionally meaningful.
The Colorado Springs military cross-installation network is strong. Peterson, Schriever, Fort Carson, and the Academy all share social infrastructure. Get involved with the Peterson Officers Club and the broader COS military community.
Schriever's east-of-the-Springs location means every trip to the best parts of Colorado Springs adds a 20-30 minute commute. This is a minor inconvenience that becomes meaningful when it's part of every evening and weekend activity. Families who live in Falcon or Peyton for affordability but work in the Springs face commuting from both directions. The trade-off (lower housing cost, more space, newer development) generally works for most families who go in knowing the geography.
This guide is built by people who've been stationed here. If there's a spot we got wrong or a gem we missed, tell us.