Locally referred to as The Monument, Colorado National Monument is a National Park Service unit located near the city of Grand Junction, Colorado. Astonishing canyons cut deep into sandstone and graniteâ??gneissâ??schist, rock formations. The park hosts a varied range of wildlife, including red-tailed hawks, ravens, golden eagles, jays, desert bighorn sheep, and coyotes. You can also engage in a lot of activities including hiking, horseback riding, road bicycling, and enticing scenic drives. There is also a visitor center on the west side that contains a natural history museum and gift shop.

You can cherish some striking views from trails and the Rim Rock Drive that winds by the plateau and also from the campground. You can also bliss the nearby points such as the Book Cliffs and the largest flat-topped mountain in the world, the Grand Mesa.

The feature attraction is Monument Canyon, which runs the width of the park and contains rock formations like Independence Monument, the Kissing Couple, and Coke Ovens.

Quick Facts

Things to Do: Hiking, Camping, Historic Rim Rock Drive, Bicycling, Wildlife

Address: 1750 Rim Rock Drive Fruita, CO 81521

Open Hours: The Monument is open 24 hours a day year-round. Rim Rock Road is only closed for poor road conditions (snow, ice, rock fall, etc.)

Sunday to Saturday: Open 24 Hours

Entrance Fees: Private Non-commercial Vehicle Entrance Fee - $10.00, Motorcycle Entrance Fee - $5.00, Individual Entrance Fee (Hiker, Bicyclist) - $5.00

Best Time to Visit: Spring (April-May) and fall (mid-September-October) are considered to be the best time to visit.