Visiting the Royal Gorge Bridge

Everything you need to plan a Royal Gorge Bridge visit: where the park is, how to get there, what a ticket covers, and how to time the gondola and the rim rides around Colorado's changeable weather.

Where the Royal Gorge Bridge is

The Royal Gorge Bridge & Park sits at 4218 Co Rd 3A, Cñon City, in Fremont County, southern Colorado. It is about 45 minutes west of Colorado Springs and roughly two hours south of Denver, so most visitors reach it by car. Parking at the park is free, and the road in is paved and well signed from U.S. Highway 50.

Hours and when to go

The park is open year-round, with seasonal daily hours that run longest in summer and shorten through the winter. Rides and the gondola operate weather permitting, and the rim rides pause for a maintenance window in the depth of winter. Mornings are the calmest time to walk the bridge and ride the gondola before the mid-day crowds build, and the light across the canyon is best early and late in the day. Confirm the current day's hours on the official park website before you set out, as they change with the season.

Tickets and what admission covers

A general admission ticket to the Royal Gorge Bridge & Park is $35 per adult and is valid for two days from first use, so you can split a visit across a morning and an afternoon or return the next day. Admission covers the walk across the bridge, unlimited rides on the aerial gondola when it is running, the Plaza Theater show, and the children's playland. The three big thrill attractions – the Cloudscraper Zip Line, the Royal Rush Skycoaster and the Via Ferrata climb – are separate, extra-fee experiences that you add on. Buying online ahead of a summer weekend saves time at the gate.

Getting across the gorge

There are three ways to cross: walk the bridge deck at your own pace, take a golf-cart shuttle across, or ride the aerial gondola over the canyon and walk back. The gondola runs about 2,400 feet rim to rim, and one of its cabins has a glass floor for a straight-down view – that cabin has its own, slower line, so ride a standard cabin one way and the glass-floor cabin on the return when the queue is shorter.

Accessibility

The gondola and the Plaza Theater are wheelchair accessible. The south gondola platform has no ramp, so a wheelchair user generally rides the gondola round trip rather than transferring across. Some trails on the rim are steep, and the Zip Line, Skycoaster and Via Ferrata carry age, weight and physical-ability restrictions. Leashed, well-behaved dogs are welcome walking the park, though not on most rides or inside restaurants; kennels are available near the entrance.

What to bring

Bring layers – the canyon rim is high desert and the temperature swings between sun and shade – along with sun protection, water, and comfortable shoes for the bridge and trails. There are several places to eat on site, including café and barbecue options, and picnic areas if you prefer to bring your own food. Afternoon storms are common in summer, which is another reason to arrive early.