Canon City Guide

Yes, especially if you want the Royal Gorge without the crowds of Colorado Springs or Denver. Canon City is a small Colorado town of about 17,000 people built around the Royal Gorge canyon. You get the famous suspension bridge, the scenic railroad through the gorge, raft trips on the Arkansas River, ziplines, two scenic drives, and a walkable downtown for food and drinks. Most visitors come for a day. Two or three days lets you do the bridge plus a rafting trip, plus a long evening downtown.

One day covers the Royal Gorge Bridge and a downtown dinner. Two days lets you add the Royal Gorge Route Railroad or a half-day raft trip. Three days is enough to do the bridge, a full-day raft trip, a zipline tour, Skyline Drive, and still have a relaxed dinner downtown. If you are basing yourself here to explore the wider region, four nights covers Canon City plus a day trip to the Florence antique district or up to Cripple Creek.

We are biased, because we run one. Whitewater Rooftop Social at 302 Royal Gorge Blvd is the only true rooftop restaurant in town, with a 2,000 square foot open-air patio overlooking the Sangre de Cristo mountains and the historic Royal Gorge Route Railroad. We are open February 27 through December, 11am to 9pm daily. For breakfast or brunch, Canon City MUGS is the local pick. For wood-fired pizza, Pizza Madness. For barbecue, Royal Smoke BBQ.

Yes. Canon City is a small town with a tourism-driven downtown, walking-friendly Main Street, and a low crime rate consistent with similar-sized Colorado towns. Standard travel awareness applies. The trails and scenic drives around town are well marked.

Canon City sits at about 5,332 feet above sea level. That is lower than Denver (5,280 feet is roughly the same) and noticeably lower than the high-mountain Colorado towns like Breckenridge (9,600 feet) or Leadville (10,150 feet). Most visitors do not feel altitude effects in Canon City the way they do in the mountains.

Canon City has a semi-arid climate with about 280 days of sunshine a year. Summer highs run in the upper 80s and low 90s with cool nights. Spring and fall are mild, with daytime highs in the 60s and 70s. Winter highs are typically in the 40s and 50s with cold nights, occasional snow that melts fast, and bright sun most days. The Royal Gorge can be 5 to 10 degrees cooler than town because of elevation and canyon shade.

Yes. The Royal Gorge Bridge & Park is located about 8 miles west of downtown Canon City, accessed via U.S. 50 and County Road 3A. The bridge spans 1,053 feet above the Arkansas River, which makes it one of the highest suspension bridges in the United States. The bridge is the centerpiece of an attraction park that also includes an aerial tram, a via ferrata, and a sky coaster.

Yes. The local brunch pick is Canon City MUGS, which serves breakfast and brunch downtown. Whitewater Rooftop Social does run a Sunday Funday drink special with $8 mimosas and bloody marys all day, but we are not a brunch venue. Our kitchen opens at 11am with the regular menu.

Yes. Outfitters run different sections of the Arkansas River with different difficulty levels. The Bighorn Sheep Canyon section is mostly class II and class III rapids and is family-friendly. The Royal Gorge section through the canyon itself is class III and class IV and is the trip people picture when they think of the gorge. Most outfitters set a minimum age of around 13 for the gorge section. Beginners should ask for the family or scenic float trips and work up from there.

Yes. Most downtown patios accept dogs on leash, including the Whitewater Rooftop Social rooftop patio (we keep water bowls on the floor). Skyline Drive and Tunnel Drive are both dog friendly. The Royal Gorge Bridge attraction park does not allow pets on the bridge or in most ride areas, so plan ahead if you are traveling with a dog.