No Thoroughfare Canyon

Rating: 
One-way Distance: 8.5 miles
Difficulty: Strenuous
Elevation: 5005 - 6761 feet
Cellphone: 0-3 bars
Time: 5 hrs.
Trailhead: Devil's Kitchen
Fee: $20/vehicle - $10/individual
Attractions: Ruggedly scenic canyon, bighorn, arches
 

No Thoroughfare Canyon is located in the Colorado National Monument near Grand Junction, Colorado. Beginning in the Devil's Kitchen area the trail heads up the long rugged canyon where it enters a gorge carved out of the black precambrian granite. Around the 1 mile point from the trailhead the trail comes to the First Pool which lies at the base of a small spillover. Near the 1.5 mile point the trail comes to the First Waterfall where the seasonal stream plunges over a towering precipitous cliff forming another inviting pool of water that collects at its base. Just before reaching the Second Waterfall 1 mile later the trail climbs up a ravine to get out of its granite basement and continues up the canyon for another 4 miles or so, bordered on one side by the towering red sandstone cliffs that create a wall on one side of the trail and the deep wash, choked with cottonwood trees and a thick growth of willows, that forms the main channel of the canyon on the other side. As the trail comes to an end it climbs out of the canyon on a well constructed path to the upper trailhead that is located along Little Park Road.

Bench Trail

Rating: 
Round Trip Distance: 5-8 miles
Difficulty: Moderate
Elevation: 4780 - 5499 feet
Cellphone: 3-5 bars
Time: 3 hrs.
Trailhead: Wildwood/White Rocks
Fee: none
Attractions: Scenic, natural bridge, bighorn

The Bench trail is a backcountry route that is located in the Colorado National Monument near Grand Junction, Colorado. On its south end the trail begins off of the Liberty Cap trail where it travels along a bench that was created as the softer layers of sandstone eroded away above a much harder layer of dark precambrian granite. After a little more than 3 miles the trail reaches Gold Star Canyon where there are several options available for descending off of the bench to the White Rocks Area trailhead. From there it is possible to loop back to the Wildwood trailhead by following a social trail along the old buffalo fence that outlines much of the Monument's eastern border.

Upper Liberty Cap

Rating: 
Round Trip Distance: 10 miles
Difficulty: Moderate
Elevation: 5884 - 6515 feet
Cellphone: 1-5 bars
Time: 4 hrs.
Trailhead: Upper Liberty Cap
Fee: $20/vehicle - $10/individual
Attractions: Scenic views
 

The Upper Liberty Cap trail is located in the Colorado National Monument near Grand Junction, Colorado. The trail begins off of Rimrock Drive where it travels across Monument Mesa for 5 miles on an abandoned jeep road and meets up with the Lower Liberty Cap trail at the iconic Liberty Cap geological formation on the eastern edge of the mesa overlooking the valley below.

Ute Canyon

Rating: 
Round Trip Distance: 8.6-13 miles
Difficulty: Moderate
Elevation: 5539 - 6465 feet
Cellphone: 2-5 bars
Time: 4 hrs.
Trailhead: Ute Canyon
Fee: $20/vehicle, $10/individual
Attractions: Scenic canyon, arches
 

The Ute Canyon trail is located in the Colorado National Monument near Grand Junction, Colorado. Beginning off of Rimrock Drive the trail descends 400 feet in elevation down a mostly improved route of well placed stone steps that are augmented by a few steps that have been chiseled right out of the rock. As the trail reaches the canyon below the trail forks with one route that heads up the canyon to the left where after 1.3 miles it ends at a large spillover. The right fork leads down to the main branch of Ute Canyon where a good primitive trail can be followed to the mouth of the canyon where it meets up with the Corkscrew Trail. Along the way hikers are treated to a couple of natural arches and the scenic redrock cliffs that the Colorado National Monument is famous for.

Monument Canyon

Rating: 
Round Trip Distance: 7 - 12 miles
Difficulty: Strenuous
Elevation: 5224 - 6070 feet
Cellphone: 2-5 bars
Time: 3 -6 hrs.
Trailhead: Upper Monument Canyon
Fee: $15/vehicle, $10/motorcycle, $5/hike-bicyclist
Attractions: Scenic geology, bighorn
 

The Monument Canyon trail in the Colorado National Monument near Grand Junction, Colorado is another jewel for the National Park Service. The upper end of the trail begins at a trailhead on Rimrock Drive where it makes a winding 700 foot descent into Monument Canyon. From there it travels along the base of the cliffs passing various rock formations like the 'Kissing Couple'. Near the midpoint of the trail it passes the hulking mass of Independence Monument which separates Monument Canyon from Wedding Canyon. Continuing past the junction of the 2 canyons the trail works its way on to the lower trailhead near Highway 340. This post covers the portion of the trail between the upper trailhead and Independence Monument which is covered in a different post. If you like walking among towering spires of sandstone and scenic canyon walls then this is the place to be.