Royal Gorge Route Railroad
The Cañon City & Royal Gorge Railroad, LLC (DBA "Royal Gorge Route Railroad") is a heritage railroad based in Cañon City, Colorado. A short trip away is Royal Gorge, 1.6 mi off. Expect 75–81°F afternoons in the mildest months, May and September.
A scenic railway inside Cañon City
Winters are cold
January nights drop to 19°, with about 38" of snow a year. When to go ↓
You can stay in Cañon City
Royal Gorge Route Railroad is inside Cañon City, which has 18 places to stay, so you won’t need a base farther out. Where to stay ↓
A day trip from Denver
Denver is about 93 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.
Weather, month by month
Below are typical highs and lows near Royal Gorge Route Railroad.
Royal Gorge Route Railroad
The Cañon City & Royal Gorge Railroad, LLC (DBA "Royal Gorge Route Railroad") is a heritage railroad based in Cañon City, Colorado. A 1950s-era domeliner train makes daily 2-hour excursion runs from the Cañon City Santa Fe Depot through the Royal Gorge along a famous section of the former Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad Tennessee Pass Subdivision main line.
- Type
- Scenic railway
- Wikipedia readers
- 14K a year
Where to sleep near Royal Gorge Route Railroad
Rooms are nearest 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
39 mi northeast of Royal Gorge Route Railroad
Compare 9 towns
| Town | From Royal Gorge Route Railroad | Drive | Places to stay | People | Typical home | Safety |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cañon City | in town | — | 18 11 hotels · 6 motels · 1 lodge or cabins | 17,030 | $316K | D |
| Florence | 9 mi southeast | 15 min | 9 2 hotels · 1 motel · 3 inns & B&Bs · 3 RV parks | 3,856 | $250K | C |
| Cripple Creek | 22 mi north | 30 min | 13 7 hotels · 3 inns & B&Bs · 1 lodge or cabins · 2 campgrounds | 1,120 | $286K | — |
| Westcliffe 21% vacation homes | 24 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 | 10 min | 1 1 campground | 361 | $199K | — |
| Victor | 20 mi north | 30 min | 4 3 hotels · 1 hostel | 361 | $212K | — |
| Penrose | 13 mi east | 20 min | 1 1 RV park | 4,087 | $309K | — |
| Silver Cliff | 23 mi south | 35 min | 2 1 hotel · 1 inn or B&B | 713 | $269K | — |
| Colorado Springs | 39 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
Places to add to Royal Gorge Route Railroad
All of these are within 51 miles.
Big draw130 mi MountainPikes Peak
Big draw230 mi LandmarkNorth American Aerospace Defense Command
32 mi Canyon & gorgeRoyal Gorge
51 mi National ParkGreat Sand Dunes National Park432K visitors a year
36 mi Park & preserveGarden of the Gods
428 mi MountainCheyenne Mountain
35 mi Stadium & arenaWeidner Field
44 mi Stadium & arenaFalcon StadiumPhoto credits
Pikes Peak: David Shankbone, CC BY-SA 3.0 · North American Aerospace Defense Command: Unknown, Public domain · Royal Gorge: Unknown, CC BY-SA 3.0 · 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 · Weidner Field: KM Newnham, CC BY-SA 2.5 · Falcon Stadium: David Shankbone, CC BY-SA 3.0
Visiting Royal Gorge Route Railroad: the answers
Is Royal Gorge Route Railroad in Cañon City?
Yes. It’s inside Cañon City, CO.
When is the best time to visit Royal Gorge Route Railroad?
May and September, with highs of 75–81°.
How far is Royal Gorge Route Railroad from Aurora and Denver?
About 92 miles north of Aurora and about 93 miles north of Denver, as the crow flies.
What is the closest airport to Royal Gorge Route Railroad?
City of Colorado Springs Municipal (COS), about 39 miles away.
Where should I stay near Royal Gorge Route Railroad?
Cañon City (in town, 18 places to stay), Florence (9 mi, 9 places to stay) and Colorado Springs (39 mi, 202 places to stay).
Ask people in Cañon City
Questions and tips go in Cañon City’s Town Square.
Sources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · NOAA climate normals · U.S. Census.