Tourism is a major boost to the economies of the Royal Gorge region and the Trinidad area. Although tourism has dropped off a bit since it peaked during the pandemic, tourism indicators in both areas are at least on par with 2023.
Royal Gorge region
As of July 31, 2024, collections from Fremont County’s 2% lodging tax were up 0.5%, a modest increase over the same period of 2023, says Bryan Jordan, owner and president of Destination IQ. The county contracts with Jordan’s Buena Vista-based firm for destination management services. Through the end of September, about 5,100 tourism packets and visitor guides were mailed out, Jordan says, matching 2023 numbers.
The Royal Gorge Bridge and Park, the Royal Gorge Route Railroad and outdoor sports including the rafting industry are the three attractions that generate the most visits to Fremont County, Jordan says. Because of the mild weather in the Royal Gorge region — “it’s sometimes referred to as the Banana Belt of Colorado,” Jordan says — the area draws people year round.
At the Royal Gorge Railroad, “our summer was excellent,” says Kelly Pascal Gould of Denver-based Pascal Public Relations. The railroad does not share specific numbers, but Pascal Gould says that, month by month to date this year, ridership has matched or exceeded ridership in 2022 and 2023.
Events throughout the summer bring people to the Royal Gorge area.
The season kicks off with the Cañon City Music & Blossom Festival, held May 1-5, 2024, for the 86th year. The festival features a parade along Main Street, band competitions, free concerts, 5K run, a crafts fair and carnival.
The 15th annual Royal Gorge Whitewater Festival, held July 26-27, 2024, celebrates the area’s outdoor industry. It included numerous rafting and kayak events and competitions, water sports demonstrations, 5K and 10K trail runs and live music performances on several outdoor stages in Centennial Park.
The 22nd annual Harvest Festival, held this year on Sept. 28-29 at The Winery at Holy Cross Abbey, opened with the traditional blessing of the harvest and offered wine tastings, food and live music.
Attendance numbers for these events are not available, but they attract both visitors and residents, Jordan says.
The Royal Gorge Railroad is launching a Thanksgiving train this year that will run at 12:30 p.m. on Thanksgiving Day. The family-oriented Santa Express Train, with up to three departures a day, runs from Nov. 20-Dec. 31 and is one of the busiest events of the year, Pascal Gould says. The daily Holiday Train offers a more subdued ride for adults.
The Christmas Parade of Lights, a signature event of the Royal Gorge Chamber Alliance, has been a Cañon City tradition since 1989. This year’s parade us set for 6-8 p.m. Dec. 7.
Las Animas County
A new visitor center opened in downtown Trinidad in September 2023, says Marty Hackett, Welcome Center manager and event coordinator for the city of Trinidad. Formerly stationed at the Colorado Welcome Center off Interstate 25, Hackett now greets visitors at the downtown site at 210 W. Main St.
Visits to the Colorado Welcome Center totaled 16,444 through September of this year, Hackett says, which is on par with 2023 figures.
Arts events and installations are among the attractions visitors enjoy. The Commons @ Space to Create hosted an exhibit called “Goodnight Moon” in 2023. A fiber diorama produced by two local artists, it brought lots of attention to the Corazón de Trinidad Creative District and attracted visitors from across the country, Hackett says. Other popular exhibits include the Smithsonian Institution’s “Change Across Rural America,” which brought in about 5,000 people over five months, and “Colorado Scenic & Historic Byways,” featured from Aug. 1-Oct. 31, 2024. The A.R. Mitchell Museum of Western Art is another popular attraction.
Outdoor recreation is another draw, including hiking, mountain biking, fishing, boating and camping at the area’s two state parks.
Las Animas County is capitalizing on its hundreds of miles of gravel roads, Hackett says, with dedicated cycling routes and the Rad Dirt Fest, part of the Life Time Fitness Grand Prix circuit of races, held each September for the past four years.
About 700 riders competed in the Rad race the first year, Hackett says. This year, nearly 1,000 riders participated and, along with supporters, the race brought in about 3,000 people, she says.
Upcoming events include the Holiday Homelighting Trolley Tour on Dec. 17, 18, 22and 23, and Victorian-style tea parties in the Trinidad History Museum on Saturday afternoons until Christmas.
