Grand Junction’s Colorado National Monument has been featured in a recent National Geographic article by travel writer Bailey Berg. The piece, titled “How to see the Southwest’s best red rock formations—without the crowds,” highlights the Monument as a quieter alternative to more crowded national parks in the Southwest. The article was also syndicated to Yahoo.
“The [Colorado National Monument] is blissfully quiet—a rare occurrence in national parks in the Southwest—even though it is located a few miles west of Grand Junction, the largest city in western Colorado.
The Grand Canyon attracted more than four million visitors in 2024, but the Colorado National Monument, also known as the mini-Grand Canyon, welcomes 488,000 people a year.
‘One of the best advantages of the Colorado National Monument is that even on its most crowded day, you have that opportunity to find silence and solitude,’ says Zebulon Miracle, a local historian and anthropologist. ‘The Grand Canyon, Zion, Bryce, Yellowstone—they’re all places that everyone should absolutely go and see, but it’s tough to find that sense of quiet.'”
The article provides historical context for the area. Archaeological evidence shows people have lived in or passed through western Colorado for about 11,000 years. John Otto became instrumental in making the region accessible after visiting it in 1906. He built trails by hand and lobbied for its protection. While Congress did not make it a national park, President William Howard Taft declared roughly 20,000 acres along the Umcompahgre Plateau a national monument and appointed Otto as its first superintendent.
“‘In the early part of the 20th century, many westerners took this type of scenery for granted, but Otto could see the potential in the area and had a vision for creating a great national park in the heart of the ,’ says . ‘In the end, he had to settle for a much smaller area than originally envisioned.'”
The article describes Rim Rock Drive as one of the best ways to experience Colorado National Monument. The 23-mile road offers views into over a billion years of geological history with exposed granite at canyon floors and layers of sandstone and siltstone forming cliffs.
“‘Doing the drive, you go through over a billion years of Earth’s history,’ Miracle says. ‘There’s this layer cake geology that makes the area’s story easy to follow.'”
Scenic overlooks give visitors views of notable formations such as Pipe Organ, Kissing Couple, Praying Hands, Sentinel Spire and Independence Monument—the tallest freestanding rock formation there. Independence Monument received its name when Beatrice Gulliver began carving part of the Declaration of Independence into its base; John Otto famously climbed it on Flag Day in 1911 to plant an American flag atop it—a tradition continued by local climbers each Fourth of July.
Hiking opportunities range from short rim walks suitable for families with children to longer backpacking routes traversing canyons. Miracle explains: “‘If you want to do a long backpacking trip through the entire Monument, you can. If you have small kids, there are easy trails too,’ explains Miracle. ‘It really offers opportunity no matter what level you’re looking for.'”
Families are recommended several shorter hikes including paths among hoodoos and crags where wildflowers and drought-resistant shrubs can be seen.
Visitors can also stop at Saddlehorn Visitor Center for exhibits on geology and John Otto’s preservation efforts or camp nearby at Saddlehorn Campground—known locally for sunsets and stargazing opportunities. Wildlife includes bighorn sheep, hawks, eagles, coyotes and mule deer.
Although less visited than other famous canyon parks such as Grand Canyon or Zion National Park (which receive millions more annual visitors), local advocates describe Colorado National Monument as central to regional identity.
“It may not receive the accolades that other canyonland parks receive, but Colorado National Monument is this area’s ‘heart of the world‘,” according to Otto.
