The trail is the remains of a former 3 ft (914 mm) narrow gauge[1] funicular railway whose tracks washed out during a rock slide in 1990.

The summit house was quickly rebuilt into a more elaborate, comfortable, and safer structure, offering shelter from storms and the elements.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Manitou Springs City Council, under emergency declaration, voted to close the Incline on March 17, 2020.

Manitou Springs stated in a press release on March 18, 2020, "the first responders who address emergencies on the Incline are put into a high risk situation."

The Mayor of Manitou Springs, John Graham, stated: "While we were reluctant to close the Incline, we had far more grave reservations regarding public health.

All three sit in the narrow Ruxton Canyon, and the popularity of the Incline has caused major parking conflicts with these entities.

[11][12] One obstacle to the conversion of the Incline to a public hiking trail, its status as a railway right-of-way, was resolved in January 2013, after it was formally abandoned by the United States Congress.

Due to the close proximity to the large and active population center of Colorado Springs, the large military population of nearby Army and Air Force bases, and the US Olympic Training Center, the Incline has become a popular fitness destination for those seeking an intense workout.

[18][19] Also notable are the times of US mountain running team member Joseph Gray (17:45) and twelve-time champion of the Pikes Peak Marathon Matt Carpenter (18:31).

[21] In 2012, local resident Ed Baxter, 58, became the first person to complete the "Inclinathon", 13 consecutive trips up and down the Incline in one day.

In 2011, Greg Cummings (a local resident with Type-I Diabetes) became the first person to hike the Incline more than 500 times in one year.

[26] In 2013, Roger Austin ascended the Incline 719 times and reset the World Record to roughly 1.45 million vertical feet (440,000 metres) hiked/climbed in one year.

[28] In 2015, Roger Austin ascended the Incline 1,719 times and again reset the World Record to 3.4 million vertical feet (1,000,000 metres).