Fruita, CO 81521
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Colorado National Monument is located in extreme West Central Colorado just west of Grand Junction, Colorado. It has two entrances to the park. The west entrance is off exit 19 on Interstate 70 and the east entrance is off US 50 on the west end of the city of Grand Junction. The highest elevation in the park is 4597'.
Colorado National Monument preserves one of the grand landscapes of the American West. Bold, big, and brilliantly colored, this plateau-and-canyon country, with its towering masses of naturally sculpted rock, embraces 32 square miles of rugged, up-and-down terrain. This is a special place, where you can contemplate glorious views that stretch to distant horizons; where you can discover solitude deep in a remote canyon; where you can delight in wild country where desert bighorn roam and golden eagles soar.
The highcountry of Colorado National Monument rises more than 2000 feet above the Grand Valley of the Colorado River. Situated at the edge of the Uncompahgre Uplift, the park is part of the greater Colorado Plateau, which also embraces such geologic wonders as the Grand Canyon, Bryce Canyon, and Arches. Magnificent views from highland trails and the Rim Rock Drive, which winds along the plateau, stretch from the colorful sheer-walled canyons and fascinating rock sculptures to the distant Colorado River valley, the purple-gray Book Cliffs, and the huge flat-topped mountain called Grand Mesa.
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Last updated August 18, 1998