Royal Gorge Railroad and Bishop Castle, July 1, 2025

The bridge above the canyon

We had early reservations on the Royal Gorge train that runs along the Arkansas river through a canyon whose sheer rock walls plunge into the river. A highlight of the gorge route is the 1879 hanging bridge that is  suspended on one side under A-frame girders that span the river and are anchored to the rock walls. At one point, the train stops under the Royal Gorge Bridge 955 feet above the river, and the highest bridge in the United States. In addition to the spectacular scenery, we saw many rafters float by on the river.

In the afternoon, we opted to drive down to Bishop Castle, about an hour from Canon City where we were staying. It is located in a pretty remote area. Jim Bishop bought the land in 1959 when he was 15, and started building a home there in 1969. A neighbor had mentioned that the rocks he had surrounded the cottage there looked like a castle, and that comment sparked Jim's imagination. The castle grew from there. He placed the rocks, made the iron stairways for 55 years until he died at the end of 2024 from cancer.

For most of the time he was building he had disputes with the federal government over the rocks he used to build the castle. He took them from the National Forest surrounding his property, and he felt that they were his for the taking. The feds wanted to charge him by the truckload. The government disputed his use of unsanctioned road signs that pointed to his site. Ultimately, official road signs were placed. 

We had been here with Alex in 1992, and we were amazed at how much more had been done on the castle in the interim. It's tallest tower is 160 feet, and he built the whole thing with mothing but his hands. It's an amazing work of art and human patience and industry.

Photos are here: Royal Gorge--https://photos.app.goo.gl/zyYr87g9DCWg7gp67

                            Bishop Castle--https://photos.app.goo.gl/vL31dAQY9m9bJ1ZW8