A tradition rooted in Colorado Springs is gearing up for another year, with hundreds of motorcycle riders set to travel through Teller County this summer to pay tribute to prisoners of war and service members whose fates remain unknown.
The 2026 Annual Salute to American Veterans Rally is set for Aug. 21–22 in Cripple Creek. Organizers describe it as the most enduring gathering of its kind for veterans and patriots anywhere in the western United States, one that has remained both a solemn and celebratory occasion for those who take part.
Now in its 39th year, the Recognition Ride is projected to attract upward of 1,500 participants traveling from around the country. The procession sets out from Woodland Park at 10 a.m., and community members who want to show their support can position themselves along Highway 24 from Woodland Park toward Divide, and along Highway 67 from Divide into Cripple Creek. Teller County residents along the route are particularly encouraged to come out and welcome the riders, and organizers suggest bringing chairs and American flags.
The rally draws veterans from every military era alongside active-duty personnel, their families, and patriotic Americans who come from around the country to recognize the service and sacrifice of the nation's military members. Admission to the entire festival is free, and over the rally's history more than 350 charitable organizations have received support from its proceeds.
The event grew out of a modest motorcycle outing in 1987, launched after the son of a military officer learned that young students stopping into his motorcycle shop had no idea what the black-and-white POW/MIA flag hanging on the wall represented. He and the team at High Country Custom Cycles in Colorado Springs pulled together friends, fellow veterans, and area bikers, decorated their bikes with handmade patriotic banners and POW/MIA flags, and took to the streets with the deliberate aim of drawing as much attention as possible.
As participation swelled from a handful of motorcycles to several hundred, the ride drew growing enthusiasm from residents, local commerce, vendors, and municipal officials, eventually expanding into the full-scale Salute to American Veterans Rally. Operational responsibility for the Recognition Ride has since been handed off entirely to Veterans 4 Veterans, a Teller and El Paso County nonprofit whose mission centers on supporting veterans experiencing homelessness.
Additional details on scheduling and rider registration are available at www.theveteransrally.org or by phone at 719-487-8005. A complete event schedule for both days has not yet been publicly released, and interested attendees should watch the organization's website for updates ahead of the August rally.