Visiting Royal Gorge, Colorado

Royal Gorge is one of the places in Colorado that I will visit time and time again. As of now, I have visited each year that I’ve lived here, and I have done something different each time!

Royal Gorge’s beauty compares to that of The Grand Canyon and Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park. It’s not quite as large as either of those and definitely not as wide (hence, why it is a gorge instead of canyon), but it’s just as spectacular.

​Not to mention, Royal Gorge is spanned by a bridge. Neither the Grand Canyon nor Black Canyon of the Gunnison can say that - they're too wide!​

The Royal Gorge Bridge is The United States’s highest suspension bridge, and used to be the highest in the world!

Nowadays, you can pay to enter the park built around the bridge. Admission includes unlimited walks across the bridge to the theatre, village, and food vendors and unlimited rides on the gondola across the gorge!
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Plan your own visit to the Royal Gorge Bridge Park, here: https://royalgorgebridge.com

​The bridge and gondola are great for the more faint of heart, but if you, like John and I, are looking for something more adventurous, you can pay to zip line across! John and I have zip-lined here once, and it was totally worth the price.

Zip liners!

You can see more from our exhilarating zip line across Royal Gorge in my YouTube video below.

All these fun activities being said - I must warn that the park can be very windy, and sometimes park management has to shut down the attractions.

Seriously, so windy! This was the day the gondola was closed.

Don’t worry, if you already have a ticket, they will credit you for a specific day in the future. The reason John and I went zip-lining, was because we used credits I had received from the gondola had being stopped during a past visit to enter the park, then we didn't feel bad splurging on the zip-lining! 

Purchase your tickets for the zip-lining experience, on their website here: https://royalgorgebridge.com

Royal Gorge has always been a major attraction in Colorado even before the bridge and park were built! Not only are the rocks stunning, they are filled with valuable minerals. For this reason, railroad companies fought to lay track inside the gorge.

The Royal Gorge was the intersection of the Rio Grande and Santa Fe Railways, and it is a truly historical and remarkable location. You can walk around the park and learn all about the history of the bridge, the land, the wildfires, and the railroad, or you can ride the train and experience it for yourself!

Ride the scenic Royal Gorge Route Railway!

John and I rode the train to celebrate our engagement, and it was the most romantic experience we could have planned.

​Riding through the gorge was an experience unlike anything I could have imagined. The canyon walls appear steeper and taller than from the Royal Gorge Bridge, and they made us feel tiny even though we were riding a gigantic diesel engine train.

Picture taken by Holley Grimes Photo

Riding the train is the most expensive way to see the canyon, but the experience is worth every dollar. We paid to have first-class, “Vista Dome”, seats with floor to ceiling windows for the best seated view on the train.

Book your own seat on The Royal Gorge Route Railway, here: https://www.royalgorgeroute.com

Picture taken by Holley Grimes Photo

Picture taken by Holley Grimes Photo

Picture taken by Holley Grimes Photo

Every ticket for the train provides access to the open air cars, which actually have the best views, but the open air cars can be windy and cold. We spent most of our time inside the car, but when we came out to the open air car, we were always amazed by the view of the gorge and the Arkansas River below.

See more from our romantic ride on The Royal Gorge Route Railway in my video below!

Climb it or Raft it!

There are a few other ways to see the gorge that I haven’t tried. You can whitewater raft down the Arkansas River or take the Via Ferrata climbing routes up the gorge’s walls. These both seem incredibly fun, and I plan to do both soon!

Until then though, my memories at Royal Gorge will always be so special to me thanks to all the fun and excitement I've had in this unique Colorado landscape.

I hope you take a trip out there yourself to enjoy the views with your own two eyes, it's absolutely worth it!

​Read some of my other Colorado Guides below:

Where to Ski in Colorado for Total Beginners
A Guide to Garden of the Gods: Colorado's Most Scenic Park
My Top 3 Hikes in Rocky Mountain National Park