What to Do in Colorado National Monument on a 100 Degree Day!
Well, what is there to do in Colorado National Monument on a 100 degree day? That is exactly what Deanna and I had to figure out when the weather just wasn’t going to cool down at all when we were in town to explore.
Start Your Adventure EARLY
I know, I know…Deanna and I aren’t really early morning people either, but starting off early was definitely key to enjoying our adventure at Colorado National Monument. MOST of Colorado National Monument really is driving around from viewpoint to viewpoint, but if you want to conquer a few trails on a hot day…take it up early.
Visitor Center and Canyon Rim Trail
If you are like us and are entering in via the Fruita, CO entrance, enjoy the beautiful scenery as you wind your way up switchback roads to get to the top of the canyon. Along this road you will see “balance rock” among other beautiful lookouts along the way. Definitely stop and enjoy the view, but be sure to keep a decent pace if you still want to get a couple hikes in for the day.
Not too far from the Fruita entrance, there lies the visitor center with some epic views of its own. If this it the first time at the park, definitely talk to some of the rangers and soak in some awesome historical information of the area. This park is rich in history and conservation.
Right by the visitor center is a short trail that Deanna and I took (left Blaze behind on this hot day). Canyon Rim Trail is an easy short trail (still not wheel chair accessible) with some very slight elevations changes as you walk along the canyon rim. There are some amazing views along the side of the canyon rim and everywhere you look off to the side is a viewpoint (but there are a couple designated viewpoints as well).
Otto’s Trail
After hitting up the visitor center and Canyon Rim Trail, we wanted to at least get one more quick trail in before the heat started taking over the day. Otto’s Trail seemed like a perfect fit as it is another quick and easy trail not too far away from the visitor center.
Along this trail you will eventually come across the Pipe Organ and get an epic view of Independence Monument. John Otto used to climb up Independence monument each year and raise the American flag. As you can see via the photos, this was no easy feat!
On To The Many Viewpoints
Although it was still early in the morning, we definitely felt the heat coming on pretty strong as the sun got higher up in the perfectly cloud free sky. At this point we decided to start sticking to all the viewpoints rather than taking on many more hikes.
There are definitely some more vigorous hikes in the area such as Serpents Trail, Ute Canyon Trail, Liberty Cap Trail, Black Ridge Trail, among others. On a cooler day we may have hit these up, but not on the warmest day of our travels.
So, we started heading up the road (yes up, all the way to 6,640ft elevation) to check out every viewpoint possible. You might be thinking to yourself, aren’t all the viewpoints practically the same with the same terrain? From our experience, each of the viewpoints offered a unique view and revealed just a little bit more of what this area has to offer.
Most of the overlooks are JUST off the side of the road and require little to no walking. So if you are just coming off an injury or have a disability, there is still quite a bit to see at Colorado National Monument.
Devil’s Kitchen Trail
After hitting up almost every single viewpoint (we did miss a couple that were fairly busy), we decided to attempt one last trail for the day before heading out. Devil’s Kitchen Trail is a relatively easy trail, but definitely more difficult than Otto’s and Canyon Rim Trail. There is a bit more elevation gain on this trail and if you hit it up in the afternoon like we did…it will be much hotter on a 100 degree day.
We ended up going just far enough down Devil’s Kitchen Trail to see where we would be hiking in a canyon valley, but the heat was really starting to get the best of us. Although I imagine this trail is pretty awesome judging by the photos displayed towards the beginning of the trail, we just didn’t have it in us on that hot day.
Tips For Heading to Colorado National Monument on a 100 degree Day
- Obvious Tip (BRING LOTS OF WATER) Not only was it a hot day, but it is also an extremely dry area.
- Head out early to not only beat the crowds, but the heat.
- Hit up the trails you want to see early, there is always time to visit the viewpoints later.
- Colorado National Monument is surprisingly MASSIVE, enjoy the view, but pace your day out accordingly to see everything you can.
- We recommend starting at the Fruita entrance if you can to hit up the visitor center first and get any other tips from experienced rangers that know the area.
OTHER “NEARBY” ADVENTURES
Great Sand Dunes National Park
Favorite Hike at Rocky Mountain National Park
Alluvial Fan Rocky Mountain National Park
NOTE FROM WRITER
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Also be sure to check out Deanna’s food blog, The Harvest Skillet, when you get the chance! A lot of awesome and healthy recipes to use there!
Adventure On!
