Joining a climb of the Royal Gorge on one of the via ferrata routes will give you a new perspective on the depth of the canyon and the span and height of the suspension bridge. (Provided by Royal Gorge Bridge and Park) When Peggy Gair first surveyed the fire damage at the Royal Gorge Bridge and Park in June 2013, she saw a scene straight out of a nightmare — concrete stairs leading to nowhere, a carousel with grotesquely charred figurines, the blackened remains of trees, collapsed buildings, a scorched shuttle bus. Miraculously, the highest suspension bridge in North America was still standing.