Tag Archive for: Top Day trips from Grand Junction Colorado

Leaf Peeping from Grand Junction

See my leaf peeping videos on Facebook! https://www.facebook.com/LiveYourVacationinGrandJunction

When fall comes and you want to go leaf peeping from Grand Junction, you have a huge advantage over people who live on the Front Range. Here on the Western Slope, we can easily get to Telluride, Ouray, Crested Butte, and of course, the Grand Mesa. We don’t need to sit in traffic for long hours due to congestion on I-70. In fact, we don’t have to get on I-70 at all! If you are not from Colorado and you have never driven our East/West Interstate, please read my post called “I-70: What it’s really like to drive it.” And be prepared to be entertained!

Crested Butte Leaf Peeping

We took at day trip the last weekend in September to go leaf peeping from Grand Junction to Crested Butte. We took Kebler Pass, it’s only open during the summer months. It was stunning. We stopped at our favorite spot for tea/coffee, Rumors, and ate at McGill’s Restaurant. Both are located on the main drag, Elk Ave. Supposedly the largest Aspen grove is found along Kebler Pass. The leaves were amazing, and while the pass was popular, there wasn’t any “traffic” to contend with.

We left Grand Junction and drove to Paonia, then the Kebler Pass to and from Crested Butte. On our way back, we drove through Redstone and had a picnic dinner along the river, then to Glenwood Springs and came back I-70 to Grand Junction. But we could have come back via Paonia and stayed off I-70 if we wanted to. But we like making a loop to see different things vs coming back the same way.

Fall leaves from Kebler Pass with ferns and aspen trees with yellow leaves

Kebler Pass on the way to Crested Butte

Fall leaves along Kebler Pass with mountains and blue sky

Kebler Pass view while driving to Crested Butte

bright orange and yellow fall leaves and Michelle and Paul Aspelin

Crested Butte last week of September

Eating picnic dinner along the river in Redstone showing mountains and park

We sat at a marble picnic table and ate dinner along the river in Redstone

Grand Mesa Leaf Peeping

We took another day trip the very next day. This time we went leaf peeping from Grand Junction to the Grand Mesa. We did that day trip twice this fall. The second trip was the last weekend of September, the leaves were in their peak colors. We drove up to Powderhorn Mountain Resort during their special “Color Day” celebration and took the chairlift up to the top of the mountain. That was Michelle’s first time on a chairlift. We hiked a part of the West Bench Trail at the top of the mountain and came back to the resort for a snack and listened to the music on the outdoor deck.

Yellow and green aspen leaves viewed from the chairlift at Powderhorn Mountain Resort

View from the chairlift at Powderhorn Mountain Resort

Walking the West Bench Trail among the yellow aspens at the top of Powderhorn

View of the mountain biking trail below the chairlift at Powderhorn

On a different trip up to the Mesa, we kept going on Hwy 65 and stopped at Mesa Lakes Lodge for lunch. We went to the Grand Mesa Visitor Center, then hiked Ward Lake. It has a great section that goes through a beautiful forest. After that, we hiked Land O’ Lakes, a short .5 mile out and back with the best views! It’s a paved trail that’s very high. We could see Craigs Crest, tons of lakes, of course, and even the Elk Mountains and the San Juans in the distance. We put that on the list for the next time we have friends or family in town. We took Michelle’s sisters there in mid October and it was still stunning. Easily one of the best viewpoints on the Mesa!

map showing the dirt road we took along Hwy 65 on the Grand Mesa

This map shows the dirt road we took along Hwy 65 on the Grand Mesa

View from the Land O’ Lakes trail overlook

Dirt road through the woods showing bright yellow aspen leaves on our leaf peeping from Grand Junction trip up the Grand Mesa

View from the dirt road – the aspen trees were glowing!

Hiking trail around Ward Lake on the Grand Mesa showing rocks, green and red ground cover and the lake

Hiking around Ward Lake

We relaxed and had drinks outside on the deck at nearby Grand Mesa Lodge. We were enjoying ourselves so much we ended up eating dinner there too. On our way back, we took a small bypass down a gravel road and past a campground, then back onto Hwy 65. THAT was amazing! The beautiful aspen leaves covered the road like a tunnel. Again, the Mesa was busy this time of year, but there was no traffic, no waiting in line, just great views!

We saw several news reports of vehicles being so backed up on I-70 for leaf peeping from the Front Range that they actually had to close an exit near Georgetown. That’s not fun. Last year we stayed overnight in Denver with friends who were in town from Wisconsin to attend a concert at Red Rocks.

On our way back to GJ, we drove west to Evergreen, then to Fairplay and up to Breckenridge. We went past The Colorado Trail near Kenosha Pass. It was so backed up it took us an hour to go just a few miles. We vowed to never get stuck like that again! However, we did see a moose and her baby, that was cool!

When you go leaf peeping from Grand Junction, you can plan your day as you’d like. You can live like you are on vacation every day with access to the mountains and all its glory. And after the leaves peek in the higher elevations in September, you can enjoy fall again when they peek in Grand Junction around mid to end of October.

I posted some leaf peeping videos on my Facebook page called Live Your Vacation in Grand Junction.

Paul Aspelin on the chairlift at Powderhorn showing the yellow aspen leaves

Paul Aspelin on the chairlift at Powderhorn Mountain Resort

Live Your Vacation in Grand Junction!

PAUL ASPELIN, your Grand Junction Real Estate Expert
REALTOR®, GRI, SRES®, CNE
Connect with me on LinkedIn or send me an email.
Serving Mesa County and the Grand Valley in Colorado.

by Paul Aspelin, REALTOR®

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Day Trip to Ouray CO

A Beautiful Mountain Town

There are so many good things to say about a day trip to Ouray CO I don’t even know where to begin. We have gone there numerous times over the past couple of years and we are always discovering something new. What’s not to like about a mountain town nicknamed the “Switzerland of America”? It lives up to the hype!

Hiking in Ouray

“Ouray’s Perimeter Trail is a unique 5.6-mile hiking experience that features remarkably varied terrain, unmatched scenery, four waterfalls, six bridges, up-close geology, a hidden troll, and a rocktopus. Hiking it involves approximately 1,800 feet of elevation gain and loss and will typically take 4-5 hours to complete. Good footwear and trekking poles are highly recommended.”

We started at the beautiful Cascade Falls. The trailhead is just .3 miles from town, accessed via 8^th Avenue. We went up, up, up to the falls and then up, up, up again along the Perimeter Trail clockwise. Amazing views of the town below the whole time. The trail was in good shape, but lots of loose rocks and gravel made it sometimes feel a bit slippery. We bought our new trekking poles, and we were glad to have them because they helped us keep our balance and gave us a boost when going uphill.

Ouray Perimeter Trail just after Cascade Falls going clockwise

We only went about 3 miles and came back to town using the 5^th Avenue connecting trail. We walked through town, got some lunch, and walked back to the car parked at Cascade Falls. That’s the nice thing about the Perimeter Trail, there are several connecting trails from town so you can hop on or off to make the hike as long or as short as you want. We really enjoyed it and plan to do a different segment next time we are in town or driving through.

Another great hike is Box Canyon Falls. We did that one when we had family visiting from Minnesota. Very impressive! The water goes so fast, and it’s loud. Everyone should experience this short hike. Bring water and go slow as there are a lot of steps to climb. You might experience a little spray too so be prepared. There is a small fee for parking and access because it’s on private property.

Dining and Shopping in Ouray

Goldbelt Bar and Grill in Ouray featuring outdoor patio dining

Goldbelt Bar & Grill outdoor patio dining

We ate on the outdoor patio at Goldbelt Bar & Grill. Excellent service. Good food. Great views, of course. It’s a family-friendly place with burgers, pizza, sandwiches, salads and locally brewed beer.

We enjoyed the Ouray Brewery with its fantastic, covered roof-top deck for outdoor dining. They serve typical pub-style American cuisine. I’m sure other places are great two, but those are the two we have been to. We also had excellent food at Mi Mexico, a family restaurant a couple blocks off Main Street. Large portions!

It’s fun to walk along Main Street and go into the many boutiques, shops, and galleries. We have bought a few things along the way for ourselves or as gifts for others. You can mosey along at a slow pace and just soak in all the beauty that surrounds you.

There are other in-town experiences like entertainment venues including the historic Wright Opera House, museums and art and culture.

Ouray Hot Springs

A day trip to Ouray CO should really include a soak in the Ouray Hot Springs Pool. There are sections with a water slide and obstacle course that attracts the kids. Adults 18+ have their own Overlook Pool to relax in a more peaceful setting too. The natural minerals in the sulfur-free water are beneficial for your body and your soul. We were there in summer and winter, during the day and after dark. Each experience is different and treasured. The Overlook Pool is about 102° – 106°. There are lockers in the changing rooms, but we just brought a bag for our stuff and set it next to the pool. Be sure to bring water shoes and a towel. Check out their website for rates and more information. Ouray Hot Spring Pool.

Adventure Trips

If you are looking for something a little more adventuresome here are several options:

Ouray Via Ferrata (climbing experience). There are more than 1500 Via Ferrata routes in the world, but currently less than 10 in North America!
Ouray Ice Park (winter ice climbing)
World renowned jeep/OHV trails allow you to experience the 4×4 only trails/roads through the scenic San Juan Mountains
Horseback riding
Backpacking
Camping
Mine Tours

Million Dollar Highway

You can’t talk about a day trip to Ouray CO without mentioning the Million Dollar Highway. It’s part of the San Juan Skyway Colorado Scenic Byway. The Million Dollar Highway is the stretch of Hwy 550 that runs south out of Ouray, over Red Mountain Pass (elevation 11,018), and into Silverton. It is one of the most spectacular, scenic, and treacherous, drives in the US. Much of the time the speed limit is 15 or 20 miles per hour because of the sharp curves and drop-offs to the gorges below. The shoulder is pretty much non-existent, and you won’t find standard guard rails either. Because of the steep slopes, this section gets a lot of avalanches that destroy the guard rails. They just stopped repairing them and removed them. It makes plowing easier because they can push the snow over the edge vs needing to blow it over a guard rail. I would never drive it in the height of winter.

Our first time driving the Million Dollar Highway we went south from Grand Junction to Durango. We had no prior knowledge of what to expect. We thought it was called that because of the “million dollar views”. We knew it would be scenic, but we didn’t realize it was a white-knuckle kind of drive. Michelle could hardly look over the side as the passenger. As the driver I had to be laser focused on the road and could only glance over for a second. And when there wasn’t oncoming traffic, I drove right down the middle of the two-lane road!

The worst was when we were approaching a sharp curve. We were in the “outside” lane with a steep 1000’ drop just about 10 inches from the white line. As we approached the curve, a section of the asphalt was sunk in, like it might give way, a semi-truck carrying logs comes around the corner barreling towards us. I pretty much came to a stop and held my breath! After he passed, we continued, thanking our lucky stars. As a first timer, it was incredible. We have been on the road two other times and had a calmer experience. We just wanted to get over the pass and to Durango. I guess there are pullouts along the road but obviously I didn’t see any because my eyes were glued to the road.

A bit of History

Michelle has read many books about the history of western Colorado. The most recent one was called “The Road that Silver Built: The Million Dollar Highway” by P. David Smith. Let me know if you want to borrow it. When Ouray was first becoming a mining town, you got there from a wagon road from Lake City. There was no north/south road from Ouray to Silverton. Roads came from the east. The book explains how each segment was built and describes the numerous 4×4 only roads that were the first roads to access Ouray and Silverton. The great Otto Mears built many of the first roads in the 1880s for wagons and carriages that eventually became roads for automobiles. Some were so steep, 14 percent grade, that they still remain as trails but never became part of Hwy 550. Mears also made the trails in the Colorado National Monument in Grand Junction.

Of course, it was silver and gold that brought the prospectors to Ouray in the 1870’s. Some of the most profitable mines are in Ouray. Camp Bird Mine was the second largest gold producer in Colorado. It’s located in the Imogene basin on the way to Telluride. There are dozens of mines in Ouray County and lots of back country roads to get to them and the ghost towns that remain.

The town of Ouray was founded in 1875 along the Uncompahgre River where it runs north out of the stunning San Juan Mountains. Ouray County, CO, is known for several 14ers, including Mount Sneffels, Wilson Peak, Mount Wilson, and El Diente Peak. Plus, numerous more in the “Ouray, Lake City, Silverton triangle” which refers to the Alpine Loop Backcountry Byway, a 65-mile system of unpaved roads connecting the three mountain towns. It’s a popular area for off-road and backcountry recreation, offering stunning scenery and access to historic mining areas.

If you’d like to take a day trip to Ouray CO, book it today! It is a unique mountain town with so much to offer. It’s about 90 miles south of Grand Junction, an hour and 45-minute drive. Read my post about Ridgway State Park because you might want to stop there along the way too! And maybe take Owl Creek Pass on the way back.

If you are looking for a mild climate with all four seasons, consider moving to Grand Junction, CO. We are in the high desert (low humidity) with quick access to the Rocky Mountains. When it’s 95 degrees in GJ in August, we can go to Ouray and it’s in the low 80’s. Perfect for outdoor activities! Read my post about Grand Junction weather to learn more.

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Live Your Vacation in Grand Junction!

Ouray Cascade Falls Michelle and Paul Aspelin

Michelle and Paul Aspelin at Cascade Falls in Ouray, CO.

Text/Call 612-306-9558

PAUL ASPELIN, REALTOR®
GRI, SRES®, CNE

Grand Junction Real Estate Expert
Connect with me on LinkedIn or send me an email.
Learn more about my experience and how I serve my clients

by Paul Aspelin, REALTOR®

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Ridgway State Park: Day Trip from Grand Junction

Day Trips from Grand Junction: Ridgway State Park, Ridgway Reservoir, and a surprise drive over Owl Creek Pass

We have driven from Grand Junction to Ridgway multiple times and have always admired Ridgway State Park and the Ridgway Reservoir from the road. We decided to make a point to go to the park for the day, visit the town of Ridgway, then drive back. Ridgway State Park is about 1.5 hours south of Grand Junction, 86 miles. It’s at the base of the San Juan Mountains.

Our day didn’t exactly go as planned but our surprise drive over Owl Creek Pass made the day trip even more memorable! I will explain the mistake we made in changing our plans, so keep reading!

Get notifications about new posts and watch my short videos on my Facebook page called Live Your Vacation in Grand Junction.

Ridgway Reservoir

The 1,000-acre reservoir is so beautiful, a real haven for recreational activities year-round. Cars can drive right down the beach to the water’s edge and park for the day. There is a quite bay area for swimming, and, of course, a dam that makes it all possible. All kinds of boats on the water, including sailboats and paddle boards. There are over 15 miles of hiking trails and three campground areas. We mainly visited the Dutch Charlie section with the Marina, Elk Ridge Campground and Dakota Terraces Campground. Then the Dallas Creek section.

Michelle scoped out a few hiking options for us before we left. Our first stop is always at the Visitor Center to pick up a paper map. Yes, maps on phones are nice but there’s still something special about looking at a map to determine your plans. Our plan was to hike the Forest Discovery Nature Trail, a short .6 mile loop, and the .1 mile Scenic Overlook Trail, then drive down to the beach and water itself.

Ridgway State Park Map, click to enlarge

Hiking to the Scenic Overlook

We chose to start with the Scenic Overlook Trail. We were very excited to see the view from the top. A fairly short trail led us right there, photos below. It was beautiful. The pinyon/juniper forest smelled so good! Hiking in the mountains is different than hiking in the desert.

Instead of going back to the Visitor Center and doing the Forest Discovery Trail, I saw a sign for another route called the Wapiti Trail that led to the Skyline Loop, which sounded fun. Michelle admitted she didn’t have the Wapiti Trail “saved” in her All Trails app as a route for us to take but we did it anyway. The first “change of plans” for the day turned out to be a strenuous one! The Wapiti Trail is only .6 miles but has an elevation change of 150 feet. That’s like climbing 15 flights of stairs, at 7,000’ elevation! We took it slow, rested and cursed a few times until we reached the top. We quickly understood why Michelle hadn’t bookmarked that one, so steep! Luckily, we had plenty of water and some electrolyte chews to keep us going.

We eventually did part of the Skyline Loop and headed back to the truck. We took much more time hiking than we planned, and we really wanted to get into the water. But first, we had to check out the Marina before we went to the Dallas Creek section with the big beach for cars.

Ridgway State Park View from the Overlook with the San Juan Mountains

Ridgway State Park View from the Overlook including the San Juan Mountains

Ridgway State Park Marina

There is a very large swimming beach and picnic area next to the Marina. We were there on a Saturday in early June and it wasn’t very busy at all. I bet it’s more popular during the height of summer. There are bathroom facilities. We stopped at the Marina to get information about boat rentals. There are pontoons available for half or full day rentals and the price seemed reasonable. Afterall, it’s much easier to rent a boat for a day than to own one! You can also rent stand-up paddle boards as well.

Ridgway State Park Swimming Beach near Marina

Ridgway Marina Ridgway State Park

Dallas Creek

The Dallas Creek entrance to Ridgway State Park provides the ability to drive onto the beach and park right next to the water. You can see the cars on the beach from the road. We found a spot and parked. We got in the water up to our ankles. It was somewhat chilly but not as bad as we expected for a body of water at 7,000’ elevation made from snowmelt from the surrounding mountains. Others were gleefully swimming and lots of people on SUPs (stand up paddle boards).

Ridgway Reservoir cars on the beach

We got a good feel for Ridgway State Park and now it was time to go into the town of Ridgway. As we approached the main stop light where you turn right to go into Ridgway, I said, “How can we be this close and not go to Ouray?” Ridgway was the focus of the day, but we “changed plans” and headed to Ouray. We always love driving through Ouray and taking a portion of the Million Dollar Highway to reach the Bear Creek Waterfall Overlook.

Taking the Scenic Route

Ouray was great, as expected. The waterfall was really flowing, and Michelle was able to capture a rainbow that appeared in the mist for a brief moment.

On Hwy. 550, just after the state park, and before the turn to the town of Ridgway, we saw a brown sign for Owl Creek Pass. Most of the reports Michelle read online from the area said that many of the upper mountain passes have been cleared of snow. She verified and this one was open. She did some quick investigation and learned cars can handle the road, you don’t need to have a high clearance 4×4. We were in our Toyota Tacoma, so we decided to make another “change of plans” and take the scenic road home. We make a lot of spontaneous decisions. And this is one we will remember for a long time.

View of Ouray, CO

Bear Creek Waterfall Overlook in Ouray

Owl Creek Pass

After Ouray, we took Owl Creek Pass east from Ridgway as a scenic way to get back to Grand Junction. THAT was amazing! It was an incredible drive. Just to give you an idea of driving a mountain pass vs the main roads, it only added 39 miles to our trip but took us an extra 2 hours because you drive so slow on high mountain pass roads.

The road was in pretty good condition, it was wide, no sharp drop-offs. Just a few piles of snow we had to drive through, but otherwise the road was mainly dry. We could see this one high mountain peak from the start, and it was cool because we kept getting closer and closer to it as we climbed higher and higher. Looking at maps afterwards we think it was Chimney Rock in the Courthouse Mountains. There is a scene in the 1969 movie True Grit with John Wayne that shows this view too. See my post about our day trip on Last Dollar Road to Telluride. It shows the house and ranch featured at the beginning and end of the True Grit movie.

Spot featured in movie True Grit

Why you should plan ahead

On this trip we learned we really should plan ahead. When we were near the top without cell service or a downloaded map we hesitated. There was a fork in the Forest Service Road and we had to guess which way to go. The road was not marked at all. Not good in the middle of the backcountry. Oops! We had maybe 3 cars pass us in the upper section of this road. We thought about turning around after about an hour into the drive because we were afraid we might get lost or be heading in the completely wrong direction.

We were supposed to go east, then north to hook up with Hwy 50. When we were heading south and southeast for a while, we doubted we were on the right Forest Road. After discussing it, we continued a bit further because we know that no mountain pass is a direct route. After about 10-20 more minutes we reached the summit of the pass. We laughed and exclaimed “We made it! We did it!”

We immediately hopped out of the car to take a picture of the pass sign and the beautiful scenery. There was a one-lane bridge over Owl Creek. We went in June just after the snow had melted, well mostly melted! I stepped in a snowbank along the creek. The water was rushing fast and the sound of the water in the otherwise quiet forest was so peaceful!

We soaked it all in. The air smells so fresh in the mountains, everyone should experience it at some time in their lives. Our mistake was not planning our route in more detail before we left. Next time, we will research a scenic way home ahead of time, should we decide to take it!

Wildlife near Owl Creek Pass

Elk on Owl Creek Pass

While on the pass we saw about 6-8 mule deer. After the creek, on the east side, we saw a sign saying we would be driving through private land for the next 7 miles. It was spectacular. Lots of cattle and lush green grass. We saw a couple dozen elk grazing in pastures and were able to stop and take pictures. There are always birds singing in the mountains too. We like to roll our windows down on drives like this to take in the sounds and the smells. Seeing the elk was like icing on the cake for this trip.

We loved Ridgway State Park and we will go back and rent a pontoon for an afternoon with family and friends. We will probably never go over Owl Creek Pass again given it’s not really “on the way” to other spots we want to see on our adventures but it sure was a memorable scenic way home! Even though we got home several hours after we expected to. It was a great day trip from Grand Junction.

Live Your Vacation in Grand Junction Every Day When You Move to Grand Junction!

Ridgway Reservoir at Ridgway State Park

If you are considering moving to Grand Junction, please give me a call. I’d love to show you round Grand Junction, Fruita, and Palisade and talk mountain passes with you!

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PAUL ASPELIN, your Grand Junction Real Estate Expert
REALTOR®, GRI, SRES®, CNE
Text/Call (612) 306-9558

Connect with me on LinkedIn or send me an email.
Serving Mesa County and the Grand Valley of Colorado.

by Paul Aspelin, REALTOR®

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North Rim of the Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park

Day Trips from Grand Junction: North Rim of the Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park

I’ve read a few places that claim the Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park is the least visited National Park. It’s not because it lacks facilities and features like camping and hiking and an astounding 2000’ deep canyon. I think it’s because it’s located a little off the beaten path. Not along a major Interstate highway. To go to the main South Rim Visitor Center, you enter from Montrose and get access to the west side of the river.

Get notifications about new posts and watch my short videos on my Facebook page called Live Your Vacation in Grand Junction.

Drive to the North Rim Ranger Station

West Elk Loop Scenic and Historic Byway Map

click to enlarge

To access the North Rim of the Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park, like we did for this post, you take a different route to reach the north and east side of the canyon. From Grand Junction, it’s about a 2-hour drive to the North Rim. From town, go south on CR-50 to Delta, east on 92 to Hotchkiss. Continue on CR-92 south to Crawford. This is part of the West Elk Loop Scenic and Historic Byway.

Use your mapping software to get you to the North Rim Ranger Station. The paved road turns into gravel for the last 6 miles or so, but it’s very manageable in any vehicle. Download any hiking trail maps because you most likely will not have cell service in this area.

Exclamation Point Hike

We parked at the Ranger Station and took the Vista Trail to Exclamation Point and back. The hike took us through an open meadow with so many flowers, then patches of trees that offered us some shade. We continue to the end, a cliffside overlook that looks down on the Gunnison River 2700’ feet below us. It was absolutely amazing. One of my top 5 best hikes so far.

We went in mid-May so the wildflowers were in bloom. The temperature was comfortable in the 70’s. The trail is listed as easy but there are a couple challenges where you need to pay close attention to your footing. Mostly sandy or gravel trails, sometimes rocky, but not much. Wear hiking boots/shoes if you have them. Hiking poles may come in handy, but we don’t have any and did just fine.

We hike at a leisurely pace and stop frequently to just look around and soak it all in. We typically stop at the end for a snack before heading back. This trail is 2.9 miles out and back with a 344 ft elevation gain and it took us about an hour and 45 minutes to complete it. The All Trails apps says average time is one hour 10 minutes.

Vista Trail flowers and meadow

North Rim Exclamation Point view to Gunnison River

Vista Trail to Exclamation Point

Me at the Overlook before we reached Exclamation Point

More to see

From the North Rim Ranger Station you can drive south along the canyon rim for more overlooks and hiking trails. There is a campground on the North Rim.

You need a permit to hike down to the river’s edge and some extreme skills to handle the elevation change and steep slopes.

You can read more about the main Visitor Center and the South Rim Black Canyon of the Gunnison on my Top Day Trips from Grand Junction post.

Amazing Views on CR-92 South of Crawford, CO

Because we first stopped at the Crawford State Park Visitor Center, we got some excellent advice from the volunteers working that day. They recommended, instead of driving back to GJ the way we came, to continue south on CR-92 following the Gunnison River canyon and take Hwy 50 west into Montrose and back to Grand Junction. Because we have a decorative sign in our home that says, “always take the scenic route”, we did just that! Boy was that stunning! So many overlooks along the road, even some rumble strips to remind drivers to keep their eyes on the road. You can read my post about the Crawford State Park.

There were so many aspen trees. We plan to go back in the fall because we anticipate this to be a great place to see the fall colors. At their suggestion, we also stopped at Hermits Rest Vista. So thankful we did. More amazing views of the nearby mountains and the Gunnison River far below. We will bring friends to this spot when they come for a visit!

Gunnison River from Hwy 92 near Hermits Rest Vista

Live Your Vacation Every Day… Move to Grand Junction!

If you are considering moving to Grand Junction, please give me a call. I’d love to explain your housing options and show you round Grand Junction, Fruita, and Palisade.

Watch my short videos on my Facebook page called Live Your Vacation in Grand Junction.

PAUL ASPELIN, your Grand Junction Real Estate Expert
REALTOR®, GRI, SRES®, CNE
Text/Call (612) 306-9558

Connect with me on LinkedIn or send me an email.
Serving Mesa County and the Grand Valley of Colorado.

by Paul Aspelin, REALTOR®

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Crawford State Park: Day Trip from Grand Junction

Day Trips from Grand Junction: Crawford State Park

I highly recommend you take a day trip to explore Crawford State Park. It’s about 75 miles SE of Grand Junction. Crawford is on the West Elk Loop, a Scenic and Historic Byway. (See map at the end of this post.) It takes about 1.5 hours to get there via Delta and Hotchkiss. It sits at 6600’ elevation so it’s a great place to escape to when Grand Junction summers get hot. We will definitely go back and do some fishing. Maybe rent a boat or jet ski too!

We have a Colorado State Park Pass. We got our pass when we renewed our license tabs for our Toyota Tacoma. It’s less expensive to get your state park pass with your car tabs.

We learned something new that day too. When we entered, the Visitor Center Park Ranger gave us a red sleeve to put our Vehicle Registration Card into and we were told to place it on the dashboard, Registration side face down to protect our privacy. This lets the Rangers know we have paid for a pass. They can also look up our license plate number. There is not a “park pass” to display in your car window or sticker for your vehicle.

Visitor Center

There are three campgrounds in Crawford State Park along the north and east sides of Crawford Reservoir and three boat launches. We toured the North Shore Day Use section and then went to the Visitor Center. We sat in the picnic area to watch the people boating and fishing. Tubers were being towed behind ski boats, we saw some wake borders and others using stand up paddle boards (SUPs). We went in May just to see what the park has to offer. I am sure this is a very popular spot as the weather warms up. An excellent recreational and boating area for the locals in the area and everyone with a Colorado State Park Pass! Crawford Reservoir is the main attraction of the Crawford State Park. Scuba divers are welcome here too!

Fishing Crawford Reservoir

Crawford State Park shoreline of Crawford Reservoir near the Visitor Center

There were lots of people fishing from shore or fishing from kayaks and boats. While at the picnic area an older couple came down to fish from the shore near us. We asked what he was fishing for, and he said he catches some very large perch from the lake. Best he’s ever had. He doesn’t like fishing for trout here because they are farm raised (stocked) vs wild trout. The meat is white and not as good as wild trout’s red meat. Good to know! I haven’t gotten my Colorado Fishing License yet.

A winter visit to the park would provide opportunities for ice fishing and Nordic (cross-country) skiing. This would be a great spot for waterfowl hunting as well.

Trails at Crawford State Park

There are a limited number of trails along the 400-acre reservoir. We drove to Iron Creek Campground and had a picnic lunch near the boat launch. From here you can take a trail to the west side of the lake that leads to another overlook and day use area. You can take Black Canyon Road to the west side. This is the road we took to get to the North Rim of the Black Canyon of the Gunnison.

Lodging

If you want more than a day trip, there are several unique lodges, a hotel and an inn in the town of Crawford in addition to the three campgrounds in Crawford State Park. The Last Frontier Lodge sites up high on the north side of the lake and I imagine would have some spectacular views of the Elk Mountains to the east.

It’s a small state park, 337 acres, but offers some excellent options and, of course, exceptional views. I bet it’s a popular place come elk hunting season too.

An Amazing Stretch of Road South of Crawford, CO

Gunnison River view from CR-92 south of Crawford State Park

We got some excellent advice from the volunteers working that day at the Visitor Center. Instead of driving back to GJ the way we came, we drove south on CR-92 following the Gunnison River canyon. It was stunning! You can read more about this section of our trip on my post about the North Rim of the Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park.

Taking this route, you drive along the top of the Blue Mesa Dam to cross the Gunnison River. This is in the Curecanti National Recreation Area. It also gives access to the very popular Blue Mesa Reservoir. Once over the river, you take CR-50 West through Cimarron and over the Cerro Summit at 8042’ and on to Montrose, then Grand Junction. Very pretty scenery, but then again, all of Colorado is scenic!

I have several other posts about day trips from Grand Junction, check them out! Grand Junction makes an exceptional base camp for you to experience this amazing region of the country. We love living in Grand Junction!

Take the Scenic Route and to Move to Grand Junction!

Paul Aspelin sitting on a bench in Crawford State Park in front of the Crawford Reservoir

Paul Aspelin in Crawford State Park in front of the Crawford Reservoir.

If you are considering moving to Grand Junction, please give me a call. I’d love show you round Grand Junction, Fruita, and Palisade.

Get notifications about new posts and watch my short videos on my Facebook page called Live Your Vacation in Grand Junction.

PAUL ASPELIN, your Grand Junction Real Estate Expert
REALTOR®, GRI, SRES®, CNE
Text/Call (612) 306-9558

Connect with me on LinkedIn or send me an email.
Serving Mesa County and the Grand Valley of Colorado.

West Elk Loop Scenic and Historic Byway Map

West Elk Loop Brochure Cover

We have referenced this map for several trips. We have been to Glenwood Springs, Carbondale, Aspen, Redstone, Marble, over the stunning McClure Pass (ask to see one of my favorite pictures from the pass), Paonia, Hotchkiss, Crawford, and Gunnison. We took Kebler Pass in August (gravel road not open in winter) to Crested Butte and stayed in Mount Crested Butte. We have also been to the North and South rims of the Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park.

The Fruita Visitor Center has the best selection of brochures and information for things to do in Grand Junction, Fruita, Palisade, Mesa County and the entire state of Colorado and eastern Utah. We picked this one up there and have had it in the car with us on several trips. See cover on the right.

by Paul Aspelin, REALTOR®

Local or Nearby Attractions

Day Trips from Grand Junction: Goblin Valley State Park in Utah

Looking for more day trips from Grand Junction? Consider Goblin Valley State Park in Utah. It’s about 2.25 hours west of Grand Junction. I published a post called Day Trips from Grand Junction CO that has more ideas. You can read it next if you haven’t read it already. I’ll be posting more day trips in the future too!

Get notifications about new posts and watch my short videos on my Facebook page called Live Your Vacation in Grand Junction.

We like taking day trips from Grand Junction and we did this one on a Saturday in May. It was about 85 degrees and sunny. A great time of the year to hike and be outdoors.

What to know about Goblin Valley State Park in Utah before you go

GETTING IN AND PARKING

The park is small, and it gets busy. They don’t offer official timed entry management like at Arches National Park, so you can’t reserve an entrance time in advance. We arrived on a Saturday at about 9:30am and waited in line behind 2-3 cars to get in. We went right to the Valley of the Goblins parking lot and there were about 5 spots left. The park entrance waiting line started to build by 10am and cars were told to wait. They would be let in after current visitors left. The line was long. We ran into a couple on a hike later. They waited in line for an hour before giving up and choosing a hike outside of the state park and come back later in the day.

PARKING PASS

They want you to get the pass online ahead of your visit to speed things up when you enter. When you do, the pass is good for that day and until 10pm the following day. We bought ours the night before we left. If you wait to do it online when you get to the area, you may not have internet service, we didn’t.

RESEARCH THE AREA

Since the park is relatively small, I recommend you research other attractions in the San Rafael Swell area before you go. There is a lot to see in this beautiful area of Utah. Goblin Valley State Park info.

Goblin Valley State Park Experience

We planned for just one day in this beautiful and unique area. Once we got the park map, we went straight to the Valley of the Goblins and parked there by the big pavilion. The parking lot overlooks the Goblins. We walked down several flights of stairs to get down and walk around among them. That was very cool. An open area to roam. After about 30 minutes of that, we headed out. We stopped at the entrance because that’s where the Gift Shop is but it was closed. I think they were short staffed because the gift shop was open when we entered. We should have gone in then.

Little Wild Horse Canyon – Our first slot canyon experience

This hike was very impressive! According to All Trails map app, the loop trail is 8.1 miles through two canyons. We read about them and watched some YouTube videos. We knew we couldn’t do the full 8 miles, too much for us. So, we chose the Little Wild Horse Canyon side of the loop. It starts out wide then narrows, the smallest section was about 5 inches at the ground and about shoulder width at your shoulders. Sometimes we turned sideways to continue.

There were a few spots to “scramble” or climb over large rocks. Nothing too strenuous for us beginners. It was crowded during the time we went. The parking lot was full. We knew we would stop and turn around when we hit the spot of the 6-8ft “dryfall” because we didn’t feel we could climb back up once we went down. However, we turned around before that because it was just too crowded and hard to pass people coming the other way in such a small space. We went about 1.3 miles on the trail before we turned around and we thought it was fantastic for our first time in a slot canyon. Amazing beauty. This canyon can experience a flash flood if there has been rain up stream, so be aware.

Little Wild Horse Slot Canyon narrow bath between walls of rock

It got much narrower than this but we were so overwhelmed we didn’t take enough pictures. We were living in the moment!

Temple Mountain Wash Pictograph Panel

Just off the side of the road we saw some of the largest prehistoric painted figures in Utah. The sign near the panel in the San Rafael Swell explains that the featured pictographs were created by early inhabitants during the Archaic Period (8000 to 2000 BC) and later by the Fremont culture (300 to 1300 AD). It’s amazing that they are still around for us to see! Pictographs are wall paintings done with pigments; petroglyphs are wall carvings, both are commonly called rock art. We are just learning the difference too!

After this, we pulled into one of the campgrounds nearby and had a picnic lunch under the shade of a tree. There are no services in the immediate area for food, so we packed a cooler with snacks for lunch.

Wild Horse Window

Our last short hike was the Wild Horse Window. Technically it’s accessed from within Goblin Valley State Park boundaries, near the main entrance sign, but the trailhead was hard to find. Our GPS wasn’t working because we had no internet connection. We finally found it after wandering back behind a camping area. I’m glad we persisted because it was amazing! We met a very nice couple from Denver who was just starting the hike when we were, so we hiked together. We had a great time chatting and wayfinding with them on the trail. We only saw two other couples in the 2 or so hours we were there!

The All Trails app says it’s 1.8 miles out-and-back but our trip was 2.3 miles. The app said it takes 51 minutes on average; it took us 1.5 hours. It was sandy, rocky or you were walking on slanted slickrock. We took our time. Thankful for our supportive hiking books as it was rough on the ankles. It wasn’t technical, just had to watch your step. Hiking poles would have made it easier, but we don’t have those yet. Elevation gain was about 384 ft. Uphill there, downhill back. I was thankful there were many cairns to follow, especially over the slick rock because you didn’t have footprints to follow and couldn’t exactly tell where to go. Cairns (pronounced Karens) are stacks of rocks used for marking trails.

We were treated to a spectacular view at the end. Two natural bridges that are formed from wind and erosion. One had a hole in the top. The opening was probably 50’ wide and 50’ tall with moss growing in a few spots. We say more pictographs in the “cave”. We were thankful for the coolness of the shade. We had a snack and took it all in then hiked back to the truck. We were glad we did this one second because these 2.3 miles felt much more strenuous than the first 2.6 miles we hiked in the slot canyon. It was listed as “moderately challenging” and it sure felt like it.

Hiking back from Wild Horse Window Natural Bridge over slickrock following piles of rock to mark the trail

Hiking back from Wild Horse Window Natural Bridge over slickrock following piles of rock that marks the trail

One Final Stop for Dinner in Green River, Utah

After our hiking in this beautiful San Rafael Reef area, the next city on our way back was Green River, so we stopped there for dinner. After that, the next closest city with services is Fruita, CO! A lot of the restaurants and business in Green River are boarded up. They must be struggling as a small rural community. We found Tamarisk Restaurant overlooking the Green River. They have been in business since 1979, and I know why. The food and service were outstanding! We got there around 5-6pm, before the dinner rush. There were 20 people in the waiting area when we left. I highly recommend this place to eat. There weren’t many other cafes or restaurants, there was a sub shop. After a long day of hiking and being outdoors, we just wanted a cool place out of the sun to dine and relax a bit before the 90-minute drive home. We loved it.

I love that we can do day trips from Grand Junction CO like this. We left about 7:30am and were home about 8pm to sleep in our own bed. There are so many amazing places to see within 2 hours of Grand Junction, in all directions!

If you are considering living in Grand Junction, moving here from another state, please reach out to me. I’d be happy to show you around when you come to town to “check it out”.

Picnic in campground under the shade of a tree

We ate a picnic lunch in a campground under the shade of a tree

Live Your Vacation in Grand Junction!

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Text/Call 612-306-9558

PAUL ASPELIN, REALTOR®
GRI, SRES®, CNE

Grand Junction Real Estate Expert
Connect with me on LinkedIn or send me an email.
Learn more about my experience and how I serve my clients

by Paul Aspelin, REALTOR®

Grand Junction, Local or Nearby Attractions, Relocating to Grand Junction

Top Day Trips from Grand Junction, Colorado

Use this area as a base camp to experience the top day trips from Grand Junction Colorado. When you visit Grand Junction, you’ll find so many wonderful things to do and see in the Grand Valley. It would be a challenge to list them all from here. Instead, I’d like to share some of the day trips from Grand Junction, Colorado that I have done with family and friends and would go again in a heartbeat. I include some tips and insights for each location. I post short videos and announce new website posts on my Facebook page called Live Your Vacation in Grand Junction.

I will warn you, cell service is spotty in this region, so be sure to download Google maps, bring a paper map, or know where you are going. And always pack snacks and plenty of water to drink. Read my post about avoiding altitude sickness if this is your first time at elevations of 5,000-10,000 feet. We took some of these top day trips from Grand Junction Colorado before we moved to the area and wouldn’t hesitate to go back with friends and family that visit.

ATVing can get messy on Moab, UT, especially when you ride the day after it snows!

Moab, Utah

Great for mountain biking, ATVing, “jeeping”, yes, that’s a thing in Moab. Exceptional trails for all sorts of outdoor activities. Plus, access to Arches National Park and Canyonlands National Park. We’ve stayed in Moab twice now for Thanksgiving to use the ATV trails. Once we rode on a friend’s ATV and the second time, we did a full day rental with a trailer. It was expensive, but worth it, we had so much fun on the trails. One of our favorite restaurants there is Pasta Jay’s, exceptional Italian food! Check out the Corona Arch hike, the petroglyphs along “wall street” as the local climbers refer to it, and the many dinosaur track locations. The town has great shopping and a very laid-back vibe with an array of off-road vehicles lining the streets. There is always something to do and see in Moab! We really enjoyed seeing real dinosaur tracks just west of Moab.

Dinosaur National Monument

Dinosaur bones at Dinosaur National Park

Drive 2 hours north to see a pile of actual dinosaur bones still intact from inside the museum that was built around it. It’s pretty cool. The bones traveled down a river, and many came to a final resting place together. I have been to the museum and am planning to go back to hike the trails and see more fossils in the area. We stopped here on a drive back to Minnesota and it didn’t disappoint. On that trip we also hit nearby Flaming Gorge on our drive north, a beautiful area too! This route helped us avoid the I-70 closure due to a forest fire in Glenwood Canyon.

Telluride

2.5 hours south, Telluride is known for its winter skiing and snowboarding, but it’s an exceptional day trip for summer activities like hiking, biking, shopping, concerts and more. Standing on the street and looking at the town feels majestic with the towering mountains surrounding you.

View of Telluride from the Gondola

In Telluride, you can ride the gondola in town to the top of the mountain, for free, and onward to Mountain Village. Our first time there was in November and my wife said, “If there was such a thing as the North Pole, its Mountain Village”.

You’ll find plenty of shopping and dining at the foot of the ski mountain and in the downtown area of Telluride. While enjoying the scenery from the gondola, look for the tiny runway at the Telluride airport. Don’t know how those planes can take off and get high enough before they run out of runway at the end of the cliff! There isn’t any specific parking for the gondola, but you can hunt for a spot on the street or parking ramp and walk to the entrance. There is just something magical about a visit to Telluride any time of year.

Ouray and Silverton

Ouray is pronounced (yur-ay). These are beautiful mountain towns in the San Juan Mountains with so much history and allure. It takes 2 hours to get to Ouray and then you can take the famous “million dollar highway” to Silverton. A scary, but beautiful road. I don’t recommend driving it in the winter with its many 15 mph hairpin curves and lack of guardrails. Avalanches kept knocking down the guardrails and they got tired of replacing them, so they just don’t have any. And the shoulder is about 10 inches until the 1000-foot drop off, no kidding! It’s an adventure just to drive that stretch of highway.

Ouray at the “Switzerland of America” sign

Ouray, also referred to as the “Switzerland of America” offers an incredible quaint, historic mountain town experience with views you won’t soon forget. While in town, enjoy a soak at one of the local hot springs, or take a short hike to see the Box Canyon Waterfall, or just enjoy watching the ice climbers in the winter. Be prepared to be amazed.

Continue your scenic journey South, 24 miles to Silverton, which offers great shopping, dining, breweries, and lots of trails. Be warned, there is a tourist sightseeing train that travels between Durango and Silverton which can make for extended wait times at some restaurants depending on the timing of its arrival. We ate at the Lacey Rose Saloon located in the Grand Imperial Hotel in Silverton. The atmosphere was 100% Old West! Exactly what we came to experience. We enjoyed a great lunch listening to a live ragtime piano player and found out there was still a bullet in the woodwork behind the bar from a prior “shootout”. You can literally feel the Old West and mining history as you stroll the main street.

Read my post called Day Trip to Ouray for more about Ouray, CO.

Snowshoeing on the Mesa

Grand Mesa

The world’s largest flat-top mountain is just 45 minutes from Grand Junction. There are 300+ lakes with miles and miles of hiking, ATV, snowmobiling, and cross-country ski trails. You can ski at Powderhorn Mountain Resort with much shorter wait times for the chair lifts. We attended their Octoberfest celebration with German food and beer while we were driving through looking at the stunning fall leaves.

On the Grand Mesa, there are rental cabins, lodges, and campgrounds available for overnight stays. We drove up there once in June when it was 99 degrees in Grand Junction. Up near Mesa, CO it was only 89 degrees and at the top it was 69 degrees, a thirty degree difference in temperature. Grand Junction is at about 4,483′ elevation and we went to up near 10,300′ to Island Lake.

Be warned, the visitor center on the main road across “the Mesa” isn’t always open. Oh, and using the bathroom spurred my post about what I learned in the first 3 months of living in Grand Junction, always have toilet paper in your car as rest stops, pit toilets and visitor centers are often out of toilet paper!

Read my post about what its like to live on the Grand Mesa.

Black Canyon of the Gunnison

North Rim Exclamation Point view to Gunnison River

Very picturesque just 1.5 hours SE of Grand Junction. You drive through Delta and Montrose, cute small towns to get to the Gunnison River gorge and the Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park. Here’s how the National Park Service describes it… “Big enough to be overwhelming, still intimate enough to feel the pulse of time, Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park exposes you to some of the steepest cliffs, oldest rock, and craggiest spires in North America. With two million years to work, the Gunnison River, along with the forces of weathering, has sculpted this vertical wilderness of rock, water, and sky.” We were impressed. We stopped here on our way back from a trip to Ouray.

Read my post about our visit and an awesome hike in the North Rim of the Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park.

Glenwood Springs Hot Springs

If you drive East on I-70 right to Iron Mountain Hot Springs from Grand Junction, it’s about an hour and 20 minutes. However, our first time there we went onto the Mesa first to do some snowshoeing near Mesa Lakes Lodge and then drove to Glenwood Springs specifically to soak in the hot springs. Iron Mountain Hot Springs offers a 3-hour soaking “appointment” and that was just the right amount of time. They have a changing room with showers and lockers. We spent time in pretty much every pool they offered with a range of temperatures from 96-108 degrees. It was our first hot spring experience. It’s right next to I-70 so there was a little road noise. But you also viewed the Colorado River, so that was nice. We watched the sun set over the mountain. There’s another hot spring there too, Glenwood Hot Springs, also along the river and the interstate. We will be checking out other hot springs in Colorado, but this is definitely a great option for a day trip from Grand Junction.

Maroon Bells Aspen/Snowmass Area

Maroon Bells Aspelin Snowmass shows trail, lake and maroon capped mountains in the distance

Maroon Bells Aspen Snowmass area

You can drive to the Maroon Bells Visitor Center just outside of Aspelin, CO. There is a parking ramp (not cheap!) and you can take the Maroon Bells Shuttle to Maroon Lake. I recommend you make a reservation and pay ahead of time or it might be full. Supposedly this is one of the most photographed places in Colorado. We paid for the shuttle and once at Maroon Lake took the Crater Lake Trail. That trail is moderate with lots of rocks to avoid while walking on the trail, but it was stunning. A great experience. If you go to downtown Aspen, we recommend John Denver Sanctuary. A nice stroll through nature accessed right from downtown.

For more Day Trip ideas, use the search box on the right to search for “day trips from Grand Junction”. I have made many more posts since this one of various places to go and sites to see!

Care for Colorado Leave No Trace Principles

https://www.colorado.com/articles/leave-no-trace-care-colorado The Care for Colorado Leave No Trace Principles were created in partnership between the Colorado Tourism Office and the Leave No Trace organization to address recreation-related impacts in Colorado. Read their tips of what to know before you go, sticking to the trails, and other topics like trash, fire and wildlife.

Living in Grand Junction

If you fly into the Grand Junction airport to visit Mesa County, let me know. I’d love to share what it’s like to move to Grand Junction AND living in Grand Junction now as a full-time resident. We relocated to the area in 2023. As a licensed REALTOR® I can show you some properties while you are here too! Read my posts about moving to Grand Junction, Fruita, or Palisade. Ask me about any town in Mesa County!

Read the Two Day Itinerary for Grand Junction Visit post for more ideas or Things to Do in Grand Junction: Easy Hikes.

Happy travels! Live your vacation in Grand Junction!