Royal Gorge is a treasure of Colorado, located about an hour southwest of Colorado Springs. And it is as magnificent as the name suggests! Our first encounter with the Royal Gorge was on a train ride aboard the Royal Gorge Route Railroad. While on the train, the guide pointed out a bridge way up at the top of the gorge. And we knew we had to walk across that bridge!
Royal Gorge Bridge and Park is a super fun place for the whole family, including the fur-kids! With your general admission ticket, you get entry to the bridge, theater, visitor’s center, playground and the gondola. But honestly out of everything, the bridge was still my favorite! Online adult tickets (13 years and older) are $27, children 6-12 are $22 and children 5 and under are free.
I recommend going early to avoid the crowds, especially on a weekend! All the rides and the visitors center open at 10 am, but the bridge opens at 8 am. We decided to get there about 9 am to enjoy the bridge before it became too busy. (Highly recommend!!) When we arrived, there were only a handful of cars in the parking lot, versus when we left a little after 12 pm, the lot was nearly full.
Since the visitor’s center wasn’t open yet when we got there, we went straight into the park and down to the bridge. On the way down to the bridge, there are several scenic spots to take pictures, so make sure to explore. There are several places in the park to grab a bite to eat, a drink or a quick snack. You’ll get a map upon entry which will have the locations of all the attractions.
Royal Gorge Bridge has had quite the history. Completed in 1929, this bridge sits 955 ft above the Arkansas River. The bridge held the record for the world’s highest bridge from 1929 – 2001 and is still the highest bridge in the United States. In 2013 the park was nearly destroyed by a wildfire that consumed about 90% of the 360 acre park. Thankfully, the bridge itself was left untouched except for 100 burned boards that had to be replaced. More about the Royal Gorge and the bridge’s rich history including times of Native Americans and Railroad “wars” can be learned onsite in the Plaza Theater. They even have a mini documentary and a Historical Expo with photographs and historical items of the Royal Gorge.
The bridge itself is pretty awesome! It is “America’s Highest Suspension Bridge” sitting 955 ft high. The bridge is made up of 1292 wood slats, and is 1260 ft long. You’ll see along the railings of the bridge are all 50 state flags, and we of course had to take a picture of our favorites. You can spend as much time as you like on the bridge, even walk back and forth. We definitely spent most of our time on the bridge. We were even lucky enough to see the Royal Gorge Train pass under us!
As I mentioned, dogs are allowed. We love taking our pups on adventures, so this was a big plus! Dogs are allowed almost anywhere in the park, except indoors. Yes, they’re even allowed on the Aerial Gondolas!
The lady at the ticket booth recommended that we take the gondola on the far side of the bridge and to get in line a few minutes early since the lines can get pretty long. We probably ended up in line right about 10 am. We waited no more than 30 minutes for the gondola. Right now (because COVID) each group gets their own gondola, and they sanitize after each group. So the wait does take a little longer than usual, but totally worth it in my opinion.
Aerial Gondolas will take you 2200 ft across the Royal Gorge to the other side, alongside the bridge, 1200 ft up. The ride is really fun, but really SHORT! Seriously don’t blink or you’ll miss it, which I almost did. You can ride it as many times as you want, but you will have to wait in line each time. Again, I also recommend crossing the bridge and taking the gondola from the far side. When we got off the gondola near the entrance of the park, the line was super long!
Our pups did great on the gondola, though Bailey was a little nervous about being able to see through the slats on the bridge. But they were both champs! However, if your dog isn’t acting as well as you thought they would or you really want to go on one of the other rides or go in a building, Royal Gorge Bridge & Park has a solution! They have five kennels onsite, for free! Did you catch that? Five free dog kennels! I thought this was such a great idea. And even though I thought my dogs would be fine, it was nice to know I had a backup plan if things started to get a little rocky.
There are a few other rides and activities that are not included in general admission. The Cloudscraper Zipline looks amazing! This zipline soars 1,200 feet up and across the Royal Gorge. We got to witness some zipliners while waiting in line for the gondola and it looked like so much fun! A ticket for the zipline will cost you $45 extra, and you will still need to purchase a general admission ticket. You can also experience the “World’s Scariest Skycoaster”, the Royal Rush Skycoaster at the Royal Gorge Bridge and Park. It essentially looks like a giant swing that swings back and forth over the Royal Gorge at speeds up to 50 mph. Honestly, this ride is so not for me! Check out a video of the Royal Rush Skycoaster here and choose for yourself. The skycoaster will cost you an additional $30. You can also ride with a total of three people and they give you a deal of the ride price, $55 for two riders and $75 for three riders. Both of these rides are weather dependent and have age, height and weight restrictions. So make sure to check out the rules before purchasing a ticket.
If you’re really up for an adventure while at Royal Gorge, check out the Royal Gorge Via Ferrata. Via Ferratas are protected climbing routes that use steel cables that are secured to the rock surface. Climbers attach themselves to the cables to climb the rock walls. Sounds kind of amazing, right?! Well if you’re up for climbing the Royal Gorge, this is for you! According to the Royal Gorge website, there are a few different Via Ferrata tours available, including a beginner Revelation Tour, a more advanced Royal Tour, and private tours. Pricing starts at $135 per person. Check out the website for more details and pricing.
It’s a good idea to check the weather and the website before heading out. Depending on the weather, some of the rides may not be operating that day. But fear not, tickets are good for one full year from the date of purchase. Also, if bad weather strikes or something else happens when you’re at the park and you’re not able to do some of the rides, get your ticket validated for free next-day admission.
There is so much to explore at Royal Gorge Bridge and Park. I feel like we barely scratched the surface of everything there is to do. We will most certainly be back!
