My goal while in Colorado was to spend as much of the Rocky Mountains as I could, and I chose two locations along the way back to Denver which had accommodation available. The first overnight stop was in Gunnison.

On the way to Gunnison I stopped at the Colorado National Monument to hike along the canyon rim. I was impressed with the scenery of the drive along the way to get to the visitor’s center: It was a 23 mile drive along the cliffs and the edge of the canyon that provided beautiful views of the surrounding area and the red rock formations. Once getting to the visitor’s center there was plenty of information about the fauna, flora and geology of the park, and also included a documentary.

From the edge of the canyon I could see the bottom of the canyon, and although it was not nearly as impressive as The Grand Canyon, it was undoubtedly a great place to visit. There are plenty of trails to chose from at the park, ranging from short walks along the canyon rim, to day long challenging trails.

roadtrip progress:

27 hr (1,693 miles) – Direct route travel

references:

• https://www.visitgrandjunction.com/blog/post/colorado-national-monument-spoiled-naturally/