What is it like to live in Kissing Camels in Colorado Springs?

Kissing Camels is a gated golf community on the mesa beside Garden of the Gods, on the west side of Colorado Springs, built around the Garden of the Gods Club. Homes range from custom single-family homes to townhomes, many with views of the park and the mountains. Its location is fairly central, with access to I-25 by Garden of the Gods Road. Before you buy, it's worth checking the HOA dues, what a club membership would cost and whether it comes with the home, wildfire and insurance for the specific property, and the school district for the address.

Where Kissing Camels is

Kissing Camels sits on the mesa just east of Garden of the Gods Park, roughly between 30th Street and Garden of the Gods Road, and takes its name from a rock formation in the park. Garden of the Gods Road leads east to I-25, and 30th Street runs south toward Old Colorado City and US 24, so it's a fairly central spot for getting around the city.

Drive times depend on the route and time of day, so drive yours at rush hour before you buy. Commute times by area gives estimated drive times from across the city.

The closest full hospitals are a short drive east: Penrose Hospital on North Nevada Avenue, which has 24-hour emergency care, and UCHealth Memorial Hospital Central on East Boulder Street, a state-designated Level I trauma center.

The homes

Kissing Camels has a mix of custom single-family homes and townhomes, many on hillside or golf-course lots with views. Homes were built over several decades, so age, style, and updates vary widely from one home to the next.

• Check the year built and lot details for each home. The El Paso County Assessor's property record shows the year built, square footage, and lot size for any address.
• Hillside lots can mean steeper driveways, retaining walls, and drainage to look at during inspection.
• Some lots are still being built on, so ask what's planned for any vacant land near the home.

The club and amenities

The Garden of the Gods Club and Resort sits at the center of the community. It offers several membership categories, from full golf to social memberships, and its amenities include 27 holes of golf, a spa, dining, a fitness and pool complex, and pickleball and tennis courts.

Club membership and home ownership are two different things to ask about. Before you make an offer, ask the seller and the club whether any membership comes with the home, what each membership level costs to join and each year, and whether there's a waiting list. Those answers can change your total cost of living there by a meaningful amount.

Outside the gates, Garden of the Gods Park is free to visit, with paved and dirt trails, and its visitor center sits at the park's east edge.

A gated community: what that means day to day

Kissing Camels is a gated community. What that usually means for an owner:

• Private streets. Streets inside a gated community are typically private, so the HOA, not the City, usually pays to maintain them, plow them, and eventually repave them. Confirm this in the HOA documents for the specific home, because that cost is part of your dues and reserves.
• Access for guests, deliveries, and contractors. Ask how guests, delivery drivers, and contractors get in, and whether there are rules on work hours or contractor registration.
• The gate itself. Gates, guardhouses, and staffing are HOA expenses. Ask what they cost each year and how the reserve study plans for replacing them.

HOA, special district, and property tax costs

Even a paid-off home isn't free. Taxes, HOA dues, any special district levies, insurance, and club dues continue, so I recommend knowing the full monthly cost of any home before you decide.

• HOA dues. Kissing Camels' dues have historically been among the higher dues in Colorado Springs, which reflects private streets, the gate, and common areas. Ask for the current dues, the budget, the reserve study, and any special assessments for the specific home. What to review before buying a home with an HOA walks through the documents.
• Special districts. Check whether the address is in a metro district or other special district. The El Paso County Treasurer's tax bill for the property lists every taxing authority. What a metro district is explains how to check.
• Property taxes. Two homes at the same price can have different tax bills because of the districts they sit in. Why two similar homes can have very different property taxes shows how to compare them.

Schools

Kissing Camels is generally in Colorado Springs School District 11. School district boundaries don't always follow neighborhood names or zip codes, and school assignments can change, so verify the district and schools for the specific address with the district before you buy. Neighborhoods by school district explains how to check.

Insurance and wildfire risk

Kissing Camels sits next to open space on the city's west side, where wildfire is a real factor. Inside city limits, any permitted roof replacement now requires a Class A fire-rated roof covering, and homes built or rebuilt in the Colorado Springs Fire Department's Wildland Urban Interface area must meet ignition-resistant standards for siding, vents, and decks. Older homes may not meet today's standards.

Colorado now requires insurers to give you a wildfire risk score for your property and to consider mitigation you've done. The Colorado Springs Fire Department's wildfire mitigation program has resources for homeowners. Get an insurance quote for the specific home early in your search. Why insurance varies so much between Colorado Springs homes explains the factors.

Check every home, every time

Every home is different, and every neighborhood is different. The HOA, insurance, special districts, the age of the home, and the age of its systems all matter, so I recommend checking each of them for every home you consider.

Colorado's standard purchase contract builds in time to do that. By the deadlines you set in the contract, you can review the HOA documents, get an inspection, and confirm you can insure the home, and you can terminate the contract if you're not satisfied with any of them. If you terminate properly by the deadline, your earnest money is returned.

What could change the area

A proposed data center at the former Intel facility off Garden of the Gods Road near Centennial Boulevard, a few miles northeast of Kissing Camels, has drawn strong public opposition. As of October 2026, the city's planning staff had approved it, the Planning Commission had rejected residents' appeals, and City Council voted on September 17, 2026 to postpone its final decision to April 2027. Residents are also gathering signatures for a ballot measure that would pause new data centers. The outcome isn't known yet, so check its status before you buy. Living on the west side of Colorado Springs covers how I'd weigh it.

How to decide whether Kissing Camels fits

• If you plan to use the club, price the membership you'd actually use and add it to the monthly cost before you compare homes.
• If you're comparing Kissing Camels with a non-gated neighborhood, compare the full monthly cost, including the dues that pay for private streets and the gate.
• If wildfire risk concerns you, look closely at the roof, siding, vents, decks, and defensible space, and get an insurance quote before your inspection deadline.
• If you're considering a hillside lot, have the inspector look at drainage, retaining walls, and the driveway.

What could change the answer

• What membership, if any, comes with the home, and what the club costs.
• The current HOA dues, reserves, and any special assessments.
• The home's wildfire mitigation, roof, and insurance quote.
• The outcome of the proposed data center decision.
• The exact school district and schools for the address.

When to talk with a professional

Get a homeowners insurance quote early, and ask the insurer about the property's wildfire risk score. Hire an independent home inspector, and consider a structural or drainage specialist for a hillside lot. Ask the club directly about membership terms. Check the property's tax districts with the El Paso County Assessor or Treasurer, and verify schools with the district. A local real estate professional can help you compare the full monthly cost against other neighborhoods.

Sources

• The Gazette, "Neighborhoods: Rockrimmon/Peregrine/Cedar Heights/Kissing Camels" (2015, updated 2024): https://gazette.com/2015/09/20/neighborhoods-rockrimmonperegrinecedar-heightskissing-camels/
• Colorado AvidGolfer, "2024 Private Club Guide: Garden of the Gods": https://coloradoavidgolfer.com/garden-of-the-gods/
• City of Colorado Springs, Appendix K, Wildland Urban Interface requirements: https://parks.coloradosprings.gov/system/files/2024-04/appendix_k_wildland_urban_interface_requirements_ordinance_23-14.pdf
• Colorado General Assembly, HB25-1182 (wildfire risk scores in homeowners insurance): https://leg.colorado.gov/bills/hb25-1182
• The Gazette, Garden of the Gods data center live updates (City Council postponement, September 17, 2026): https://gazette.com/live-blog/garden-of-the-gods-data-center-live-updates/
• Colorado Sun, "Colorado Springs data center vote delayed after raucous hearing" (September 17, 2026): https://coloradosun.com/2026/09/17/colorado-springs-data-center-final-vote-delay/
• The Gazette, data center moratorium petition (October 10, 2026): https://gazette.com/2026/10/10/four-year-data-center-moratorium-gathers-signatures-to-make-the-ballot/
• CommonSpirit Penrose Hospital: https://www.mountain.commonspirit.org/location/penrose-hospital
• UCHealth Memorial Hospital Central: https://www.uchealth.org/locations/uchealth-memorial-hospital-central/
• El Paso County Assessor (property records): https://assessor.elpasoco.com
• Colorado Springs School District 11: https://www.d11.org