Where is the royal gorge
Royal Gorge Bridge
the Royal Gorge is an awesome geological
formation that is fascinated man since
the beginning of time with red granite
walls towering over a thousand feet
above the Arkansas River the length of
the gorge is approximately 10 miles
geology and motion is still taking place
today the Arkansas River started at the
top of a plateau which was once a
prehistoric Lake working its way down
for the past three million years it is
estimated that the river grinds down
about a foot every 2,500 years the
bridge is 1260 feet long 18 feet wide
and can hold in excess of 2 million
pounds the deck of the bridge hangs 956
feet over the Arkansas River with 1,000
tons of steel in the floor of the bridge
2100 strands of number-9 galvanized wire
make up each cable the towers are 150
feet high holding two cables weighing
300 tons
On June 11 2013 an unusually hot dry
wind a Tuesday the park was about to
face its biggest enemy a wildfire that
started two miles to the west roared to
the bridge around midday 1200 visitors
at the park and around 200 employees
were safely evacuated the fire jumped
the Royal Gorge in march towards Canyon
City the quarry and the city water
treatment plant in its wake
over 3200 acres of land were destroyed
this included the Royal Gorge Park
Forest belonging to the Bureau of Land
Management and private land no serious
injuries or deaths were reported from
the fire and that included the
firefighters just as the original bridge
took seven months to build construction
on the new Visitor Center was completed
in seven months after the groundbreaking
it opened to the public
August 31st of 2014
the Royal rush sky coaster built in 2003
is the most awesome adrenaline rush in
the state imagine a freefall tower
sweeping you fifty miles per hour
to hang momentarily twelve hundred feet
above the Arkansas River the new
gondolas replaced the old aerial tram
and glide 2,400 feet across the Royal
Gorge the ride offers exceptional
360-degree views of the gorge the bridge
the park and the stunning Sangre de
Cristo Mountains while sitting
comfortably inside
you can experience the Royal Gorge like
never before on the new zip right fly
through the air more than 1200 feet
above the Arkansas River this zipline
offers a hands-off
no sweat adventure with an adrenaline
kick you'll never forget
another new addition to the park the
children's play land features playground
structures to excite the imagination a
brand new carousel and a new water
feature step back in time and explore
the story of the Royal Gorge with
original artifacts and photos in our
historic display in the plaza theater
the Bighorn mountain top Lodge is the
perfect place to relax and refresh your
senses you'll wake up to stunning Sun
rises in the morning and watch as the
Sun sets in the evening over the Sangre
de Cristo Mountains positioned high
above the Arkansas River this 1,500
square foot facility offers plenty of
room for a couple to spread out or for a
family or group to come together enjoy
beautiful views from the secluded
outdoor patio or from the warmth of the
open dining area the Royal Gorge Bridge
in park is available and proud to host a
number of community state corporate and
private events such as weddings family
gatherings and lots more the park is a
one-of-a-kind place to create your
perfect memory let us make your wedding
as special as the person with whom
you're choosing to spend the rest of
your life we offer a variety of lovely
winning locations perfect for your most
special days
Royal Gorge catering is a one-stop-shop
and superior service is our standard let
the Royal Gorge team take care of
everything for you the Royal Gorge
Bridge stands as one of Colorado's
iconic attractions the year 2014 marked
new beginnings for the Royal Gorge
Bridge and park with a brand new park
built and nourished once again to stand
the ages of time
