Top Travel Tips, Ideas and Inspiration Grand Mesa uncompahgre Gunnison National Forests, Colorado

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ARTICLEGrand Mesa uncompahgre Gunnison National Forests In west-central Colorado three separate national forests—Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre and Gunnison—form a multitude of scenic vistas, mountainous terrain and recreation opportunities. The three combined forests total 2,975,647 acres, including more than a half-million acres of state designated wilderness.

NATIONAL PARKArapaho And Roosevelt National Forests And Pawnee National Grassland In north-central Colorado past and present coexist within the 1,280,000 mountainous acres of the Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests, which embrace some of the higher and more visited areas of the region. Creaking ghost towns in the Arapaho region set off lively ski resorts, and the rotted roadbeds of abandoned narrow-gauge railways contrast with the well-maintained highways that provide access to this rooftop of the continent.

NATIONAL PARKArapaho National Recreation Area In north-central Colorado, next to Rocky Mountain National Park

NATIONAL PARKArches National Park Arches National Park lies 5 miles northwest of Moab on US 191. The rugged area contains the largest number of natural stone arches in the country. Along with more than 2,000 arches are many red rock canyons, spires, fins and balancing rocks. The erosion of the

NATIONAL PARKAshley National Forest In the northeast corner of Utah, Ashley National Forest includes the only major mountain range in the lower 48 states with an east-west alignment—the Uintas. Ashley National Forest embraces this area and the pinion-juniper and ponderosa pine-covered benchland along the Green River. One of the major water-producing areas in the state of Utah, the forest was established by President Theodore Roosevelt in 1908.

NATIONAL PARKAztec Ruins National Monument In the northwest corner of New Mexico, just north of Aztec on US 516 to Ruins Road, is one of the best preserved Ancestral Pueblo ruins in the Southwest. The misnomer Aztec was given by early settlers who incorrectly identified the builders of these sandstone pueblos.

NATIONAL PARKBandelier National Monument About 50 miles northwest of Santa Fe via US 285 to Pojoaque, then west on SR 502 and south on SR 4, this 50-square-mile site sits on the Pajarito Plateau in northern New Mexico's rugged canyon and mesa country. Pueblo and cliff dwellings constitute the remnants of an Ancestral Puebloan community established 7 to 8 centuries ago.

NATIONAL PARKBlack Canyon Of The Gunnison National Park Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park has several observation points on the South Rim, reached via SR 347, leading off US 50, 8 miles east of Montrose; the North Rim is reached by an 11-mile road (the last half is gravel) from SR 92 east of Crawford.

NATIONAL PARKCanyon De Chelly National Monument Cottonwood Campground is managed by the Navajo Nation and offers primitive campsites for tent and group camping on a first-come, first-served basis. Restroom facilities are on-site; no showers or hookups are available. Limited services are offered in winter. A nightly fee is required. Phone (

NATIONAL PARKCanyonlands National Park In southeastern Utah, Canyonlands National Park encompasses deeply eroded canyons interspersed with sheer-sided mesas and a variety of spires, arches and unusual rock formations. The Green and Colorado rivers join and continue in a series of powerful rapids through the multicolored recesses of

NATIONAL PARKCanyons Of The Ancients National Monument In the Four Corners region 15 miles northwest of Cortez and west of US 491, Canyons of the Ancients National Monument preserves one of the richest archeological areas in the United States, covering 176,000 acres of remote and difficult terrain. More than 6,000 archeological sites, including dwellings, shrines, hunting camps and petroglyphs, preserve the remnants of cultures and traditions spanning thousands of years.

NATIONAL PARKCapitol Reef National Park Near the visitor center, brightly colored tiered cliffs rise 1,000 feet above the Fremont River. Pre-Columbian Indian petroglyphs can be seen on the surrounding canyon walls. Growing amid Capitol Reef's red rock formations are orchards where fruit may be picked in season. Visitors also can see the remains of Fruita, an early Mormon pioneer settlement.

NATIONAL PARKCapulin Volcano National Monument Three miles north of US 64/87 and Capulin on SR 325, Capulin Volcano National Monument contains one of the best examples of a volcanic cinder cone in the nation. About 60,000 years ago ash, cinders and lava erupted and formed a classic cinder cone that stands more than 1,000 feet above the surrounding prairie. Today, a 2-mile road winds up the volcano, and five trails lead into the crater and around the rim. The view from the summit includes the Rocky Mountains, volcanic features of the Raton-Clayton Volcanic Field, and the distant horizons of Colorado, Oklahoma and Texas. Ranger-led programs are offered in summer.

NATIONAL PARKCarson National Forest In north central New Mexico, Carson National Forest encompasses 1,500,000 acres. Its scenic and recreational focus is in the districts that encompass the Sangre de Cristo and the San Juan mountains flanking the upper Rio Grande Valley.

NATIONAL PARKCedar Breaks National Monument Cedar Breaks National Monument is off SR 14 between Bryce Canyon National Park and Cedar City. It encompasses a 5-mile-wide natural limestone amphitheater eroded to a depth of nearly 2,500 feet. Settlers mistook the junipers growing at the base of the rock layers for cedars, hence the name.

NATIONAL PARKChaco Culture National Historical Park Located in northwestern New Mexico, Chaco Culture National Historical Park preserves the remains of 13 major great houses, or public buildings, and several thousand smaller sites representing the culture of the Ancestral Puebloan people between A.D. 850 and 1250. It is one of the most impressive cultural sites in the Southwest.

NATIONAL PARKCoconino National Forest Surrounding Flagstaff and Sedona, Coconino National Forest covers 1,821,495 acres. In the south the forest is cut by deep canyons; in the north the San Francisco Peaks attain the highest elevation in Arizona. These peaks, including

NATIONAL PARKColorado National Monument Colorado National Monument is reached from Fruita via I-70 exit 19 or Grand Junction via SR 340 (Broadway). This bold, big and brilliantly colored canyon country, with its towering and fascinating rock sculptures, covers 32 square miles of rugged terrain. Rim Rock Drive is one of the grandest scenic drives in the American West and offers both motorists and bicyclists access to 23 miles of breathtaking scenery. The drive also provides access to the visitor center and campground, several interpretive viewpoints and 14 hiking trails varying in length and difficulty.

NATIONAL PARKCurecanti National Recreation Area The Curecanti National Recreation Area parallels US 50 between Gunnison and Montrose. It contains three reservoirs formed by dams on the Gunnison River—Blue Mesa, Morrow Point and Crystal.

NATIONAL PARKDinosaur National Monument Dinosaur National Monument's Utah section is reached via SR 149, which joins US 40 at Jensen. One of the world's largest concentrations of fossilized dinosaur bones is found in the park, which encompasses about 325 square miles in Utah and Colorado. Fossilized bones of the Allosaurus and other prehistoric reptiles have been revealed in a single sandstone cliff. Several of the region's exhumed skeletons are exhibited in the Carnegie Museum of Natural History in Pittsburgh.

NATIONAL PARKDixie National Forest The warm climate characteristic of southwestern Utah reminded early Mormon settlers of the Deep South, thus the name given to this wilderness area of ponderosa pine and spruce. Dixie National Forest covers approximately 1,700,000 acres. Bryce Canyon, Capitol Reef and Zion national parks, as well as Cedar Breaks and Grand Staircase-Escalante national monuments, are all adjacent to or within the forest.

NATIONAL PARKEl Malpais National Monument El Malpais National Monument is south of Grants via I-40 to SRs 53 and 117. It preserves and protects 114,106 acres of a landscape shaped by volcanic action that over time created lava flows and lava tube caves. Visitors can hike trails, embark on scenic drives and explore caves (a free permit is required) in a setting that is remarkable for its unspoiled solitude. Note: Wear sturdy boots and exercise extreme caution when hiking on the sharp lava formations.

NATIONAL PARKEl Morro National Monument El Morro National Monument is 43 miles southwest of Grants via SR 53. The central features of the 1,278-acre monument are 200-foot-high

NATIONAL PARKFishlake National Forest Fishlake National Forest, in south-central Utah, covers 1,434,599 acres. Natural features range from the alpine wilderness of the Tushar Mountains to Wayne Wonderland's red desert terrain. The scenic Fish Lake-Johnson Valley area, in the southeastern part of the forest, includes 2,600-acre Fish Lake and 670-acre Johnson Reservoir, as well as camping and picnicking areas, a boat launch site and several resorts. The highway to Fish Lake is paved.

NATIONAL PARKFlaming Gorge National Recreation Area Reached by SR 530 or US 191 from I-80 in Wyoming or US 191 from Utah, Flaming Gorge National Recreation Area straddles the border between Wyoming and Utah. The area includes a 91-mile-long reservoir and the Flaming Gorge and Red canyons, which were carved through the Uinta Mountains by the Green River.

NATIONAL PARKFlorissant Fossil Beds National Monument Two miles south of Florissant on Teller CR 1, Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument protects an area once covered by a prehistoric lake. As layer after layer of volcanic ash accumulated some 34 to 35 million years ago, the lake vanished, but its plant and animal life were preserved almost intact in paper-thin layers of shale. It is these fossils, dating from the Eocene period and including standing petrified sequoia stumps, that the 6,000-acre monument protects.

NATIONAL PARKFort Union National Monument Eight miles northwest of Watrous on SR 161 (off I-25 exit 366), ranks of chimneys are stark reminders of the days when Fort Union was one of the largest military posts on the Southwestern frontier. From 1851 until 1891 Fort Union was the chief quartermaster depot for all garrisons throughout the region as well as the primary station for troops assigned to protect settlers and Santa Fe Trail travelers.

NATIONAL PARKFossil Butte National Monument Fourteen miles west of Kemmerer on US 30, Fossil Butte National Monument rises nearly 1,000 feet above the Twin Creek Valley. The buff-to-white beds of the Green River Formation contain one of the world's largest deposits of the fossils of freshwater fish that lived 50 million years ago. Fossils of mammals, reptiles, fish, insects and plants can be seen at the visitor center; a video presentation also is available.

NATIONAL PARKGlen Canyon National Recreation Area Along the Colorado River from Grand Canyon National Park in far north-central Arizona to Canyonlands National Park in southeastern Utah, Glen Canyon National Recreation Area is home to one of the highest dams in the United States. Part of the Colorado River storage project, the

NATIONAL PARKGolden Spike National Historic Site Thirty miles west of Brigham City via SRs 13 and 83, this site marks Promontory Summit, where Union Pacific and Central Pacific rails converged to form the nation's first transcontinental railroad on May 10, 1869. A golden spike and three other precious metal spikes were ceremonially placed to commemorate the connection.

NATIONAL PARKGrand Canyon National Park North Rim Less visited than the South Rim, the North Rim is not as extensively developed. The views from the North and South rims differ considerably. Observers at Bright Angel Point on the North Rim can see the San Francisco Peaks, which are 80 miles south of the South Rim.

NATIONAL PARKGrand Canyon National Park South Rim One superb canyon vista after another is what you'll see along the South Rim's paved roads. The 25-mile Desert View Drive (open year-round to private vehicles) connects the East Entrance Station with Grand Canyon Village, winding through a ponderosa pine forest and passing a half-dozen viewpoints (Grandview is a standout) along the way.

NATIONAL PARKGrand Staircase Escalante National Monument Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument covers 1.9 million acres in southern Utah. Established by presidential proclamation in September 1996, its name refers to the series of multicolored cliffs and mesas extending from Bryce Canyon to the Grand Canyon in Arizona. Over time the Escalante and Paria rivers and their tributaries carved out two major canyon systems as well as natural bridges and arches. Most of the land is rugged, remote and undeveloped.

NATIONAL PARKGreat Basin National Park Approximately 5 miles west of Baker on SR 488 near the Nevada-Utah border, the 77,180-acre Great Basin National Park, established in 1986, contains many of the features common to the Great Basin, including impressive mountain peaks, lush meadows, sparkling streams, alpine lakes and a small glacier.

NATIONAL PARKGreat Sand Dunes National Park And Preserve Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve is 38 miles northeast of Alamosa via US 160 and SR 150. Too heavy to rise over the mountains with the winds that carry it northeastward across the flat, semiarid floor of the San Luis Valley, sand settles at the foot of the Sangre de Cristo Range. Deposits accumulating over the course of thousands of years have created a 30-square-mile, stark yet ever-changing sandscape that forms a vaguely eerie foreground for the rugged mountains.

NATIONAL PARKHovenweep National Monument Hovenweep National Monument lies in both Colorado and Utah and can be reached from either state. There are two Colorado entrances to the monument. One is the Pleasant View turnoff 18 miles north of Cortez on US 491; the other is the McElmo Canyon Road accessible south of Cortez on US 160.

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