Interesting Things To Do In Cañon City

An Overview of Cañon City

Cañon City is a city in Colorado found near the Arkansas River. The city is a popular destination for outdoor activities such as hiking, sightseeing, whitewater rafting and rock climbing. There are many interesting things to do in Cañon City including numerous public parks, fossil discovery locations, the famed Royal Gorge and interesting themed sties.

Interesting Things To Do In Cañon City

Royal Gorge Bridge

Stretching over the scenic Royal Gorge, this bridge serves as a popular tourist attraction next to a 360-acre amuseument park. The bridge was originally constructed in 1929 to allow visitors to enjoy the natural beauty of the region.

Skyline Drive

This is a narrow 2.6-mile route following a razorback ridge around the upper portions of Cañon City. The scenic route offers great views overlooking the city and the surrounding valley areas..

Garden Park Fossil Area

This is a short, easily-walkable trail with numerous signs leading to historic dinosaur-fossil quarries, picnic tables and scenic overlooks.

Royal Gorge Route Railroad

This is a heritage railroad with an operation 1950s-era train which makes a daily 2-hour trip from the Santa Fe Depot, through Royal Gorge and along a famed section of the former Denver-Rio Grande Western Railroad.

Red Canyon Park

Just outside Cañon City, this area is known for its breathtaking scenery and imposing, bright red rock formations.

Florence Pioneer Museum

This is a small pioneer museum dedicated to Native American culture, coal mining and western-settler history.

Indian Springs Trace Fossil Natural Area

Located on a private ranch and campground, this location is known for trace fossils of prehistoric animals found on site. The fossils found here are excellently-preserved and include large-sized arthropods including trilobites, eurypterids, merostomes, and limulids (horseshoe crabs). 

The Gold Mine Rock Shop

This is a legendary, large rock shop found outside Cañon City on Highway 50. The shop has an enormous selection of minerals and geo-based artworks, as well as arrowheads and jewelry stones.

Tunnel Drive Trailhead

Found downstream from Royal Gorge, this is a crushed gravel trail which leads to a trinity of granite-blasted tunnels. The relatively flat route is popular with walkers, runners and bikers.

Read more about interesting things to do in Cañon City by checking out the Leftfade Trails Blog

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