Just booked a trip to Colorado Springs. I'm interested in seeing the Royal Gorge but am surprised at the admission prices they are charging. I'm not interested in doing any of the rides or attractions they mention on the website. I just want to see the Gorge and probably hit the visitor center for info. Do you still have to pay for that? What is the best way to see the Gorge at the best price? Thanks!

Their website says bridge-only admission is available from 7-8 am, and again 30 minutes before park closing time 'til dusk daily. It doesn't give a price, just says see the front gate for details. They'd probably give you some info if you called.

FWIW, Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park is way better than Royal Gorge. It's similar in appearance but much deeper, and (obviously) much less developed. That's probably 4+hours from Colorado Springs though.

It's been many years since I've been, but I am pretty sure you have to pay to even get close.

To be honest, while it was pretty and somewhat interesting (we walked the bridge and rode the incline railway to the bottom), it felt much more like a tourist trap than actual scenery.

Good luck and have a wonderful trip

Wow-thanks for the swift replies! I'm really looking forward to the trip. We passed through the southern bit of CO when I was a kid on the train to AZ, and I still remember seeing Pike's Peak out the window. We're taking the train again in and out of Denver and we'll have 3 full days and 2 nearly full days. We've got a cabin booked in Woodland Park--any 'must see' spots? I might make Royal Gorge one of those "if we have time" places.

Left on the 'to-do' list is: Pike's Peak (probably the cog railway?), Garden of the Gods, Mountain Zoo, Woodland Park Dino Resource center, somewhere to pan for gold (our 10 year old really wants to do this-found it at the "Ghost Town" & the Museum of Mining and Industry, any preference?), Numismatic Museum, North Cheyenne Canon Park, Cave of the Winds, Manitou Cliff Dwellings, Fossil Beds -- lots on the list! Any help narrowing it down (or adding to it) would be greatly appreciated! We'll be with my folks and my sister and her husband, who is an avid fisherman. Any tips for him I'd gladly pass along. We'll be renting our own car, though, so we're not tied down to staying together the whole time.

Another way to see the gorge is from the bottom by train. We made the trip a couple of years ago and enjoyed the trip.

www.royalgorgeroute.com

The gorge is cool, but as others have eluded to, the development is now a tourist trap. I refused to pay $100+ for my family to walk across a bridge and look at it.

There is a parking lot spot where you can get a pretty good glimpse of the gorge for free.

If you were going west to raft, then it would be worth stopping to see it. Otherwise, I'd pass personally unless your ok with getting stuck with an overpriced admission.

I live about 8 miles from the Gorge Bridge, and ashamedly the locals call it the “Royal Gouge.” It is true that the bridge is a spectacular engineering feat, and interesting to visit, but clearly not worth the price unless you are on an unlimited budget; and who is these days. Canon City is a hot bed for white water rafting the Arkansas River, and the prediction is that 2008 will be a truly wild year due to the greater than expected snowpack in the mountains. There are quite a few highly respected rafting companies in Canon City, and I can personally recommend Raftmasters, since a family member works there. The previously mentioned train is also nice, but again a little over-priced in my opinion. Write if you want additional recommendations.

What time of year?

Sorry it's taken me a while to get back. The trip will be at the end of June/early July. Sounds like it's not worth paying for. Especially since our son will most likely spend three minutes there before proclaiming he's bored and we leave soon after. Too bad it's so much. Otherwise we'd go for sure.

jimcolorado-we were considering the "rail&raft" trip from Raftmasters. Does your family member have any words of wisdom?