Let the Royal Gorge Region unlock your perfect family adventure! Dig a paddle into the rapids, peek over a breathtaking canyon edge, discover prehistoric fossils, step back in time on a train ride and end the adventure with a delicious home-cooked meal.

Ride the Rapids

The Arkansas River starts at the Continental Divide near Leadville, Colorado and provides various levels of rafting. The river drops 10,000 feet in the first 125 miles as it flows through Lake, Chaffee and Fremont Counties. This section of whitewater provides some of the best-known whitewater rafting in the Royal Gorge area. Because of its variety of levels for rafting, the Arkansas River is the perfect playground for family fun. You will find a large number of qualified rafting companies to host you and your family for one of the most freeing adventures out there.

 View From the Top

Take the kids to the top of the Royal Gorge and peek over the edge of the highest suspension bridge in the world. Construction on the suspension bridge began June 5, 1929 and was completed in November of 1929. A must-see and a true historical feat, the Royal Gorge draws visitors from all corners of the country. While at the Royal Gorge Bridge, be sure to enjoy the Aerial Tram that hovers 1,178 feet over the Arkansas River, or make tummies flip by flying over the river on the world’s wildest Skycoaster®. Continue to unlock the adventure and experience a treasured memory with a parent-led Burro Ride and take a trip down the Incline Railway at the Royal Gorge Bridge & Park.

Prehistoric Paths

In 1999, William Kurtz, a paleontology student from the University of Colorado, noticed the tip of a Dinosaur Track formation hidden in an overhang on Skyline Drive in Cañon City. In February 2000, many volunteers from the Garden Park Paleontology Society began excavating the tracks, exposing evidence that dinosaurs once roamed the Arkansas Valley. For an up-close view of the dinosaur tracks, venture 15 minutes west of Cañon City and take the scenic Skyline Drive route off U.S. Highway 50.

Garden Park Fossil Area, located just north of Cañon City on Shelf Road, is a 3,600-acre area that has been producing significant dinosaur fossils for nearly 125 years. Most of the Jurassic dinosaurs on display at Smithsonian’s Museum of Natural History are from this area. Three Stegosaurus skeletons, including Colorado’s state fossil, are from this area.

A child’s eye and imagination can bring a dinosaur alive while exploring books and museums, and the same imagination can be used while visiting dinosaur discovery sites. It’s exhilarating for a child, as well as a parent, to stand where a Stegosaurus or Allosaurus once walked.

Take a self-guided tour at the Dinosaur Depot Museum in Cañon City, located at 330 Royal Gorge Blvd. It will lead you through some of the first dinosaur discovery sites in North America. Guides to Garden Park and Skyline Drive fossil areas are also available at the Dinosaur Depot Museum.

Family-friendly Dining

Grab a bite to eat at the many family-owned restaurants in Fremont County. Whatever the kids are craving – pizza, Italian, hamburgers, BBQ – it’s all here. Just ask a local for advice on the perfect family spot. They’ll be more than happy to point you in the right direction.

Take a Trip Through Time

One step aboard the Royal Gorge Route Railroad and you’ve embarked upon a breathtaking journey that started back in the 1870s. Like a brawl on wheels, two railroad companies – the Denver & Rio Grande and the Santa Fe – vied for the route. But the Gorge had only enough room for one set of tracks, and the legal battle dubbed the “Royal Gorge War” began. Once the dust settled, the Denver & Rio Grande came out the victors. Today, Royal Gorge Route Railroad’s 1950s-era air-conditioned rail cars ferry more than 100,000 passengers each year for a 24-mile round trip through the dramatic Royal Gorge over the famous Hanging Bridge and below soaring bald eagles and blue herons. If you’re lucky, you might even spot a Bighorn Sheep.

Make Holiday Memories

A family must! St. Nick visits the Royal Gorge each year on the festive and nostalgic Santa Express. Sip hot cocoa, nibble on cookies and listen to holiday stories and tunes during this magical journey. Thousands of lights bedeck the North Pole Village in the Gorge itself where Santa Claus boards the train to hear children’s Christmas wishes and present each a gift.

Visit the Wild West

At the Gold Nugget Restaurant and Silver Dollar Saloon, buffalo burgers and sarsaparillas are the order of the day. Other park highlights include gold panning, horse-drawn trolley rides, Olde Tyme photos, San Isabel Mine and the Wild-West Maze. Enjoy family fun for all ages. Bring your four-legged friends on their leash and they go with you wherever you go, including the train ride.

Take a Stroll Along the Arkansas River

Cañon City’s Riverwalk follows the Arkansas River for more than seven miles, winding through wetlands, groves of cottonwoods and the John Griffin Regional Park, a nature area located in central Cañon City. An early evening stroll along the riverwalk provides a great opportunity for bird watching and wildlife spotting. The crushed gravel path is open for biking, hiking, strolling and even horseback riding. Dogs are welcome on leash. Opened in 2010, the new Cañon City Kayak and Whitewater Recreation Park benefits boaters, fishermen, hikers, walkers, bikers and runners.

Hit the Trails

Whether you’re looking for a leisurely stroll or a pulse-raising workout, you can find a trail to suit your needs. Just a few minutes out of town, the moderate Stultz Trail serves horseback riders and mountain bikers as well as hikers; or venture a few more miles to the more challenging Tanner Trail for more spectacular mountain views. The narrow Tunnel Drive is a hiking trail in the foothills west of Cañon City. These and other area trails attract hikers, mountain bikers and horseback riders year-round.  Just 27 miles west of Cañon City is Texas Creek, where the Play Dirty ATV headquarters are located. The certified guides will outfit you and your group with goggles, ATVs (those aged 15 and younger can ride along in a 450cc Yamaha Side x Side ATV). After a safety course, your personal guide will take you 3,000 vertical feet up above the Arkansas River Valley floor on the challenging “Rough & Tumble” trail to an elevation of 9,100 feet. For less experienced or intermediate riders, Play Dirty ATV offers tours on many other trails throughout the protected forest land of Texas Cree