Gateway to the Royal Gorge Region, Cañon City, Colorado is one of the great sightseeing and adventure springboards in the American West. Our vacation cabins and luxury glamping tents at Royal Gorge Cabins offer ideal accommodations for exploring the nearby towns, hamlets, and metropolitan hubs in the region.
In this post, we’ll detail three cities near Cañon City, Colorado well worth checking out while taking advantage of our gorgeously situated and nicely appointed lodgings.
Cripple Creek/Victor
Glamping in Cañon City with Royal Gorge Cabins, you’ll be only about an hour away from Cripple Creek and Victor, two historic Colorado Gold Rush outposts a stone’s throw from one another in the Southern Rocky Mountains now keenly sought out by tourists. In its heyday, the gold-mining district here supported more than 500 mines and yielded better than $11 billion in today’s dollars—no surprise Cripple Creek was once called the “World’s Greatest Gold Camp.”
Today, you can admire the historic buildings of both downtowns, such as the Butte Theater in Cripple Creek and the Victor Hotel. Once very nearly a ghost town, Cripple Creek experienced some big-time revitalization after legalizing gambling in the early 1990s, and its casinos—from Bronco Billy’s to Johnny Nolon’s Saloon & Gambling Emporium—are definitely top draws.
Among other attractions is the well-known Cripple Creek & Victor Narrow Gauge Railroad, which offers narrated 45-minute rides along the history-drenched Midland Terminal roadbed via a 15-ton steam engine and open-air railcars. Or drink up the scenery with a more modern mode of transport with Cripple Creek Adventure Tours, which go down in decked-out Ford Broncos.
You can dig further into Gold Rush history, meanwhile, at the Mollie Kathleen Gold Mine, tours of which take visitors 1,000 feet down a vertical mining shaft and aboard an underground tram air locomotive.
Colorado Springs
Just a short drive of less than an hour northeast of Cañon City, you’ll find Colorado Springs, a bustling metropolitan area and the second-largest in the Centennial State. Many of our guests at Royal Gorge Cabins travel through this area to reach us.
The city is dominated by one of the most famous peaks in North America: Pikes Peak, which stands at 14,115 feet and is the easternmost of Colorado’s many majestic Fourteeners. Among many ways to explore that grand mountain, none is so unique as the Broadmoor Manitou & Pikes Peak Cog Railway, which has been hauling its way up those soaring slopes since 1891. It’s the highest-elevation cog railroad in the world and one of a mere handful operating in the U.S.
Pikes Peak isn’t the only astonishing landform in Colorado Springs’ backyard: The nearby nest of fins, crags, spires, and hoodoos called the Garden of the Gods ranks among the most celebrated scenic areas in Colorado. An unforgettable transition between the Great Plains and the Southern Rockies and a designated National Natural Landmark, these sedimentary rock formations are a must-see, and you can delve into their geologic backstory at the Garden of the Gods Visitor & Nature Center.
Other Colorado Springs-area experiences include the Adventures Out West all-natural ziplines in Manitou Springs and a visit to the remarkable series of box-canyon staircase cascades and plunges called Seven Falls.
Florence
Just a hop, skip, and a jump from Cañon City, the town of Florence, Colorado sits on the Arkansas River downstream of the Royal Gorge, where the Rocky Mountain foothills ease down to the Great Plains. Here’s another charming National Register of Historic Places-listed downtown to explore, not least on account of a celebrated concentration of antique shops. Hey, they don’t call Florence the “Antique Capital of Colorado” for nothing!
Just a hop, skip, and a jump from Cañon City, the town of Florence, Colorado sits on the Arkansas River downstream of the Royal Gorge, where the Rocky Mountain foothills ease down to the Great Plains. Here’s another charming National Register of Historic Places-listed downtown to explore, not least on account of a celebrated concentration of antique shops. Hey, they don’t call Florence the “Antique Capital of Colorado” for nothing!
You can also take a stroll or picnic in one of the town’s handsome parks—Florence River Park and Florence Mountain Park are particularly nice—and travel just a few miles outside city limits to get your soak on at Desert Reef Hot Springs.
Royal Gorge Cabins: An Ideal Home Base in Cañon City, Colorado & the Royal Gorge Region
Wherever you end up venturing in this spectacular corner of Colorado—from the antique galleries of Florence to the summit of Pikes Peak—you’ll delight in knowing you’ve got such a comfortable and scenery-dazzled home-away-from-home to return to in the form of one of our cabins or luxury glamping tents.
Treated to a stunning tableau of the Sangre de Cristos, outfitted with private patios and other amenities, our accommodations here at Royal Gorge Cabins give you a mountain getaway like none other. And all of it’s mere minutes away from the jaw-dropping Royal Gorge and the world-famous whitewater rafting on the Arkansas River, not to mention within convenient reach of the above-mentioned cities near Cañon City, Colorado.
Whether you’re planning a weekend escape or traveling from out of state, Royal Gorge Cabins stands as your top choice for lodging in Cañon City. Our exceptional accommodations are just the beginning, as numerous activities and neighboring cities await your exploration for ongoing adventure. Secure your lodging today.
