Colorado Springs, Colorado to Royal Gorge Bridge

60 miles - About 6-8 hours

One of the most spectacular river crossings in America, the Royal Gorge Bridge is a must-see if your road trip plans take you to the Colorado Springs area. Along the way, you can visit an old west museum, pose with a giant beetle and drive a one-lane road over the spine of a mountain.



Here are a few highlights to look out for along the way:

Colorado Springs, Colorado (Starting point)
Colorado Springs is a gateway city to some of the best the west has to offer, here's another route that's nearly in the city limits.

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The May Natural History Museum of the Tropics (mile 8)
This is one of those must-stop places that arise on road trips. You'd never expect to find one of the finest collections of beetles and tropical butterflies in Colorado. But it is here and there's also a great photo opportunity with the giant beetle found at the front entrance.

Colorado Prison Museum (mile 46)
The Museum of Colorado Prisons is in the center of Cañon City, the facility was recently remodeled and now features a tour through 32 restored cells with artifacts and information about this historic prison.

Skyline Drive (mile 51)
Just outside of Cañon City and a little north on Highway 50 is the entrance to Skyline Drive a one-lane road that goes south back towards Cañon City over the spine of the ridge above. It is a little bit challenging but still a fun drive, and will only add about 30 minutes to your trip.

Royal Gorge Bridge Park (mile 60)
Royal Gorge Bridge was built in 1929, and was once the highest suspension bridge in the world. It no longer holds that title, but at 955 feet above the Arkansas River, pronounced Are-kansas (like the Sunflower State, not the one with the 'saw' ending), the views will take your breath away! You can cross the gorge on foot, in a car, or by aerial tram. There is also an incline railway down to the gorge below.

There is an admission fee to cross the gorge but here is a tip: If you want to see the gorge and the bridge without crossing (acrophobics beware) you can walk from the parking lot down a short trail to the edge of the gorge for free. Be warned that there are no guardrails or fences, so you must use extreme care, but the view is great.

If you are returning today to Colorado Springs, you can retrace the route you took to get here - the low road - or you can turn left at US-Hwy 50 and go a few miles to CO-9 and High Park Road to US-Hwy 24 over the mountains–the high road. The latter will only add about 20 miles to your trip, and the mountain scenery is awesome.

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