|
|
|
|
|
|
Royal Gorge Park
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
You can enter Royal Gorge Park from two directions. Either turn at the town of Parkdale (for the gorge's south side), or about 3 miles further down the road (for the north side). The first turn is not well marked, and is obviously the lesser-used route, passing over an old road that's just barely two lanes wide. You can enter through one route, and exit using the other, but you'll have to drive across the bridge. |
Who would expect the world's highest suspension bridge to be stretched across a canyon in Colorado? And, who would expect that bridge to be the central attraction, of an old-fashioned roadside tourist trap? Well, both are true, and perhaps the biggest surprise of all is, Royal Gorge Park is actually a kitschy, fun place to spend a few hours.
The biggest thing to see here is, of course, the bridge. The one-lane wood-decked bridge is more than a quarter-mile long, and hangs 1,053 feet above the Arkansas River.
The bridge was built in 1929, and modernized in 1983. That refurbishing included new steel cables. Work crews had to attach the new ones, before cutting the old ones--a difficult feat. You can see part of the old cable in the middle of the above picture.
I can't imagine driving faster than 10 miles per hour across this bridge. The deck is rickety, the entire contraption sways in the wind (and it is windy in the middle!), and there are always dozens of people wandering aimlessly in front of you.
All 50 state flags are displayed on the bridge's support cables.
|
The one downside to Royal Gorge is the price: $20 for adults, $16 for children. You can save a couple of bucks if you buy your ticket online, or ask nicely for a discount at the gate. |
The view from the center of the bridge.
Strictly enforced.
Being a Florida resident, I had to take this picture. Imagine, the flag of Florida, a state where the highest point is only 345 feet above sea level, flying over a 1,000 foot canyon, surrounded by mountains. What could be more out of place?
If walking across a narrow suspension bridge was the only thing to do at Royal Gorge, the park probably wouldn't draw much of a crowd. That's why the park has several other attractions, including this incline railway, which quickly drops you 1,000 feet to the bottom of the gorge.
You ride inside tiny cages, just big enough for two people each. There's no room to sit, so you have to stand for the entire journey. Halfway down, the track widens from three rails to four, allowing just enough room for the car heading uphill to pass.
The incline railway at Royal Gorge is the world's steepest, boasting a 100% grade (meaning the track is at a 45 degree angle). The railway was built in 1931, by the same engineer as the bridge.
|
Royal Gorge's
website provides more fun facts about the incline, like
these: |
Once you reach the bottom, you're activities are somewhat limited. You're confined to a long, fenced sidewalk, that provides great views of the river, but doesn't let you wander to the water's edge.
<< Previous
Colorado
Hotels
Colorado Attractions Map
Request Free Brochures on Colorado
Next
(More From The Bottom)
>>
 |
|||||
|
|||||
 |
|||
Share your thoughts!
In order to better manage your comments,
TakeMyTrip now uses Facebook to allow you to leave comments
for other visitors to this page, and your friends.
Please use the form above (you might need to log into your Facebook account first). If you have a message
specifically meant for the website creator, send an email to
feedback
|
|||
Day 7
<< Previous |
Next >>
Aspen Leaf Lodge - Salida 36.00 - 69.00 Salida Super 8 Motel 94.89 - 109.89 Budget Host Royal Gorge Inn Canon City 80.99 - 99.99 Super 8 Motel - Canon City 69.89 - 94.89 Pueblo-Days Inn 58.00 - 75.00 Clarion Inn Pueblo 78.99 SUPER 8 MOTEL - COLO. SPRS./GARDEN OF THE GODS 69.96 - 72.15 Howard Johnson Colorado Springs 64.01 - 69.01 Crowne Plaza Hotel COLORADO SPRINGS 117.00 - 154.00 |
 |
View this website's best photos in the Gallery
Keywords:
Colorado Royal Gorge Park Canon City Suspension Bridge
View this website's best photos in the Gallery
|
|
|
I welcome your feedback. Your thoughts will
make this a better website.
Click Here to Contact Me.
Road Trip Index |
Attractions By State:
AL -
AZ - CA -
CO - FL -
GA - ID -
IL -
MT -
NC - NM -
NV -
OH - OR -
PA - SC -
TN -
TX -
UT - VA -
WA -
WV |
takemytrip.com. And
