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The Royal Gorge Park 7/16/2008

We drove west of Highway 50 from Canon City to the turn off for the Royal Gorge Park.

From fossils to Native Americans, coal mining operations to building the Royal Gorge Bridge, our region holds many clues to the past. Centuries before the Royal Gorge Bridge & Park existed, the river carrying pebbles and sediment along the ground over millions of years eventually formed – and continues to shape – the vast depths of the Royal Gorge we see today.

The Arkansas River has helped reveal prehistoric rock, giving researchers clues to Colorado’s ancient climate. The Royal Gorge rock walls consist of granite and gneiss of pre-Cambrian age, which dates as old as 4 billion years. With the construction of the Royal Gorge Bridge in 1929, visitors and families from all over the world are able to gaze across the Royal Gorge and admire the forces of the Earth. You can view the ancient rock up-close on our Via Ferrata climbing experience and realize the intricacies of the Arkansas River's path.

Can you imagine what it took for builders in 1929 to construct America’s highest suspension bridge? The Royal Gorge Bridge spans 1,260 feet from rim to rim of the Royal Gorge, suspending 956 above the Arkansas River. A team of about 80 hardy men braved the heights and built the Royal Gorge Bridge, beginning June 5th, 1929. In just seven months, the men finished this engineering feat! The Royal Gorge Bridge opened to visitors for the first time on December 8th, 1929.

The story of building the Royal Gorge Bridge is one of American ingenuity, hard work and solid engineering. The vision of a bridge spanning rim to rim over the Royal Gorge was dreamed by Lon Piper, a businessman and bridge builder from San Antonio, Texas, when he visited the Royal Gorge in 1928. Lon Piper imagined the bridge to give anyone who crosses it the chance to see the stunning scenery of the Royal Gorge Region.

Engineer George E. Cole worked many times with Lon Piper and became Chief Engineer and General Superintendent for what would be the world's highest suspension bridge for more than seven decades. As of 2022, the Royal Gorge Bridge remains the highest suspension bridge in the United States and among the 25 highest bridges in the world. It is dubbed as "America's Bridge" to recognize the spirited band of American workers and the timeless enjoyment millions of people experience while standing on the wooden deck suspended high above the ground.

Steel towers were built on opposite sides of the Royal Gorge first, then two half-inch steel cables were lowered into the gorge, joined and pulled back up. After completion in 1929, the Royal Gorge Bridge could boast a length of 1,260 feet, a width of 18 feet, a main span of 880 feet, two 150 foot high towers, 2,100 strands of No. 9 galvanized wire in each cable and two primary suspension cables weighing 300 tons. The capacity of the bridge is 2,000,000+ pounds, there is 1,000 tons of steel in the floor of bridge and there are 1,257 planks in the deck, of which about 250 are replaced annually. In addition it is 1,053 feet from the top of the bridge towers to the Arkansas River and 956 feet from the bridge deck to the Arkansas River.

On the way into the park, we passed this black bear enjoying an evening snack.

Rio Grande K-37 499 built by Baldwin in 1930. It was retired in the 1960's then spent over ten years on the deadline at the Alamosa roundhouse. In 1981, the steam engine was sold to the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad and was moved for display at Durango in 1985. In 1999, it was traded to the Royal Gorge Park for their K-36 486.

Denver and Rio Grande Western caboose 0594 built by the railroad in 1900.

The Aerial Tram ride across the Gorge. The late hour was limiting us to take only one ride so we exchanged our passes for a ticket and went straight to the Incline Railway as its last trip into the bottom of the Gorge was at 6:30 PM.

The sign for the Incline Railway. Built in 1931, it is the world's steepest incline railway featuring a 45-degree angle and descends 1,500 feet to the Royal Gorge floor.

We have now reached the bottom of the Royal Gorge and will have five minutes to look around.

The Hanging Bridge.

Looking east at the bottom of the Gorge.

Chris Parker at the bottom of the Royal Gorge.

Looking west down the railroad.

The view up the Incline Railway.

One last view of the Hanging Bridge before we returned to the top.

Two views as we ascended; we then decided to go out onto the Royal Gorge Suspension Bridge.

The sign giving information about the Royal Gorge bridge.

The Royal Gorge bridge which we would now cross.

Looking down onto the Hanging Bridge.

Looking west off the Royal Gorge Bridge.

I always enjoy signs.

Another view of the Hanging Bridge from high above.

You can really see the Hanging Bridge supports in this picture.

I had reached the south side.

The view through a crack in the wooden plank.

Looking east.

Looking west. I then made my way off the bridge.

A look down the Incline Railway, now closed for the day.

One last view of the Royal Gorge before we returned to the parking lot.

A final picture of Rio Grande 499 on display before we departed and drove back out to Highway 50 and turned left to go to Saluda, where we stopped at a KFC for dinner before crossing the mountains south and entering the San Luis Valley. We drove south to near Center before turning right to Del Norte. We took US Highway 160 over Wolf Creek Pass and down to Pagosa Springs as weird weather took hold late in the evening. From there through pouring rain, weird fog and lightning, we made it to Durango as the low fuel light came on and checked into the Best Western Rio Grande Inn, getting there about midnight.