Decades ago, I rode through the twisting, winding road that follows the rim overlooking the plateau carved by the Colorado River. I was not the one driving then; this time I was. At times, the twenty-three mile road seemed precariously close to the edge, sometimes with guardrails and sometimes without. At one of the first pullouts, I remarked to a man at the viewpoint that it was quite a drive. “Try it on a motorcycle!” he said. I turned around to see his wheels in the parking area.
The land of the Colorado Plateau was first inhabited by Navajo and Ute tribes. John Otto built many of the trails in the early 1900s, and Colorado National Monument was named in 1911. Construction began on the scenic drive along the rim in 1931 and was completed by the National Park Service in 1950. Varied layers of rock can be seen throughout the plateau, a diverse geological strata. Erosion is constantly changing the face of the rock formations.
Returning from a Western Slope road trip, I followed the road from south to north, stopping at the overlooks and taking the short hikes to panoramic views. The most iconic red rock shapes are near the northern entry, just west of Grand Junction. The photos below are posted in chronological order (hence geographical order), so the noted rock structures appear at the end. Snow-capped mountains hover along the horizon.
Western Slope road trip: Grand Junction sculpture, Dominguez Canyon, Fruitgrowers Reservoir, Western Slope towns, Colorado National Monument
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Ruth Rosenfeld 
I love living in Grand Junction with all of this in my back yard. We hike here often. We’ve been training for my upcoming hike along the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu. We would hike through Monument Valley to Independence Monument (and beyond). A few weekends ago, the valley was full of big horn sheep. One day an entire herd was in the valley including half a dozen baby sheep. It was so fun watching them play on the rocks.
Thanks for sharing your photos of this beautiful area.
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What a wonderful place to hike! I haven’t been down in the valley. I’m sure it’s a great habitat for the big horn sheep. Thanks for sharing your comments, Carol!
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Nature is a magnificent, highly creative artist. That’s an understatement.
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Beautifully said.
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What a fabulous landscape! I’d rather be a passenger than a driver though. Maggie
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Me too!
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One of my favourite parks and landscapes. Thanks for taking me back!
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My pleasure! I had been there once long ago… It was good for the soul to commune with this place again.
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Wow, just look at that rugged and beautiful desert of the Colorado Plateau – it’s an enchanting place that’s unlike anywhere else in the United States. You could spend years exploring the crevasses and peaks and still have more to discover. Thanks for sharing and have a good day 🙂 Aiva xx
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Thanks, Aiva. There are many places in the U.S. west that have red rock formations, but each is unique in its own way. It would be great to hike around on the valley floor among them.
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These are some gorgeous formations. Nature sure is an amazing artist.
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Yes, that’s a great way to think of it. Slowly evolving over eons, the shapes will change with time.
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What a stunning drive that looks! I’m glad there are pull-outs so that you could enjoy the landscapes properly and take all these photos so that we could enjoy them too 😀
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Thanks, Sarah! The road is well designed to maximize the amazing views.
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These images makes me realy dream away… Thanks for sharing this impressive scenery.
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Thanks for coming along!
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There’s something about the steep, red rocks and canyons which mystify those who visit. I’ve been to this part of the US, and I’m constantly enamored by how vast everything is– makes us humans seem significant to the world around us. Gorgeous shots!
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Thanks so much, Rebecca! The scope of these sites is humbling and awe-inspiring. We can only see a small part of them by driving through. It would be great to take some time to hike through the valley, looking up at the formations.
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Try it on a bicycle! It’s a great ride. I don’t know if we were blog buddies yet (so you may not have seen the post), but our first time venturing out (heavily masked) on a trip during the first summer of COVID was over in your neck of the woods with our little travel trailer (social distancing? check!) and Grand Junction was our very first stop, precisely to cycle the Monument. It was boiling hot, but a gorgeous ride. We’d both do it again in a heartbeat.
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Cool! I just started this blog at the beginning of the pandemic, so I didn’t see it. In summer, it surely would be roasting. Good for you guys!
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Well, Ruth, you can always count on me to pressure you into reading one of my posts 😉
https://thetravelarchitect.wordpress.com/2020/08/21/plan-b-travels-cycling-the-colorado-national-monument/
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I’m not feeling pressured! Actually I was thinking I should check out your earlier Colorado posts, but haven’t gotten around to it. Thanks for sending the link.
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Spectacular scenery. That road sounds like scary fun. But no, I’ll pass on doing it on a motorbike.
Alison
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I just got a comment from a blog friend who bicycled it! Thanks for your comment, as always, Alison.
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Sounds like an adventurous and extremely scenic drive. Your pictures of the red rock landscape are stunning. I wouldn’t want to be the person driving, but that’s largely because I enjoy taking pictures along the way!
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Thank you! It’s easier to sit back and enjoy the scenery as a passenger.
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Lovely photos! I’ve always liked this place and it was fun to relive my past visits through your post.
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Glad to spark good memories!
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