Royal Gorge
The Royal Gorge is a canyon of the Arkansas River located west of Cañon City, Colorado. For a second stop, Royal Gorge Route Railroad is 1.6 mi away. Expect 75–81°F afternoons in the mildest months, May and September.
A canyon & gorge, 3 mi west of Cañon City
Winters are cold
January nights drop to 19°, with about 38" of snow a year. When to go ↓
Cañon City is the nearest base
Cañon City is 3 miles east, with 18 places to stay. Where to stay ↓
A day trip from Denver
Denver is about 94 miles north (straight-line). Where to stay ↓
Best months: May and Sep
May and September are the mild months, with highs of 75–81°. When to go ↓
Written from NOAA 1991–2020 normals, Overture places to stay, Census town figures and Wikipedia.
Month by month
Here are the months at Royal Gorge, with their weather.
Royal Gorge
The Royal Gorge is a canyon of the Arkansas River located west of Cañon City, Colorado. The canyon begins at the mouth of Grape Creek, about 2 mi (3.2 km) west of central Cañon City, and continues in a west-northwesterly direction for approximately 6 mi (9.7 km) until ending near U.S. Route 50. Being one of the deepest canyons in Colorado, it is also known as the Grand Canyon of the Arkansas (River), with a maximum depth of 1,250 ft (380 m). The canyon is also very narrow, measuring from 50 ft (15 m) wide at its base to 300 ft (91 m) wide at its top, as it carves a path through the granite formations below Fremont Peak and YMCA Mountain, which rise above the north and south rims, respectively.
- Type
- Canyon & gorge
- Wikipedia readers
- 22K a year
Rooms near Royal Gorge
Places to stay start in Cañon City (18) and Florence (9), and Colorado Springs has the most rooms in the area (202).
Colorado Springs
The most places to stay in the area, and a base for a longer trip.
494,743 people
41 mi northeast of Royal Gorge
Compare 9 towns
| Town | From Royal Gorge | Drive | Places to stay | People | Typical home | Safety |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cañon City | 3 mi east | 5 min | 18 11 hotels · 6 motels · 1 lodge or cabins | 17,030 | $316K | D |
| Florence | 10 mi east | 15 min | 9 2 hotels · 1 motel · 3 inns & B&Bs · 3 RV parks | 3,856 | $250K | C |
| Cripple Creek | 22 mi north | 35 min | 13 7 hotels · 3 inns & B&Bs · 1 lodge or cabins · 2 campgrounds | 1,120 | $286K | — |
| Westcliffe 21% vacation homes | 23 mi southwest | 35 min | 9 1 hotel · 3 motels · 2 inns & B&Bs · 2 lodges & cabins · 1 RV park | 488 | $342K | — |
| Coal Creek | 8 mi southeast | 15 min | 1 1 campground | 361 | $199K | — |
| Victor | 20 mi north | 30 min | 4 3 hotels · 1 hostel | 361 | $212K | — |
| Penrose | 15 mi east | 20 min | 1 1 RV park | 4,087 | $309K | — |
| Silver Cliff | 22 mi south | 35 min | 2 1 hotel · 1 inn or B&B | 713 | $269K | — |
| Colorado Springs | 41 mi northeast | 1 hr | 202 143 hotels · 19 motels · 10 inns & B&Bs · 17 lodges & cabins · 2 hostels · 6 campgrounds · 5 RV parks | 494,743 | $453K | D |
Getting there
Nearest airports with airline service
Also within reach
Also within 51 miles are these.
Big draw31 mi MountainPikes Peak
Big draw31 mi LandmarkNorth American Aerospace Defense Command
12 mi Scenic railwayRoyal Gorge Route Railroad
50 mi National ParkGreat Sand Dunes National Park432K visitors a year
38 mi Park & preserveGarden of the Gods
230 mi MountainCheyenne Mountain
45 mi Stadium & arenaFalcon Stadium
36 mi Stadium & arenaWeidner FieldPhoto credits
Pikes Peak: David Shankbone, CC BY-SA 3.0 · North American Aerospace Defense Command: Unknown, Public domain · Royal Gorge Route Railroad: Self-scanned by original uploader JGHowes at en.wikipedia (Original text: From , Public domain · Great Sand Dunes National Park: Preiselbeere (talk), CC BY-SA 3.0 · Garden of the Gods: Dicklyon, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Cheyenne Mountain: Jimmy from Grand Junction, CO, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Falcon Stadium: David Shankbone, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Weidner Field: KM Newnham, CC BY-SA 2.5
Before visiting Royal Gorge
What town is Royal Gorge near?
Cañon City, CO, about 3 miles east.
When is the best time to visit Royal Gorge?
May and September, with highs of 75–81°.
How far is Royal Gorge from Aurora and Denver?
About 93 miles north of Aurora and about 94 miles north of Denver, as the crow flies.
What is the closest airport to Royal Gorge?
City of Colorado Springs Municipal (COS), about 40 miles away.
Where should I stay near Royal Gorge?
Cañon City (3 mi, 18 places to stay), Florence (10 mi, 9 places to stay) and Colorado Springs (41 mi, 202 places to stay).
Tips for visiting, from Cañon City
Start the conversation in Cañon City’s Town Square.
Sources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · NOAA climate normals · U.S. Census.