Cañon City & the
Royal Gorge
What was once the locale for filming Tom Mix
movies, Cañon City sits on the edge of the Great
Plains, with the Sangre de Cristo Mountains to the
southwest. Red sandstone cliffs punctuate the horizon
north of town, while the area's most notable geological
feature, the Royal Gorge, is located 8 miles west of
Cañon City.
The great chasm has been cut through solid
granite by the Arkansas River, and it's a sight which has
amazed travelers for many years. In 1929, the world's
highest suspension bridge was constructed across the
Royal Gorge.
You can see the gorge for free if you take
the north route to the site, and stop before entering the
commercial attraction. However, the best way to get the
full effect of the gorge, is to pay a fee and enter the
theme park developed around the gorge. You can drive over
the suspension bridge, then take a ride on the aerial
tramway, or pay your way onto the incline railway that
descends to river level, stopping meanwhile to have a
piece of pizza, or to buy a souvenir.
A scenic railway provides a 30-minute ride
to the lip of the gorge. There are restaurants beside the
canyon, and several other attractions outside the
immediate gorge area (including the Buckskin Joe theme
park). These people knew, from day one, how to exploit
one of the world's natural wonders. The same approach
taken to the Grand Canyon, would make entrepreneurs a
gazzilion dollars a year.
You may also take a tour of the Colorado
Territorial Prison Museum, at 1st Street and Macon
Avenue. Prisons are the area's chief industry, providing
a secure (and growing) economy.
For motoring tourists however, the chief
attraction is the Gold Belt Tour, a loop drive
which will take you to the old mining towns of Cripple
Creek and Victor, with a choice of two
dramatic routes through deep canyons. Which road you will
take depends on what kind of car you drive
(four-wheel-drive, or not). The Oak Creek Grade
provides another five scenic drive, with great views of
the Wet Mountain Valley, and the Sangre de Cristo Range.
The best place to fish (for brown trout) is
Texas Creek, located 26 miles west of town. Texas
Creek Road leads, as well, to other streams, and several
lakes. It is also possible to pull trout out of the
Arkansas River, but the fishing is better near
Salida. River floating is a popular pastime. One
may raft through the Royal Gorge, but this 7-mile stretch
of the river has dangerous rapids, and is suitable for
only the most intrepid floaters. The rafting is more
placid above the gorge, between Salida and Cañon
City. Outfitters are located in both towns.
