Grand Junction, CO (Colorado National Monument) - 2026

 Colorado Monument is a beautiful place. We drove the 23 mile Rim Rock Drive starting on the East (Grand Junction) Entrance and came out on the West (Fruita) Entrance. It was too warm to do any hikes but I checked out the short hikes to some beautiful viewpoints. The plateau and canyon country is full of red rock geology.

Fallen Rocks Viewpoint

The weather plays a big part of rocks falling. Moisture freezes in cooler temperatures and then expands when it warms causing the rocks to fall.

Highland View

Artists View

I did not hike down here.

Coke Ovens

Erosion produces unusual shapes in the landscape. As the Kayenta Formation layers erode the Wingate formation beneath it is exposes unique features. Early visitors thought these shapes looked like man-made structures called coke ovens.

The Grand View

The trail down to the Grand View

An elder gentleman (I know he was older than me because he said he served in Vietnam) asked me if I wanted to know some things about what I was looking at. He said when he was younger he hiked the trail below. First, he started by saying when you walk that trail you are walking on the same soil the dinosaurs walked on.

He said when you are on the trail, this looks like a maltese falcon. I can see the head so I suppose it does look like a falcon. 

Looking at the top it kind of reminded me of the Millenium Falcon from Star Wars.

Looking at the picture above, the first formation is known as the kissing cousins.

The second formation is known as the praying hands.

The next set of formations, the gentleman was trying to point out an arch in the rock wall. I told him in the 2nd part of this set I see a sand timer. He said yes I could see how you would see that instead of an arch.

This is Independence Rock. The gentleman told me that on the 4th of July, firefighters and first responders hike out to this rock to climb it. They erect a flag that stays out there for a week or so. 

This is Independence Monument from . the next view point, they look completely different.

Balanced Rock

I see a person with a hat.