Over the years, we’d been through Grand Junction at least 4 times, but had never stopped there or visited any of the local attractions. After this trip, Colorado National Monument will certainly be a place we would like to visit again.
Colorado National Monument, established May 24, 1911, is located just to the west of Grand Junction. Part of the larger Colorado Plateau, the monument features canyons that cut deep into sandstone and even granite formation. It is high desert country, with elevation in the park ranging from 4000 feet to nearly 7000 feet above sea level. Summer temperatures are usually very hot, while nighttime winter temperatures can be extremely cold. Precipitation is limited, with an annual average of just over 10 inches..
The monument has a lot of hiking trails, with varying length and difficulty – we took two moderately long hikes during our visit, managing to wander off of the Devil’s Kitchen trail into and unmarked area. We also took the Monument Canyon Trail from the upper trailhead to the Coke Ovens overlook and back. The lower portion of the train from the lower trailhead to Independence Monument and back is highly recommended for visitors looking to do only one hike. It’s a 2.5 mile hike that follows the base of sandstone cliffs, offering views of towering rock formations and, in the fall, it’s the best trail to see desert bighorn sheep.
Photos from Colorado National Monument have been published on the Exit78 facebook page in the “Colorado National Monument” album.
Selected Information Resources:
Karen’s Post – Colorado National Monument
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About nine miles south of Estes Park on Colorado 7, we stopped to take pictures of the Chapel on the Rock – officially St. Catherine of Siena Chapel – on the grounds of Saint Malo Retreat Center. The chapel is built on an large piece of granite that the Colorado highway department once planned to dynamite to widen and straighten the adjacent highway. Dedicated in 1936, the chapel was built from local stone hauled in by mule carts.
Our next stop was a rest area in Glenwood Canyon, a rugged and scenic canyon on the Colorado River. This area is one of the most scenic natural features along the U.S. Interstate Highway System. Foot access is available for hiking a four rest areas in the canyon. The highway through the canyon was one of the final pieces of the system to open to traffic and was one of the most expensive per mile constructed in the United States. In its 12.5 mile length, there are three tunnels, 40 bridges and viaducts, and miles of retaining walls. “Through a significant portion of the canyon, the eastbound lanes extend cantilevered over the Colorado River and the westbound lanes are suspended on a viaduct several feet above the canyon floor.” (Wikipedia)
This was our second time on this trail segment, which runs from the Bear Lake parking area to Emerald Lake and connects with other Bear Lake area trails. We had hoped to make it to Emerald Lake if our legs, and the weather, held out. The weather had been iffy overnight and during the morning. Trail Ridge Road had been closed closed the night before and remained closed due to snow for the first time in the season. With rain threatening, instead of a hike that morning, we went into Estes Park. After lunch and walking around Estes Park town center a bit more, we headed back into the park to the Bear Lake area trailhead.
From the Bear Lake area trails parking lot (9,475 ft.), the trail climbs steady for 1/2 mile, then levels off at about 9, 700 feet at the south end of small, lily pad covered Nymph Lake. The trail begins climbing again in the forest on the north end of Nymph Lake and levels off again at Dream Lake, 1.1 miles from the trail head and at an elevation of 9,912′ ft. Dream Lake is .35 miles long. The trail passes along its west shore.