Fort Carson

Fort Carson, known as the Mountain Post, sits on the southwest edge of Colorado Springs between Interstate 25 and Highway 115, at the foot of Cheyenne Mountain in the Front Range.

Fort Carson is reached off Interstate 25, roughly 60 miles south of Denver, using Exit 135 for the main gate or Exit 132B for Gate 20.

The main on-post lodging option for TDY travelers and PCSing families is the IHG Army Hotels Candlewood Suites, conveniently located near Evans Army Community Hospital, the PX, and the Commissary. TDY personnel and families in transition are housed on a priority basis, so early coordination matters.

Unaccompanied soldiers at the rank of sergeant (E-5) or below typically receive billeting through the Replacement Detachment rather than Candlewood Suites, while everyone else needs to arrange their own lodging.

For travelers wanting something different, the Regional Training Institute operates a hotel on post open to all active duty and their families with its own shuttle service, and Camp Hale outside Gate 6 offers cabins and pull-through RV pads with full hookups, and is pet friendly.

Because the large majority of the Fort Carson community lives off post, the Housing Services Office plays a central role for newcomers, helping locate rentals or homes for sale in the surrounding towns of Colorado Springs, Fountain, Manitou Springs, Monument, Pueblo, Security, and Widefield.

The Housing Services Office, in Building 1225, partners with the Pikes Peak Association of Realtors to connect families with vetted volunteer realtors who can pull rental and sale listings and explain financing options including VA, FHA, and conventional loans.

For utility setup in a new off-post home, HSO points residents to InMyArea.com to compare providers by ZIP code rather than maintaining its own utility referral list.

Families with school-age children can start with the Army School Liaison office in Building 1532 on Specker Avenue, which serves as the point of contact for local school coordination and support services during the workweek.

For younger children, Fort Carson's Child & Youth Services Parent Central office, located on Ellis Street, is the intake point for care requests; families search and request placements through MilitaryChildCare.com rather than contacting individual centers directly.

Evans Army Community Hospital, located on Fort Carson, is the centerpiece of the local Military Health System and the main resource for appointments and inpatient or outpatient needs; appointments are scheduled through a dedicated line separate from the hospital's general operator.

Active-duty dental care is available on post, but due to limited capacity and a readiness priority, dependents cannot be seen at the Fort Carson dental clinic; families should plan on the TRICARE dental program network instead. A second nearby option, the 10th Medical Group hospital, serves the U.S. Air Force Academy on the north side of Colorado Springs.

Army Community Service is the go-to hub for newcomer support and cost-of-living assistance, reachable by phone or through the Fort Carson relocation team by text for those still working out arrival logistics.

Because most families live off post, budget extra time to coordinate with the Housing Services Office before committing to a rental in Colorado Springs, Fountain, Security, or Widefield, since HSO visits are the standard first step for anyone drawing BAH.