On July 5th, 6th and 7th I took a three day motorcycle trip to the southern most end of the central Rocky Mountains. I made a stop to one of the most beautiful and perhaps little know wonders of Colorado, the Royal Gorge Bridge.
Located just 14 miles west of Canon City Colorado and just over 1 hour west of Interstate 25, this architectural marvel is truly a one of a kind destination and is visited by millions of tourists each year. The Royal Gorge Bridge was erected back in 1929 and until 2003 was the highest suspension bridge in the world towering some 950 feet high above the Arkansas River. The drive leading to the bridge from Hwy 50 and up through Co-rd 3a is a short but scenic stretch dotted with pine and oak trees and the occasional dear. Since the bridge sits at a much lower elevation than some of the major ski resorts in Colorado, the surrounding trees and vegetation is closer to what you'd expect in New Mexico, although, since I originally hale from N.M I'm a bit partial. Never-the-less, the entire Royal Gorge Canyon is an incredible sight for sure and should be on everyone's must do for Colorado drives. There are many attractions throughout the canyon such as rafting, camping, hiking, mountain biking and wild west shows, but the real show-stopper is the Bridge.
As you enter the park from the North Gate ( yes, there are two entrances) and after paying a slightly high admission fee, you are greeted with a unique clock that is powered solely by water and displays the usual time but also the month, day, year and season.
After puzzling at the clocks workings and continuing through the park, the atmosphere becomes much like an amusement park with crowds of people, vendors, a merry-go-round, and music playing in the background courtesy of the p.a system, oh, and not to forget you must also be on the lookout for cars since they drive across the bridge almost by the minute. As you reach the mouth of the bridge you quickly realize its massive scale, it's actually difficult to see all the way across the entire bridge unless you are at one of the designated vantage points. The bridge spans a surprising 1,237 feet end to end and has a width of almost 20 feet across. The walkway is paved with 1,300 wooden beams that shake and crackle like nothing I've experienced before. If you have the misfortune of walking along the bridge while a car passes by, the bridge creeks and the wooden planks pop and jerk and you'd swear you are going to tumble down to the depths of the Arkansas River below. And if you are at all afraid of heights, the fraise of 'Don't look down' will never be truer.The walkway planks, though replaced often, do tend to get weathered over time and shrink just enough so that when walking across you can peer straight down to the river. This causes many a visitor to hug the edge of the bridge in terror. But come on, it's all in the experience right? Because of its massive size, it takes about 15 minutes to walk the entire length of the bridge. Once you get to the very middle, if you pause for a bit, you can feel the bridge slightly swaying back and forth guided by the wind. This ominous swaying is compounded when a car passes by, and you find yourself whispering "Hi car, don't mind me, I'll just sit here and hug the rails until you leave". This is also a perfect point to soak up the vastnes and sheer size of the Canyon. One could almost say it is a little version of the Grand Canyon. You can clearly see that a large and powerful ancient river once rumbled through the area and left its indelible mark on the land.
One of the most captivating sights I saw was the chartered Helicopter that quickly approaches form the south side of the bridge and takes an impressive fly-by to a steep descent right next to the bridge and thunders through the canyon below traversing west and on back to its destination. This short clip is the best I could get of the Helicopter, it simply moved way too fast. For the train enthusiast, the premier attraction is the Royal Gorge Route Railroad. This stunningly restored upscale train traverses through the canyon leading you back in time to a by-gone era of rail travel. The train offers wonderful excursions such as Wine Dinners, Santa Express, Murder Mysteries and the annual Oktoberfest. For the more adventurous, there is an incredible observation platform that offers 360 degree viewing of the entire trip.
Another popular attraction at the Royal Gorge is the worlds longest and steepest incline railway. The incline takes you from the crest of the bridge and exits at the very bottom of the Canyon and brings you up close and personal with the raging Arkansas River. If you time it just right and happen to be down at the river when the Route Railroad chugs by you can wave to the passengers and perhaps get an enticing whiff of the world class food onboard. Trust me, it is a sight not to be missed.
If you're planning a trip to the southern Colorado area, I highly recommend a visit to the Royal Gorge Bridge. You won't be disappointed and will come away with some everlasting memories to cherish just like I did.
Safe Travels......
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