The Ultimate Guide To Royal Gorge Route Railroad
Royal Gorge Route Railroad, an epic train ride in the US!
Royal Gorge Route Railroad, often overshadowed by other major Colorado attractions, is one of the best scenic train rides in the US!
Royal Gorge is a deep and long canyon, about 1200 feet deep and ten miles long, shaped by the Arkansas River over several thousand years. Such a naturally formed deep but narrow canyon, towering red granite walls, and the flowing Arkansas River are some of the rarest sights in the world!
Royal Gorge Route Railroad traversing the narrows of the Royal Gorge alongside the flowing Arkansas River offers unmatched views and a lifetime experience! The epic 2-hour train ride begins from Canon City, Colorado, passes through soaring granite cliffs of the Colorado Rockies alongside the Arkansas River, and then returns back to Canon City.
To add to the experience, the Royal Gorge Route Railroad offers delicious onboard food services and packages, including Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner Train Rides, and several other themed and holiday packages.
Enjoy spectacular views, delicious food, and excellent service on board the Royal Gorge Route Railroad!
Royal Gorge Route Railroad is located in Canon City, 116 miles south of Denver, Colorado. The Railroad is open year-round, including the rainy and snowy days in Colorado. There are different classes of services and various packages offered by Royal Gorge Route Railroad, but no matter which package or service you pick, I’m sure the awe-inspiring views, great food, and exemplary onboard service will exceed your expectations!
Here is my ultimate guide to Royal Gorge Route Railroad, featuring directions, various classes of services, packages, dining choices offered onboard the Royal Gorge Route Railroad, and recommendations on hotels and restaurants near Royal Gorge Route Railroad.
Getting To Royal Gorge Route Railroad
The best way to get to Royal Gorge Route Railroad is by flying into Denver or Colorado Springs and then driving to Royal Gorge Route Railroad in Canon City!
Royal Gorge Route Railroad is located in Santa Fe Depot, Canon City, Colorado. Canon City is located 116 miles south of Denver and about 46 miles from Colorado Springs. Royal Gorge Route Railroad Santa Fe Depot Address: 330 Royal Gorge Blvd Canon City, CO 81212.
Airports Near Royal Gorge Route Railroad: Colorado Springs Airport (COS), Colorado Springs, Colorado, located about 50 miles from Canon City, is the closest major domestic airport to Royal Gorge Route Railroad, which’s serviced by several major Airlines.
Located about 135 miles north of Canon City, the Denver International Airport (DEN), Denver, Colorado, is the closest international airport to Royal Gorge Route Railroad.
You could fly into one of these Colorado airports, rent a car and then drive to Royal Gorge Route Railroad in Canon City.
Train Services To Royal Gorge Route Railroad: While there’re no direct train services to Royal Gorge Route Railroad, you could either take a direct Amtrak train to Denver Union Station. Or use Amtrak’s train-bus mixed services to get to Colorado Springs or Pueblo Amtrak stations located close to Canon City.
Upon reaching, you could either rent a car, hire a taxi, or use one of the ride-hailing services like Uber/Lyft to get to Royal Gorge Route Railroad in Canon City. The Colorado Department of transportation / CDOT also has a bus service connecting Pueblo to Canon City.
Bus Services To Royal Gorge Route Railroad: Like Amtrak train services, Greyhound also connects several US cities to many Colorado cities, including Denver, Colorado Springs, and Pueblo, from where you can hire a cab, rent a car, or use CDOT bus service from Pueblo to get to Royal Gorge Route Railroad in Canon City.
Royal Gorge Route Railroad Seating & Dining Options
The best views on this epic train ride are from the open car!
Royal Gorge Route Railroad offers various seating and dining options and a few themed and holiday train rides. No doubt the food and views are great from your designated seats, but I highly recommend spending some time on the open car, accessible to everyone on board. There’re a couple of open cars with guardrails, offering the best views of the towering canyon walls and Arkansas River.
Seating Options Onboard Royal Gorge Route Railroad
- Coach Class: The Coach class offers passenger train style seating with comfortable seats and large glass windows with access to concessions and a bar for purchasing food and beverages onboard.
- Visa Dome: The Vista Dome offers the best views on the train through its glass ceiling and has booth-style seating with a full breakfast, lunch, or dinner menu to order from.
- Club Class: The Club car offers great views through large windows and table-style seating with a full-service bar and serves breakfast, lunch, or dinner based on the time of your ride.
Dining Options Onboard Royal Gorge Route Railroad
The food choices vary based on the time of your ride, but there’re some great options, no matter it’s breakfast, lunch, or dinner time!
- Breakfast Train: If your ride is in the morning, you can order pancakes, omelets, burritos, and several other breakfast items from the 403 Grill Breakfast Menu. You can either purchase food onboard or buy dining packages while reserving your tickets.
- Lunch Train: If you’re riding the train in the afternoon, you can order several appetizers, burgers, beverages, and other items from the 403 Grill lunch menu.
- Dinner Train: If you’re riding the train in the evening, you have two dining choices, you can either order from the 403 Grill menu, including burgers, burritos, appetizers, and beverages. Or you could enjoy a First Class Dinner with a three-course meal with a choice of prime rib, fresh salmon, roasted chicken, or a vegetarian meal.
These are the primary seating and dining options on Royal Gorge Route Railroad, but they also have seasonal and holiday rides. You can find the current schedule, seasonal rides and book your tickets online on Royal Gorge Route Railroad website.
Lodging & Dining Near Royal Gorge Route Railroad
Afternoon Tea at Royal Gorge Mansion, another unique Royal Gorge experience!
The Royal Gorge Route Railroad train ride takes no more than 3 hours and may not require an overnight stay close to Royal Gorge Route Railroad. However, when visiting the Royal Gorge Route Railroad, I highly recommend visiting the Royal Gorge Bridge & Park, which is just a few miles from the Royal Gorge Route Railroad and offers unique views of the Royal Gorge from the top.
I suggest visiting both the attractions, Royal Gorge Route Railroad and Royal Gorge Bridge & Park, when in Canon City. You can explore the Royal Gorge Bridge & Park in the morning and then ride and dine on the Royal Gorge Route Railroad in the evening.
However, to visit both the attractions, you would need to stay in Canon City, where there are no luxury resorts and boutique hotels, unlike other Colorado cities. There are a few big brand chain hotels and a few locally owned bread and breakfasts.
Hotels Near Royal Gorge Route Railroad
While Canon City is the closest town near Royal Gorge Route Railroad, there’re very limited lodging options, including Hampton Inn Canon City and a few motels – American Inn Motel Canon City, Colorado Inn Motel, and Best Western Canon City.
Restaurants Near Royal Gorge Route Railroad
The best dining option in Canon City is onboard the Royal Gorge Route Railroad! However, if you’re looking to eat outside, you will find quite a few great locally-owned restaurants, including El Caporal Family Mexican Restaurant, Canon City MUGS, a sports bar and grill, Pizza Madness, a great pizza joint, and Bunk House Burgers serving delicious comfort food.
Afternoon Tea at Royal Gorge Mansion
This is a unique dining experience offered by Royal Gorge Route Railroad, where you could enjoy a cup of tea along with other savory treats in the beautifully decorated Royal Gorge Mansion. Your choice of tea is served with a tray full of delicious bites, including sandwiches, scones, jams, and more.
I hope you enjoyed reading the post, The Ultimate Guide To Royal Gorge Route Railroad, and I hope this will help you plan your trip to the Royal Gorge Route Railroad. This is a hidden gem and one of the best attractions in Colorado!
Happy feeding your soul!
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