Day 3 – River Rapids & America’s Bridge

The crystal-clear water of the Arkansas River carves its path through solid rock. Over millions of years, it digs deeper and deeper, forming a canyon-like gorge, running for miles with depths of around 1, 200 feet. Often called the “Grand Canyon of the Arkansas”, it is quite a remarkable formation of land. Gorgeous views from above to roaring rapids below, and a beautiful iron bridge stretching across the gorge. This is America’s Bridge. This is Canon City, CO. Welcome to the Royal Gorge.

The adventures never end in Canon City, CO. The city features gorgeous gorges and roaring river rapids, and for the cherry on top, America’s Bridge too. You can raft, zipline, ride gondolas, and so much more. Millions of people enjoy these adventures (26 million to be accurate), and on June 30th, 2024, it was our turn.

OUR DAY AT A GLANCE:

Jump to a section!

1. The Start to Our Day
2. Raft Masters – Rafting the Rapids
3. Royal Gorge Bridge & Park
4. Road to Colorado Springs, CO
5. Recommendations & Takeaways

A pleasant morning on June 28th. The sun slowly rose over Canon City, CO, and excitement for the day ahead was fueling us. Waking up refreshed for another adventure after sliding in the sand, it was time for the most important time of the morning: breakfast!

As we left our room, my job was to check if we left anything behind. I had to check every drawer, and in the nightstand’s drawers, I found a Holy Bible. That was a trend I noticed in every hotel we had been in so far. If you also are wondering about why they are kept there, Bibles are put in hotel rooms to evangelize the Christian faith. The Gideons International, a Christian men’s organization, donates Bibles to hotels in an attempt to spread the message of Christianity to passing travelers and so that people, far from home, might seek comfort or solace in the familiar words of the Bible.

After a nice and filling breakfast of bagels and waffles, it was time to leave our hotel and head out to Raft Masters, a river rafting outfitter based in Canon City. We had to arrive there by 9 o’clock, so once we packed our car, our next stop was Raft Masters. There were a lot of familiar shops and restaurants along the way, reminding me of home down south in Texas.

Finally, after a quick 13-minute ride, we pulled up to the RaftMasters parking lot.

Arriving at RaftMasters, we were scheduled for the 9:30 AM Bighorn Sheep Canyon Half-Day Rafting Trip, recommended for families our age as well as first-timers, which we were. We grabbed our clothes and sandals and walked inside. After checking in and signing the necessary waivers, we were ready to be geared up with the gear Raft Masters provided. Buying a 1-time use locker, I accidentally opened it too early before we got our stuff, so we were locked out. Luckily, the clerk there helped us by reopening it so that we could store our items.

Outside the main office, which featured a gift shop, lockers, and changing rooms was a gear shed. They provided us with river boots (similar to water shoes), and rafting jackets. To prevent my sister from getting cold as she was a little young, she had to wear a water suit over her swimming suit and a jacket on top of that. Afterward, Lydia, one of the raft leaders there came to help me put on my life jacket. While my parents and sister were getting equipped with their life jackets, I went inside to get helmets for us. There were 3 types of helmets: a normal adult, a child-sized, and a GoPro helmet (basically a helmet with a camera attached on top). I grabbed 3 normal helmets and asked for one child-sized. From there, we were fully equipped!

There were a couple more families, some on the same trip as us, others going to the Royal Gorge Rafting trip (extra intense rapids). Once they pulled in the bus, the outfitters attached a trailer to the end, loaded with bright orange rafts. After that, each family’s name and number of rafters was called out, and then everyone boarded the bus.

It would be a 15-minute ride to the first drop-off location of the Royal Gorge trip, then another 10 to our Bighorn Sheep Canyon trip drop-off location. Along the way, Siggy, a rafting guide for the Royal Gorge trip instructed everyone about safety and how you’d need to act in an emergency situation with an amusing style. There were 2 more guides we needed to pick up along the way. Once the bus doors opened, Siggy hilariously welcomed his friends/companions by saying “Hey Hippies! Want a job?”. After dropping off the other trip, whose starting site would be our finishing site, we were headed straight to our starting site.

On the way, everyone was sorted into groups. There were 3 rafts, and including the guide, there would be around a max of 7 people on each raft. There was a group of 5, a group of 6, a group of 2, and a group of 4 – us. We were combined with a group of 2 (the Slavin family) and our guide was Noah. Everyone used the restroom, and that was where the first Bighorn Sheep was spotted! Just outside, if you looked up to the mountains, a Bighorn was climbing around the peak! What a sight.

Afterward, when everyone was waiting near the rocks, Tim Slavin walked over with his son Brandon Slavin -who was around my age- to meet us. They came to Colorado from Connecticut and were leaving that evening from Denver’s airport. Noah came to call us over and then trained us on how we were going to raft and what his commands would be. I was his volunteer, and got hands-on experience on how I’d hold the paddle and what the commands would be before we started rafting! Noah had 3 commands: Forward1 (one stroke, pulling backward), Forward2 (two strokes, pulling backward), and Backward1 (one stroke, pushing forward). If you guessed the number after the action is the stroke count, you are correct!

From there, it was all action. Noah was in the back with the big paddles that controlled the raft, my parents in front of him, my sister & I in the middle, and the Slavins in the front. Starting off easy, following Noah’s commands, we paddled forward, and then came to a stop, letting the others catch up with us. The views were so beautiful from the outside when we drove by earlier, and being inside the river itself just made it even more marvelous. Different rock formations caused different types of rapids, lurching, spinning, and bouncing, we got through them all. It was just pure roaring rapids after that! Bouncing up and down with the raft, you might feel that you were going to fly out and splash in the river. Thankfully, nothing like that happened in our raft, except it did happen to the raft behind us… At the most intense rapid, Spike Buck, it just so happened that they flipped sideways and 2 people fell. Luckily they were pulled back (thanks to Siggy’s methods on the bus).

Anyway, it was both fun and intense! Eventually, I switched with Tim to sit in the front next to Brandon. We were splashed with the cold river water, which surprisingly was crystal clear and had a fresh taste. Don’t ask how I swallowed it. We learned a lot about the river and Canon City from Noah. Turns out, we were there in the best season to go rafting, where the water is at its highest and there is no crowding. Noah asked about trout, and Bradon named all of them, winning $5 from Noah, which Tim converted to extra fun on our trip. Believe me, it worked!

Spinning and splashing, yep that’s how it went. With occasional Yeehaws from me and woohs from the rest when our raft went in the air. Intense fun. The ferocity of the river as well as the excitement for me just doubled there. After supposedly winning a little water war with Tyson, the guide in front of us, Noah said that anyone daring enough could sit on the bull of the raft (the very front) and I crazily volunteered. I felt every jolt of the rapids from there and had too much fun to describe. A point came where we could swim in the river. Brandon took over the controls and Noah, Tim, and I jumped off the boat to swim in the chilly water. After Tim pulled me out of the water: a possibly tremendous task, we were on our way to the last rapid: Shark Tooth!

After a final jolting jump and roaring rapid, we slowed down to our docking site. What an adventure. While the guides wrapped up the rafts, we rafters met up and talked together. The rafters from Tyson’s boat came and said that our sneaky water war was a good plan but they won it all. Laughing it off, we walked away from them. I found out that Bradon also likes to play soccer just like I do.

On the bus ride back, Lydia, the lead guide, pointed out some more attractions of Canon City for us to visit after we reached the office. Finally arriving, we caught up with Noah for pictures and then changed. After tipping Noah and saying goodbye to our new friends from Connecticut, we headed off for a complimentary lunch provided by Raft Masters at their Eddy’s Out Cafe. We had tickets that showed that we were from Raft Masters that we gave the chefs there. Asking for veggie burgers (we’re vegetarian) the cook there said “Nope, $5. Just kidding.” and told us that we were free to grab drinks while we waited for our burgers. A couple minutes later came fresh and hot burgers with a chip bag and a cookie. Everyone else got 1, but somehow, I got 2 cookies. Probably as a reward for being daring on the ride.

Once we finished eating the delicious meal, it was time to continue exploring the gorge, this time at Royal Gorge Bridge and Park…

Half an hour later, we started to drive up a large mountain that would lead to the Royal Gorge Bridge & Park.

Finding parking was pretty hard that hour, but luckily after spotting a parking spot close by, we hopped out of the car to stretch our legs and walked on towards the visitor center. There was a nice walkway through a small garden to get from the parking lot to the visitor center so that everyone could safely arrive.

We got a few glimpses of the attractions the park featured as we walked into the visitor center. The park boasted the amazing Royal Gorge Bridge (America’s Bridge), as well as presented 3 attractions related to the gorge, the gondola rides across the gorge, ziplining across the gorge, the world’s scariest sky coaster over the gorge, and some other attractions for kids.

After claiming our park passes (we already purchased them online before coming to CO), we walked out into the amazing, world-famous park. Divided into two sides separated by the gorge, the attractions were distributed amongst the park.

On our trip, after exiting the visitor center, we rode the Aerial Gondola first, then checked out attractions on the other side of the park, such as the Tommy Knocker Children’s area, and then to the Royal Rush Skycoaster which I somehow decided to do. Afterward, taking a stop to watch a short film at the Plaza Theater, we took a walk across the beautiful bridge and went on another final gondola ride.

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The Gondola Ride

The closest thing near us as per our plan was the Gondola, so we got into the ever-so-long line of people that were waiting to get into one. Two gondolas were going back and forth, with 3 cabins in each. A full gondola carried around 24 people (8 per cabin). You could see how the gondola worked too! Above the lines of people, there was a huge gear-like wheel powered by an engine that spun the wire, pulling the gondola coming to us and sending the other one away. To pull it back, it rotated in the opposite direction. After waiting for around 20 minutes in line, we finally reached the front to stand ready for our gondola to arrive.

Once it arrived, we were put in the last cabin with 4 others who also came to visit Colorado. The machine started slowly, and you could hear the creaks of the metals clanging to move together. And in a few seconds, we were over the air, practically flying inside a box! The views of the Royal were so clear and so gorgeous! Every crack and layer of sediment in the reddish rocks to the turquoise covered with foaming white of the roaring Arkansas River below was a marvel to our eyes. The bridge and a few zipliners flying past were parallel to us, and words were too short to describe the amazing views.

Tommy Knocker Playland

After we were satisfied from running around, we started to leave the playland, but my sister and I noticed some cool areas for sifting rocks, kind of like how they did it during the gold rush. After requesting our parents to let us try, we purchased the $30 MOTHER LODE package, which had a mix of everything: fossils, crystals, gems, etc.

The Royal Rush SkyCoaster

Remember when I said that I was thankful for the long line. I changed my mind. I hated the wait because it just took too long! I’m really impatient at times, but staying in a line for an hour just to be dropped from 100 feet in the air just kind of ticked my brain off. Just kidding. It was all worth the wait…

After getting suited up, the cord puller was decided: the girl from Virginia volunteered to do so. We were then walked out to the deck, and nobody except us was allowed from there. After the groups in front of us finished up it was the moment of truth. There was no turning back from there and it was a do-or-die situation. Maybe I’m over-intensifying how it sounds, but believe me, I think that’s how all of us felt. Once we were hooked onto the platform, I would be on the left flank, Tom, the other boy, in the center, and the girl from Ohio (Both Tom & I forgot to ask her name), would be on the right.

Reeled up by the machine we reached the top and were commanded “3, 2, 1, FLY!”. She pulled the release cord and we were through. Soaring through the air, the wind blowing at my face. Is my heartbeat rising too high? This was the true ride, and I felt the adrenaline pumping. We flew down towards the floor and then over up over the gorge. And what a view that was. Intimidatingly 100+ ft in the air, 1000 ft over the bottom of the gorge, I saw it all. I was shaking! The beautiful gorge emerged first, and then the shining bridge over it. Forward was fine, but flying high backward was another wild experience. We went up higher than we started and flew down. YES! I WAS FLYING! I looked forward to seeing the gorge again, just purely mesmerizing. We talked while we flew, asking each other where were from, as we slowed, and admired the scene together.

As we slowed, they reached out to us with a wire that we needed to pull to come to a stop. We entirely missed the first time, but then got our hands on it the second. The pull was said to be 50 pounds worth, but it didn’t really feel like that. Unfortunately, the girl from Ohio was hit in the shoulder with the rod holding the wire, but once we were dismounted, it was okay. Everyone, especially me had an absolute blast. Walking felt weird after and my whole body felt a little loose. I would definitely go again, and I wished the other flyers good luck as I came back through the cabin. It was all worth it. My family was excited to meet me and I shared my experience in the sky.

Sharing pictures and waving goodbye to my fellow flyers, taking pictures by the bridge, we walked down to the plaza theater.

Plaza Theater

A little history session:

Over 100 million years ago, dinosaurs such as Allosaurus, Camptosaurus, Stegosaurus, and the mighty Brontosaurus roamed the Royal Gorge Region.

Many, many years after dinosaurs were extinct, Native American tribes arrived. The opportunities for hunting and camping within the sheltered canyons throughout the Royal Gorge Region provided a safe and prosperous place for them to call home, such as the Ute Indian Tribe, which wintered in the Royal Gorge to escape the wind and the cold, and Plains Indian tribes, including Sioux, Cheyenne, Kiowa, Blackfeet and Comanche, followed buffalo herds down into the meadows in the warmer months.

80 hardy men constructed the bridge starting June 5th, 1929, and finished it December 8th, 1929. In just 7 months, a bridge 1,260 feet from rim to rim of the Royal Gorge, suspending 956 above the Arkansas River was created. However, there was a fire on June 11th, 2013 that ruined 90% of the park. But the bridge stood there. The new, reconstructed park opened by Labor Day weekend in 2014 with even more new cool things. Now, it’s open year-round from 9am – 7pm (rides open at 10am) year round (even on holidays!). Check out more history details at the Royal Gorge Bridge & Park Website.

CLASS DISMISSED. Lol

Walk Across America’s Bridge

America’s Bridge. Yep, that’s what they call it. And it’s pretty legit too. There’s no other bridge like the Royal Gorge Bridge. It even has all the flags of the 50 states on it, proving that is is THE America’s Bridge. A few fast facts about the bridge:

956 Feet Above the River

4200 Steel Cables

1257 Wooden Planks

We started our bridge walk of the 1257 planks (almost a quarter mile), and the sights from the bridge were just indescribable. You just can’t stop taking pictures, it’s that good. The beautiful red rock was brightened by the sun, birds and trees surrounding it, and a rapid river roaring down below. It was too good.

Eventually, I fell behind my family during the bridge walk, stuck the the planks admiring the gorgeous views of the Royal Gorge. Exiting the bridge finally, I ran to follow my family toward the gondola… again?

The Gondola Ride (AGAIN?)

And we were off again, adoring the marvelous views of the gorge on the gondola ride. Once we hit the opposite point, we didn’t have to get off! Since it was the last ride, they said that we could sit there, and of course we did! We had a fully private gondola, all to ourselves to enjoy the last views of the gorge in the sunset that were just purely breathtaking while we headed back.

At exactly around 7PM, we got off the gondola, and headed out. The patrol officer started coming around to channel people out of the park. We used the restrooms and afterwards, we left. Once we exited the park, it was time to eat dinner after a day full of dares. Finding a picnic area, we settled ourselves down facing beautiful mountain ranges. Once again having my mother’s delicious food, we talked about the day, and this time everyone gave it a 10/10. We really got the most out of the gorge, from rafting in the Arkansas River to riding over the gorge and for me, flying over the gorge!

Next Stop, Colorado Springs, CO!

Here’s what we saw on the drive to our hotel, Rodeway Inn:

Finally, after another 1.5 hours, we arrived at our hotel. Getting our card, and unloading the car, we headed upstairs, just missing the pouring rain of the night! Watching a movie as we ate, I was ready to fall asleep thinking about how I flew over the Royal Gorge. What a day!

If you’re heading out to Canon City for an adventure to the Royal Gorge, I’ve got some great recommendations and valuable takeaways to enhance your experience!

• The Start to Your Day:
  • Hotel Stay – We stayed in Econo Lodge, Canon City, CO. I recommend it for any group. It offers free breakfast, parking, and cable TV.
    • Eat a filling breakfast before you leave from your home/hotel
  • Depart early so that you can reach your destination on time as well as beat the crowds!
• Rafting the Rapids
  • A popular attraction of Canon City is rafting on the Arkansas River, and if you’re looking for a rafting outfitter, consider your search done! Raft Masters is perfect for any group with any experience. They give good inclusive packages and gear at an affordable rate (It costed us around $500). Visit the Raft Masters website for information on their trip plans and more! RaftMasters
  • Plan to raft in June: peak rafting season!
• Royal Gorge Bridge & Park
  • Get the fullest experience at the park! Arrive early but be patient in lines.
  • Make sure to do the gondola ride, which is a beautiful attraction for all.
  • If you want to pump that adrenaline, ride the zipline, and if that’s not enough, hit the sky coaster. BEWARE: don’t have a full stomach on any ride, just to be safe…
  • Take pictures of the beautiful views
  • If you have a child under 18, check out Tommy Knocker Playland! Otherwise, consider having fun at other attractions so everyone has fun.
  • Swing by the visitor center if you like history, and learn about the gorge and the park!
  • Spend quality time on the bridge so you absorb the view and get to take pictures. Look out for your state’s flag!
  • For an open gondola ride, come to the attraction around 6:50ish to skip the lines and hop on the last ride in the sunset view.
  • Grab a souvenir to take home! There are tons to choose from at the gift shop.
• Road to Next Location
  • Depart with the travel time in mind so that you can reach on time.

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