Trip Report: Colorado National Monument
“Well, you know what they say about Utah: it’s the best part of Colorado.”
It was midmorning on a snowy weekend in March, and I had just shared my plans with my car mechanic to head toward Utah the next day. Of course, I was thrilled to be heading to Abbey Country soon, but what the mechanic didn’t know was that I had a pitstop to make before road-tripping to the “best part” of Colorado - a pitstop to an often-heard-of but little-explored slice of wilderness, right in Colorado.
Colorado National Monument encompasses a relatively tiny 32 square miles - compared to, say, the whopping 527 square miles that Canyonlands National Park contains - but it is, as I like to joke, Utah’s best-kept secret. Of course, the monument is located just outside of Grand Junction, Colorado, but upon entering the protected area you may very well feel as though you just apparated an hour west to the state of sandstone and slickrock.
Soaking in the view from the Upper Monument Canyon trailhead, with the unmistakable Coke Ovens in the center.
During my three-day, two-night visit this past March, I was pleased to find that the park offers a small campground for visitors. At $20 a night, the Saddlehorn Campground might not be the cheapest option in the area (when there are $10/night campgrounds at other areas close to Fruita), but I’d say it’s a damn good steal considering that the sites are well-maintained, relatively secluded, close to clean restrooms, and a stone’s throw away from the host of trails that the monument offers.
Though I only had one full day and an early morning to spend exploring the area, the variety and quality of the trails blew me away. On my first morning, my road trip partner and I jumped from trail to trail, getting an idea of the offering within the monument. Our first stop - more of an overlook - was Otto’s Trail, a short jaunt offering stellar views of Independence Monument and Monument Canyon.
Otto's Trail offers a short jaunt but expansive views of Independence Monument (right), the city of Grand Junction, and beyond.
We drove the singular road in the monument from one end to the other, stopping occasionally at overlooks to peer into the various canyons which offered stunning views. We finally pulled off at the Devil’s Kitchen trailhead, the first trail in the park if you come through the east entrance of the monument. From this trailhead, you can hike over eight miles one-way through No Thoroughfare Canyon, an area of the park that appeared relatively secluded and ruggedly beautiful. While we did not make it into this canyon, one of the rangers shared with us that the hike would be a great option for those looking to backpack in a few miles and camp away from the crowds (backcountry camping permits are free; inquire at the Saddlehorn Visitor Center). One of the easier (and thus much more highly-trafficked) trails from here leads to Devil’s Kitchen, a startlingly red sandstone “room” of sorts with soaring rock walls on all sides. While beautiful and fun to explore, I can only imagine the kind of heat that would stick around in there during a scorching July day - hence the namesake.
Devil's Kitchen: no food in here, but plenty of room to explore!
After enjoying our lunch at the Devil’s Kitchen Picnic Area, we began to work our way back down the road we drove over in the morning, once again occasionally stopping at overlooks to marvel at the stunning canyons. Sure, they might not have been that big compared to Black Canyon of the Gunnison or any number of canyons in Utah, but not having to battle for a viewing spot at the overlook added major bonus points in and of itself to our experience at Colorado National Monument.
Our third - and final - notable pitstop on our cruise back to our campsite was the trail that runs through Monument Canyon. We parked at the upper trailhead - close to the Coke Ovens - and decided to get in our daily trail run on this route. Turns out, we couldn’t have possibly picked a better trail to cruise along.
The trail starts down several moderate switchbacks, with endless canyon vistas to the right and soaring sandstone walls to the left. Without a doubt, the most challenging aspect of this trail was just trying to stay on it while simultaneously gawking at the 360 degree views!
Monument Canyon trail: miles of trail running bliss.
Once the trail leveled out, we were able to really hit our stride as the soft surface beneath gave way to easy footfalls and the juniper trees around us provided a fun landscape to run through. The easy trail allowed us to cruise about three miles, close to the base of Independence Monument, until we decided to call it quits. The trail continues on for a couple more miles, but we already had dinner on our minds at that point! On the run back to the trailhead, we were able to spot the ‘Kissing Couple,’ two sandstone towers that appear to be “kissing” when viewed from the right angle. We saw only one other person on the entire run, and although the trail offers the occasional glimpse of Grand Junction, we felt like we were worlds away from civilization.
The next morning, before we headed west for Utah, we stopped at the visitor center one last time to top off our water bottles and inquire about job openings in the monument (kidding - sort of). There are two short trails leading right from the visitor center which make for a great last-minute outing before hitting the road. The Canyon Rim trail, leading straight out of the building, provides incredible views of Monument Canyon and several notable features in the park. The Alcove Nature Trail, across from the visitor center, provides a fun stroll through juniper trees and along a sandstone wall. The trail ends in a small - you guessed it - alcove, which is fun to explore and would be a great spot for families with little ones to check out.
The Alcove Nature Trail: providing an excellent neck stretch for visitors of all ages
Though we only had one full day to explore the monument, we were blown away by the number (and variation) of well-maintained trails and were thrilled to find solitude is such an easily accessible park. Probably the most surprising part of our experience was that we had never even heard of the monument before arriving and knew nobody that had been there before. In fact, we originally only stopped there because it seemed like a nice halfway point to stop and sleep between Boulder and Moab! Of course, the funniest part is that it instantly became a favorite part of our trip, and I’m most certainly making plans to return there in 2017.
If you’re looking for canyons, sandstone, warmer temps, and less people, Colorado National Monument is a much shorter drive away (for those of us in Colorado) than comparable spots in Utah with about a third of the people. And for those of you with an annual parks pass, yes, national monuments are covered by that pass! So the next time you’re looking to escape for a weekend of sun, sandstone, and endless trails, don’t make our mistake of just making it a pitstop - make it a destination instead.
Feast your eyes and run (or hike) your heart out.
