Colorado National Monument
Colorado is usually only associated with the Rocky Mountains, but the state shares 1/4thof the four corners monument with the Southwest. Being only forty miles from the eastern Utah border, Colorado shares the red sandstone cliffs and canyons southern Utah is famous for. The plateau from which these canyons are carved sits high above the city of Grand Junction, the Rio Grande River Valley, and Interstate-70. If you’re traveling through Grand Junction, set aside an hour so you can at least take the scenic drive through the park.
SCENIC DRIVE
Red Rock Canyon Overlook and Ute Canyon View offer spectacular looks down their respective canyons. When we see geologic features like the canyons and spires here we often think of them as finished products, but at Falling Rock Overlook you can get a glimpse at a snapshot of the process of canyon formation. When the softer rock below an enormous rock column eroded away, the pillar slid feet first, like slipping down an icy set of stairs, and is now leaning against the northern Ute Canyon wall. As the ground beneath it erodes further, the rock will continue to slide into the canyon.
Continuing along Rimrock Dr, the road is threaded around the termini of number of canyon arms. Stop at Monument Canyon Viewfor the iconic image of Monument Rock with Independence Monument in the background. Grand View sits between the two famous rocks, one on ether side of you. If you can only stop once, make it at Independence Monument View. The walls of Monument Canyon open up to frame the Colorado River Valley in the distance, and Independence Monument juts 450ft. from the canyon floor in the middle of a sprawling vista. Every year, on the 4thof July, a climbing expedition takes to the monumental minaret, plants a flag, and lights off fireworks from the top of the stone spire.
HIKING
A number of trails can be hiked through the canyons, but they are quite lengthy. Liberty Cap Trail stretches thirteen miles between its trailhead outside the eastern edge of the park to Rimrock Rd. near Highland View. Ute Canyon Trail is eleven miles long, gains almost 2000ft in elevation, begins on Rimrock Rd., and meets up with Liberty Cap Trail on the eastern side of the park. Monument Canyon Trail loses roughly 1500ft of elevation from Rimrock Rd. and takes you to the foot of both Monument Rock and Independence Monument. The entire trail is eleven miles round trip, but Independence rock at roughly the half-way point if you’d rather turn around there.
