Colorado National Monument: Not what you’d think
Quick now, when I say we visited the Colorado National Monument, what did you think?
Unless you've been here and seen it, I bet you thought is was a statue of some sort, didn't you?
I know I did when my daughter, Wendy, first insisted we include it in our list of “must sees” during our Great Roadtreking Family Vacation of 2013.
The monument is not what we expected.
It is nothing short of stupendously beautiful, a long stretch of spectacular rock monotliths cut deep into the sandstone and even granite rock formations that make for sheer-walled, red rock canyons following the undulating twists and turns of the Rim Rock Drive that traverses up and down and through the preserve for 24 miles.
That's what the Colorado National Monument really is – a preserve, located just west of Grand Junction, CO and south of the mountain bike mecca of Fruita. It offers panoramic views of towering red rock structures with almost two dozen spots to pull over for photos. There are also lots of hiking trails.
We stayed in the James M Robb -Colorado River State Park a quarter mile south of I-70 at the Fruita exit. The park has five sections, but only the Fruita section and the the Island Acres location 15 miles to the west offer camping The National Monument is another half mile down the road. There is also a great dinosaur museum nearby.
It takes about two hours to see the major sights on the monument drive, though three hours is probably a better minimum amount of time to devote to your tour.
There is an 80 site campground on the monument grounds, though there are no electric or water hookups, something my newbie son and daughter and their families need their first time out. If it were just Jennifer and me, we would have stayed up in the campground. But we have no complaints about Colorado State Parks. We've been very impressed with the ones we have stayed at.
We did our drive through the monument in a mid afternoon. Then we found a great Mexican restaurant in Fruita with an outdoor patio that let all off us eat there with the dogs tied up at our feet, under the table. Usually, we have to take turns babysitting the dogs and one or two of us have to stay in our air conditioned Roadtrek while the others shop or eat. So it was a real treat to all be able to eat out together.
So know we know: The Colorado National Monument is not a statue. It is a place, run by the U.S. Parks Service just like a National Park.
If I had my way, I'd give it a new name: I'd call it the Colorado National Treasure.
Difference between National Monument and National Park. I didnt know this until this year.
http://www.nps.gov/history/history/online_books/portfolio/portfolio0b.htm
Yay National Monuments!
Very nice.
One of the places we used to take all of our out of state visitors .. Still would if we still lived in our home town. 🙂 N
Been there! Beautiful place.
Beautiful park and a really nice campground!
I want one!
Awesome rocks, awesome vistas
This summer!
I would love to do that
Beautiful place!!
Mike’s main point – don’t infer a narrow definition of the word ‘Monument’ – is spot on. I had a similar ‘Ah-ha’ re: the Upper Missouri River Breaks National Monument. Breaks? A statue about something broken? Hardly. ‘Breaks’ turns out to be a Western term and that ‘monument’…well, here’s one definition: “Called “The Breaks” by locals, it is a series of badland areas characterized by rock outcroppings, steep bluffs and grassy plains. The adjacent Missouri River was designated a Wild and Scenic River in 1976 and forms a western boundary while the Charles M. Russell National Wildlife Refuge is to the east. The Breaks country was a model for many of the paintings done by painter Charles M. Russell.”
Now who would attach a ‘narrow’ definition to those dramatically different landscapes? No longer me…
Hi Mike, we just now pulled in the driveway after a 10 day trip to Pagosa Springs, Colorado. Like you we were blown away by the beauty of Colorado, and dang it after reading your blog I’m ready to get back up there AGAIN tomorrow
Gorgeous pics! Gotta add this to my bucket list.
Hi Mike and all,
We toured this monument last summer, great place. We tried to stay at James Robb but it was full. But across the street the private campground had two spots. There was a wine festival in Grand Junction!
If you need a campground near Denver got to Cherry Creek SP in Aurora. Very nice with full hookups.
Harry
I enjoy reading about your adventures! We have a class A motorhome but we have had some of the same experiences you have had,
well, i am glad you’re out of the KOA dystopia and back in a more people-friendly environment. i love that red rock country, and you can see it in patches all over the southwest. that’s a great group portrait- who took it?