There's Something for Everyone!

The Arkansas River is at the heart of Royal Gorge Country and has left an indelible mark upon the land and communities that reside along its banks. The Arkansas begins its journey in Colorado's highest mountains, carving its way 315 miles through the state of Colorado.

Royal Gorge Route

In the 1870's, homesteaders, ranchers, traders, fur trappers, coal miners and gold and silver prospectors descended on the area. As the need to transport ores upstream grew, the Denver & Rio Grande and the Santa Fe railroads, each already having tracks in the Arkansas valley, fought (literally) to have the right to lay tracks through the Royal Gorge. Eventually, after a lengthy legal fight and considerable violence, the Denver & Rio Grande won. Nowadays, visitors can ride the Royal Gorge Route which follows the most famous portion of the old line-24 miles round-trip-from Cañon City to Parkdale and back. It's been called one of the most scenic train rides in the world.

Fly Fishing

Fly fishing is also popular along the full stretch of the river. Here, anglers come to work their lines among views of the towering surrounding mountains and beneath the vertical canyon walls west of Cañon City. The river through this area averages 85-feet wide with many boulders, bends and deep cracks that foster a prosperous trout habitat. It contains many pools, pocket water, runs and riffles and carries a strong population of browns and rainbows.

Hiking & Biking

Opportunities abound on both sides of the Arkansas for hiking and mountain biking. At Coaldale, we find the Hayden Creek access road to the Rainbow Trail. The trail runs along the base of the 14,000 ft. Sangre de Cristo Range of the Rocky Mountains. From this point, you can give your heart a healthy workout as you climb the Bushnell Lakes Trail to Bushnell Lake at 11,500 ft. Bushnell Peak towers above at 13,105 ft.

Another wonderful hiking trail, the Stout Creek Trail, (also off the Rainbow Trail but closer to Coaldale), offers a trek up to the Stout Creek Falls. These waterfalls are considered some of the best in the state. Lower Stout Creek Falls is an impressive 100' horsetail that pours down over granite and gneissic rocks. It's surrounded by limestone cliffs and groves of Quaking Aspens. Upper Stout Creek Falls, another broad horsetail about 40-feet high, are just above the lower falls through the tundra.

Mountain biking is popular all along the Rainbow Trail and also through Phantom Canyon north of Florence. Phantom Canyon Road is now part of the Gold Belt Tour, only one of Colorado's many scenic drives. During the 1890's, (the beginning of Colorado's Gold Rush) it began as a railroad grade to Cripple Creek.

A short walk with magnificent river views is Cañon City's Tunnel Drive, a road that was originally built to service a redwood water main from the Arkansas River to Cañon City. Now a two-mile walking trail with three tunnels, it overlooks the river and is a place where you might see fox, mule deer, black bears and other wildlife.

Wildlife enthusiasts will also enjoy exploring Bighorn Sheep Canyon between Parkdale and Cotopaxi. Herds of bighorn sheep, mountain goats and mule deer are abundant here. Bald eagles are often seen perched on the trees alongside the river.

Ten miles north of Cañon City lies Red Canyon Park, a 600-acre park that has a number of amazing red rock formations and vertical spires. Mountain biking, hiking, camping and picnicking are all popular at this undiscovered gem.

Just north of Red Canyon Park is the Shelf Road Climbing Area, walls of limestone that attract climbers from around the world. They come here year-round as it is a place that can be climbed into winter.

Because Fremont County is nestled in a valley surrounded by the Wet Mountains and the Sangre de Cristo Range, it averages 325 days of sunshine and enjoys mild winters. The area is also known as Colorado's "banana belt".

The River

The Arkansas River is a lifeline for much of Fremont County and offers many recreational opportunities, so much to do and so much to see that it often can't all fit into the space of a week's vacation. Whatever your vacation pursuits, wherever you find your tranquility...whether it's in waders, snapping your fly rod at sunrise, napping in the cool breeze next to a mountain lake, getting splashed in the face while bouncing through rapids or just relaxing in town with a good cup of coffee, you're certain to find a place to do it here.

The Arkansas River runs through it and is a refreshing source of sport, nature and fun.

The City

Cañon City is the County Seat of Fremont County and has long been the center of social and business activity. Shops, galleries, restaurants and sidewalk cafés now line this turn of the century boulevard. Look for the "historic district" signs when entering Cañon City on US 50 from either the east or west. The Main Street District runs parallel to Royal Gorge Boulevard (US 50). Another way to find the Main Street District is to take Skyline Drive. You will find Skyline Drive just west of Cañon City or about 5 miles east of The Royal Gorge Bridge. About 1905, convict labor built the two and one-half mile Skyline Drive that rides the hogback behind the penitentiary. The one-way road on the crest of a Dakota sandstone ridge six hundred feet above the land below, is well worth the few minutes of a visitor's time it takes to travel the loop and re-enter Cañon City. Follow the sign at the end of Skyline Drive to US 50, you will be on 5th Street just a few blocks from Main Street. Be sure to look for the Dinosaur Tracks along this "must see" drive.

Located just off Main Street at 505 Macon Avenue, you will find Fremont Center for the Arts, the oldest community arts council in the USA. It's gallery is housed in the historic old post office and features local artists as well as traveling exhibits. Be sure to notice the grand old Carnegie Library across from Fremont Center for the Arts.

Another popular attraction near Historic Main Street Cañon City, is the Museum of Colorado Prisons. Built of granite from local quarries, the prison opened on June 1, 1871 with a US Marshall in charge. The forty-two cells soon proved to be inadequate for the lawless territory and was quickly expanded. A women's prison was later added. On exhibit at the museum is the last gas chamber and hangman's noose plus 30 cells that display different aspects of territorial prison life.

The Municipal Museum Complex, 612 Royal Gorge Boulevard, was founded in 1927 by William Dallas DeWeese. Dall DeWeese was an adventurer, horticulturist, entrepreneur, and amateur paleontologist who hunted with Teddy Roosevelt on several occasions. The famed DeWeese collection is a fabulous collection of firearms, big game trophies and ethnographic artifacts. The Municipal Museum also has a gallery dedicated to R.W. Amick, born and educated in Cañon City, who graduated from Yale University in 1903. One of the first buildings built in Cañon City is still standing at the museum complex, the Rudd house built in 1860. Rudd was the first warden at the territorial prison.

Also located on Royal Gorge Boulevard is the Dinosaur Museum which houses some remains from the Garden Park Fossil Area, which has been active since 1877. The Dinosaur Depot is located in the Historic Cañon City Fire Department Building, 330 Royal Gorge Boulevard. It is part of the River Station Project where you will also find the Royal Gorge Route. The Dinosaur Depot has knowledgeable guides to explain the 120 year history of dinosaur excavation in this area, along with a viewable lab for preparation of world class dinosaur specimens.

Historic Walking tours are available on a regular basis. For information Contact Main Street USA, Cañon City at 719-276-0224.

Special thanks to Kenneth Wajda and the Colorado Activities Center