Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Cañon City & the Royal Gorge
POP 16,499 / ELEV 5332FT
There's no getting around it. This here's a prison town. In fact, if you drive into town from
Royal Gorge on Hwy 50 the first thing you'll see is the prison. Gleaming, rambling and
tucked up against the Rocky Mountains, it's almost beautiful.
But before you start judging, consider the fact that there's something honest about a
small town with a prison on Main St. And because it's an honest place, locals will soon in-
form you that there are actually 13 prisons in the immediate area. A factoid which, we
concur, takes a second to digest.
RAFTING THE ROYAL GORGE
The best way to see the Royal Gorge is on a raft, but the 7 miles of class IV and V Arkansas River white water
are not for the timid. Half-day trips start a few miles upriver from the gorge and are 10 to 12 miles in length. Full-
day trips are approximately 20 to 22 miles. Tour operators typically require rafters to be over 18 years of age in
the early season (May to June) or over 12 years when the flow diminishes by midsummer (July to September).
Thrills are at their highest in the early season.
There's a large gathering of rafting guides near the Royal Gorge turnoff, 8 miles west of Cañon City, and a few
others who operate out of Salida and Buena Vista also run the trip. The following operators are recommended:
Buffalo Joe's
(
866-283-3563;
www.buffalojoe.com
; 45000 Hwy 50, Buena Vista; half/full day $76/125)
Raft Masters
(
719-275-6645;
www.raftmasters.com
;
2315 E Main St, Cañon City; half/full day $75/120)
Echo Canyon River Expeditions
(
800-755-3246;
www.raftecho.com
; 45000 Hwy 50, Cañon City; half/full
day $76/125)
River Runners
(
800-723-8987;
www.whitewater.net
; 44641 Hwy 50, Cañon City; half/full day $75/125)
Arkansas River Tours
(
800-321-4352;
www.arkansasrivertours.com
;
Hwy 50, Cañon City; half/full day
$70/115)
Sights
Royal Gorge Bridge & Park
( 719-275-7507;
www.royalgorgebridge.com
;
4218 County Rd 3A; adult/child $26/20; 10am-7pm mid-
Jun-mid-Aug, hr vary rest of yr; )
The most hyped-up attraction in all of south Colorado is this
impressive 950ft-deep canyon, which stretches for 10 miles west of Cañon City. A 1260ft-
long suspension bridge was built across the gorge in 1929, further promoting the already
popular area as a tourist destination. Tragically, the 2013 Cañon City wildfire ravaged the
BRIDGE
