Grand Junction, CO – We toured the Colorado National Monument in July of 2017 with Mike’s parents. The Colorado National Monument is located just west of Grand Junction off Interstate I-70. It showcases fabulous rock formations carved by the Colorado River which flows through the Grand Valley 2000 feet below. Explore red rock, a high plateau and several canyons in this 32 square mile monument. The monument is located at the edge of the Uncompahgre Uplift, a part of the greater Colorado Plateau, which also includes such geologic wonders as the Grand Canyon, Bryce, and Arches national parks.
The Colorado National Monument is just west of Grand Junction, Colorado
The monument is home to pinyon pine and juniper, ravens and jays, desert bighorns and coyotes. Magnificent views from highland trails and Rim Rock Drive include colorful sheer-walled canyons and fascinating rock sculptures, the distant Colorado River valley, Book Cliffs, and the huge flat topped mountain called Grand Mesa. We combined our trip to the Colorado National Monument with a drive on the Grand Mesa Scenic Byway.
Rock formations and the distant Colorado River Valley and Book Cliffs from Colorado National Monument
We started at the west entrance which is 12 miles west of Grand Junction at Exit 19 off I-70. There are signs to the National Monument. Stop at the Visitor Center which has displays about the geologic formations and wildlife in the monument. They also show informative films throughout the day. We walked a short stretch of the Canyon Rim Trail, which provided excellent views of Wedding Canyon.
Monument Canyon
We drove the 23 mile RIm Rock Drive through the monument. The road winds from the valley to the monument’s high country and then winds along the plateau rim. Along the route are numerous pullout and parking areas with varying length trails to view the many features. There are seven backcountry hiking trails, ranging from 3 to 8.5 miles in length, that wind through the monument which Mike and I look forward to hiking on return trips. We exited on the east side of the monument and headed back to Grand Junction.
The Coke Ovens
Ute Canyon
