{"id":33030,"date":"2018-04-26T17:06:42","date_gmt":"2018-04-27T00:06:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/?p=33030"},"modified":"2020-04-29T16:05:05","modified_gmt":"2020-04-29T23:05:05","slug":"your-guide-to-visiting-colorado-national-monument","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/travel\/your-guide-to-visiting-colorado-national-monument","title":{"rendered":"Your Guide to Visiting Colorado National Monument"},"content":{"rendered":"

Located high on the greater Colorado Plateau, Colorado National Monument features steep red rock canyons, towering monoliths and sprawling pinyon-juniper woodlands. It is also home to desert bighorn sheep, mountain lions and coyotes, among other critters. In 1911, President Taft designated the monument, noting that \u201cextraordinary examples of erosion are of great scientific interest,\u201d in his\u00a0<\/span>presidential proclamation<\/span><\/a>. Scientists still <\/span>conduct research in the park<\/span><\/a> today, and visitors explore the red rock landscape in all sorts of ways\u2014from camping and backpacking to hiking, biking and rock climbing.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Colorado

Monument Canyon includes views of rock formations like the Kissing Couple. (Photo Credit: National Park Service)<\/p><\/div>\n

Colorado National Monument, near Grand Junction and the western edge of the state, is one of more than 100 national monuments. Like national parks, many of these monuments offer stellar opportunities for hiking, camping and other outdoor recreation, <\/span>though they differ from national parks and other public lands<\/span><\/a>. Typically, national monuments are smaller than national parks. A variety of federal agencies can manage national monuments; only the National Park Service oversees national parks. The president or Congress can designate national monuments for cultural, historical or scientific reasons; national parks are typically designated for other reasons, such as their scenic or educational value. National monuments also tend to be less crowded than national parks. Last year, Colorado National Monument saw <\/span>more than 375,000 visitors<\/span><\/a>, a fraction of the <\/span>4.4 million who visited Rocky Mountain National Park<\/span><\/a> the same year. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

What do those 375,000 people do when they come to the monument, which spans some 20,000 acres? Everything from enjoying a scenic drive to testing their mettle on a 33-mile biking loop with sheer drop-offs and 2,300 feet of elevation gain. <\/span><\/p>\n

Hiking in Colorado National Monument<\/b><\/h2>\n

The monument contains more than 40 miles of hiking trails, encompassing a variety of <\/span>short hikes<\/span><\/a> and <\/span>longer trails<\/span><\/a>. Some are quick jaunts from the car and others are longer, more involved explorations.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIf folks are looking for a particular experience in the monument, stop by the visitors\u2019 center and we would be happy to help them pinpoint the type of hike that will suit their purposes,\u201d says monument Chief of Interpretation Arlene Jackson. \u201cOne of the things I love about this place is even though it\u2019s not very big, it seems to have a little something for everyone.\u201d Below are a few visitor favorites.<\/span><\/p>\n

Monument Canyon Trail<\/b><\/a><\/h3>\n