ROYAL GORGE COLORADO

Royal Gorge also known as Grand canyon of Arkansas  is located south of Denver, the capital city of
Colorado, USA .Canon City is the gateway to the Royal Gorge region, Colorado's most popular
tourist area. The name Colorado is  of Spanish origin, meaning "colored red "which  was originally
applied to the Colorado river by Spanish people because of the red sandstone soil of the region.

Colorado has 25 nationally designated Scenic & Historic Byways, and a number of mind-blowing

drives. The region has a  diverse geography, ranging from alpine mountains, arid plains, deserts with
huge sand dunes, deep canyons, sandstone and granite rock formations, rivers, lakes, and lush forests.

Many of the sceneries that are photographed in this colorful state looks like an oil painting  by mother

 earth. Colorado is the only state in USA that entirely lies 1000 meters above sea level. The mountain

 range of southern Rocky mountains called Front Range covers Western Colorado while eastern

 Colorado is a part of the Great Plains . The Continental Divide runs north-south along the Rocky

 Mountains in Colorado.

Lt Zebulon M Pike, whose name adorns Pike's Peak, and his men were the first American explorers

to view this Arkansas river canyon  now known as Royal gorge in the year 1806. Royal Gorge  park

 is  situated at an elevation of 6626 feet.This scenic and dramatic area  has a place in the National

Register of historic places.

It is said that about 3 million years ago as the Rocky Mountains rose from the surrounding plains,

 a  small rivulet that would become the Arkansas River rose with them. Over the millennia, it cut a

deep channel for itself through the surrounding granite, at a rate of about one foot every 2,500 years!

The Gorge began to form  when trickles of water slowly began to carve a  canyon out of the solid
granite bedrock of the Rocky Mountains. Geologists believe that this  deep and unusually narrow
 canyon  has been formed by the incessant grinding of pebbles and sand grains against the river bed
as they are carried along by the stream. The gorge's peculiar shape, contrasted to broad canyons
such  as the Grand Canyon, can be attributed to this long, direct erosion through hard rock. 

 Royal Gorge Bridge is a one-lane wood-decked bridge with more than a quarter-mile (1260ft) length

 and  hangs 1,053 feet above the Arkansas River .This engineering feat constructed in 1929 is one of

the highest suspension bridges  in  the world and is owned by the City of Canon City .

 The bridge  sways in the wind along with  the flags of every states attached to it. Royal Gorge 

 Bridge  is 880 feet  high and 18 feet wide and is suspended from towers that are 150 feet high. 

One can walk or take a Segway tour, bike tour or a bus to cover the park. 

 Constructed in 1931, The Royal Gorge Incline Railway is one of the world's steepest railways.  This

is a standing only railway that goes straight down the cliff  at a 45 degree angle

The inclined track is a 3ft narrow gauge funicular railway  and the ride is offered in  small red  cages.

 It drops you to 1550 feet  to the bottom of the gorge in just  5.5 minute .

 Originating from  Rocky mountain, Arkansas river is a major tributary of Mississippi river. From the
 source Lake Itasca, it passes through 10 states and reaches the mouth at Gulf of Mexico. One can
 also climb aboard  Royal  Gorge Railroad to experience the scenic train journey through this
 spectacular Royal Gorge. Once at the bottom, you can walk along a fenced walkway, by the river .
The  Arkansas river offers a wide variety of activities like fishing, white water rafting and kayaking.

 From the bottom you can look up at the bridge, high above you and will see Royal Gorge Bridge so
 tiny from below and can’t even see the people or cars crossing it.The natural beauty of the Arkansas
 river gorge is spectacular beyond any doubt.

 Royal Gorge has one of the world's scariest sky coaster. Those who want world class thrill and 

experience can try  this. Royal Rush Sky coaster sits on the very edge of the gorge, hoist guests up a

 100 ft tower and let them swing  over a thousand feet in the air in a superman style with nothing

attached to them but a thin cable.This  free-fall sweep with a speed of 50 mph, hang you momentarily

  over 1,200 feet above the Arkansas River.( not recommended for heart patients ).They also have an

 Aerial Tram that takes you across the gorge.

Another adventure is the Soaring Eagle Zipline, the world's highest Zipline. The  Eagle flies more

than 1,000 feet above the Arkansas River at 25 miles per hour. Thrill-seekers are strapped into seats,

leaving their arms and legs frighteningly free. The ride consists of two zip lines carrying two riders

each, and will zip 700 feet over canyon walls from 1,000 to 800 feet above the Arkansas River, and

then zip back at approximately 30 miles per hour.( not recommended for heart patients).( no photo)

Royal Gorge Park also has a few assorted  animals .This wildlife park has a small herd of buffalo,

elk, bison and bighorn sheep.  All the animals miraculously survived the fire that swept through the

 park in 2013 . A rare white buffalo named smoky was born in the park after this wild fire .

  Big Horn Sheep is a species of sheep found in North  America. Bighorn sheep got their name from

the large, curved horns on the males, or rams. Their  horns can weigh up to 30 lb (14 kg), while the

sheep themselves weigh up to 300 lb (140 kg). They are legendary for their ability to climb high,

steep and rocky mountain areas.

Female big horn sheep known as Ewes also have horns but small with a slight curvature. In the fall,

the rams compete for ewes by having butting contests. They charge each other at speeds of more than

 20 mph, their foreheads crashing with a crack can be heard more than a mile away. These battles

 may last as long as 24 hours.

Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep is the state animal of Colorado from 1961 onwards  and as such is

incorporated into the symbol for the Colorado Division of Parks and Wildlife.

 Bison's are the heaviest land animals in North America  (1600kg) and can run 40 miles an hour. This

symbolic  animals of the Great Plains, are often mistakenly called buffaloes. Millions of  this 

formidable beasts once thundered across North America .Habitat loss and unregulated shooting

reduced the population to just 1,091 by 1889. Today, approximately 500,000 bison live across North

 America. The calves weigh 40 to 50 pounds at birth.

A wild fire broke out in the park on June 2013 which caused severe damage to many world class

attractions including  48 (out of 52 )buildings,3218 acres of land ,visitor center, Aerial tram and some

 damage to the Incline railway. The famous Royal Gorge Bridge suffered minor damage; only 32 of

the planks on the deck were burned .No animals in the park suffered any injury and all survived.

 

Demolition took almost 5 months and the park is seeking a come back through various measures .

 The park is now open for bridge-only guided tours on weekends.  Visitors can still enjoy the Royal

 Gorge via the Royal Gorge Route Railroad, which remains open.. The park is on the track to open

 more buildings and attractions by spring 2015.

 

 

Note: Cameras Used :-Canon Power shot A490, Canon Power Shot SD 400

 

Location From : Denver, Colorado- 127 miles (2.30hr drive)

                           Colorado Springs- 58 miles (1.27hrs drive)

                           Pubelo, Colorado- 53 miles (1.8hrs drive)