Just south of Grand Junction lies Colorado National Monument. Never heard of it? You’re not alone. A few years ago, residents declined the opportunity to convert it to a national park. The reason? It would spoil this quiet, pristine area with traffic and tourists.

Also, the name is a misnomer as I thought it would be a single, man-made monument like the Washington Monument in DC. Instead, it is an area of red rocks, canyons and the Colorado River Valley.

And unspoiled it is. We drove the 23-mile Rim Rock Drive from the east entrance (just south of Grand Junction) to Fruita, where we hooked back on to I-70. The late afternoon sun glimmered on the rocks creating spectacular scenery. Since there was no traffic on the two-lane road, it only took 45-60 minutes out of trip. Highlights included the Coke Ovens, Balanced Rock and Independence Monument – all formed by erosion with views of Book Cliffs on the horizon.

We passed several cyclists biking to the highest point 2,000 above the Ute Canyon. Additionally, several short trails were labelled on the map; but because of the high winds, we remained in the car. For more adventurous types, several backcountry trails ranging from 3 – 8 miles wind through the canyons. Colorado National Monument is definitely worth visiting for anyone in the area. For more information, see their website.

Click here to see a map of the drive.