Colorado National Monument is a gorgeous natural landscape created by uplift of rock from below and erosion from snow freezing and melting creating cracks in stone eventually creating this canyon. Although this canyon is wide and stunning in itself, the massive monolith rock formations that appear to come up from canyon floor are what makes this canyon truly standout.
Colorado National Monument is a very quick offshoot from I70 and you’d never realize that a stunning rocky desert wonderland was hiding up in the cliffs off to the south. However, after driving up and around those cliffs, I can tell you that this will be a common stop on our trips to Moab (and beyond) from here on out.
Need To Know About Colorado National Monument
HOURS OF OPERATION: Colorado National Monument is open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, but there is one caveat to that.
The visitor center is closed on New Years Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas. Hours vary based on season, but will at least be open 9am-4:30pm.
RIM ROCK ROAD CLOSURES: Rim Rock Road, the road that goes along the edge of the monument, can sometimes be closed due to inclement weather like ice or snow.
COST OF VISIT: $25 for vehicles with up to 15 passengers (non-commercial). $20 for motorcycles. $15 for individuals on foot or bicycle. Each of these passes are valid for seven days. These fees can be paid at the visitor center. They have a drop box where you can pay with card, check or cash.
Also, this park is covered by the America The Beautiful Annual Pass. This is a must for any national park lover who plans to visit multiple parks throughout the year. It’s $80 for a full year based on the month you purchased it.
PET LOVERS: Pets are allowed in Colorado National Monument, but they are not allowed on any hiking trails or in the backcountry. So be sure to make plans for your pups if you’re planning to do more than drive the Rim Road.
What We Did in Colorado National Monument in 4 Hours
There are several short trails and lots of backcountry hiking opportunities here. Because we were just passing through and had the 1-year-old in tow we made the most of this park in the 4 hours we had in the morning before Little Miss’s nap time. (Read more about traveling with an infant.) Even in that short window we were able to drive Rim Rock Road, do 5 short trails, visit the Visitor Center and stop at multiple overlooks as well.
Hiking Trails We Did in Colorado National Monument
WINDOW ROCK TRAIL: Distance: 0.5 miles total, out and back / Difficulty: Easy
Window Rock Trail is a quick trail that leads to an overlook of Window Rock, which is a sort of natural bridge that create a little window on the edge of the canyon. In addition to the actual formation which gives the trail its name, you get views into two canyons in the park: Monument Canyon and Wedding Canyon.
For the Love of Wanderlust Tip: This trail is very easily combined with the Canyon Rim Trail. We parked at the Visitor Center and continued along the canyon edge which ended at Window Rock making is 1.5 miles total.
CANYON RIM TRAIL: Distance: 1 mile total, out and back / Difficulty: Easy
Canyon Rim Trail is a must for any visit to Colorado National Monument. It goes along the rim of Wedding Canyon which looks down over some of the iconic monoliths. This trail goes through pinyon-juniper brush and past beautiful prickly pear cacti and wildflowers that are stunning to see bloom in the spring! This trail ends at Book Cliff Overlook.
For the Love of Wanderlust Tip: Like I mentioned above, this trail is very easily combined with the Window Rock Trail making it 1.5 miles total.
ALCOVE NATURE TRAIL: Distance: 1 mile total, out and back / Difficulty: Easy
This is a great trail for anyone looking to learn about the flora, fauna and stone of Colorado National Monument and for families if you’re wanting to teach your kids while traveling too! This trail leads you back to box canyon which gives you a little bit of those slot canyon feels. There are pamphlets at the beginning of the trail that tell you what things are at each numbered stop. Please recycle these, or better yet, put them back in the slot for the next person to use.
OTTO’S TRAIL: Distance: 1 mile total, out and back / Difficulty: Easy
This was probably my favorite hike of our visit here. This trail takes you out and over a formation getting you much more up-close and personal with some of the formations nestled inside Wedding Canyon. I think this trail does a fantastic job of putting those formations to scale and the views are just stunning! There were a lot of wildflowers lining this trail that I loved getting to see in bloom.
COKE OVENS TRAIL: Distance: 1 mile total, out and back / Difficulty: Moderately Easy
This is another trail that takes you out into the canyon for amazing views, much like Otto’s Trail. This trail takes you down a few switchbacks before leveling back out a bit.
There are three other short hiking trails that we can’t wait to do on our next visit(s) to Colorado National Monument, as well as loads of backcountry to explore. However, I feel like we still made a pretty good dent in the hiking trails here and I love that you can do so much in a short amount of time.
Driving Rim Rock Drive + Overlooks
Rim Rock Drive is the only road that cuts through Colorado National Monument and is a truly stunning drive. It hugs the rim of the canyons in a spectacular display of red rocks splashed with sage greens of junipers. The drive connects enters/exits Fruita and Grand Junction depending on which direction you’re coming from.
This 23-mile road twists and winds along with the natural curves of the canyon. You’ll encounter switchbacks, tight turns and bicyclists along the way – be sure to share the road. This drive takes about an hour without stops, so don’t be fooled by the short mileage.
Many sections of this drive remind me of the drive into Zion National Park. The colors of the rock are similar and the presence of juniper contrast so perfectly, much like the colors in Zion.
BALANCED ROCK OVERLOOK – I’m such a sucker for rock formations. So, the chance to see a Balanced Rock was one we obviously took. Look up to see it!
VIEW FROM THE VISITORS CENTER – I always stop at a visitor center when we visit any park. I like to ask rangers/workers if they have any hidden spots they’d be willing to share. Sometimes you’ll find something cool you can’t live without. And now, I love to try to find something memorable for Charleigh (like books or a special toy). Plus, the view from the back deck here or about 100 yards to the overlook is stunning!
UPPER UTE CANYON OVERLOOK – This particular overlook requires a tiny bit of a “hike” to get to the end of the overlook. You can just to do the initial overlook when you pull over, but 0.2 miles down is an even better viewpoint!
RED CANYON OVERLOOK – This is probably my favorite overlook in Colorado National Monument that we stopped for. (There are several others but we were tight on time.) This is just a super stunning overlook full of those perfect desert tones, especially on a day with crisp, blue skies.
Planning a Trip to Colorado National Monument? These Things Might Help!
Where to Stay for a Trip to Colorado National Monument
Fruita and Grand Junction are both great places to make a base camp for a trip to Colorado National Monument. If you’re looking to be in the area for more than a day, I would recommend Grand Junction because it’s bigger and has more options for accommodation and food. Fruita would be a great stopover if, like us, you’re continuing west.
Hiking Gear You Might Want to Purchase
While the trails we did were shorter, there are some longer options that you might need some extra gear for. These are things we’ve used on our many, many hikes that we love and think you might too! One thing I want to emphasize is the Deuter Kid Comfort kiddo backpack. We’ve used a few different carriers and this is truly the ultimate kid carrier!
The number of time’s I’ve driven through Grand Junction and Fruita without stopping at Colorado National Monument is, well, shocking. To be honest, I didn’t even really notice the signs for it, but when I was mapping out our route to Moab in May it finally caught my attention, and I’m so glad that it did. This is a park that I will gladly be visiting on trips down I70. I can’t wait to explore more of the park and see more each time we visit!
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