Colorado National Monument
Colorado National Monument is a National Park Service unit near the city of Grand Junction, Colorado. Look for it 4 mi south of Fruita. The site is in the hands of the National Park Service. It had 483K visitors in 2025.
A national monument, 4 mi south of Fruita
You can sleep inside the park
1 place to stay are inside the park: Saddlehorn Campground. The nearest town with more is Fruita. Where to stay ↓
Summers are hot
July highs run 96–96°, and about 70 days a year reach 90°. When to go ↓
Winters are cold
January nights drop to 16°. When to go ↓
Established in 1911
Colorado National Monument dates from 1911 and is run by National Park Service. About ↓
Best months: May and Sep
May and September are the mild months, with highs of 79–84°. When to go ↓
Written from National Park Service visitor counts, NOAA 1991–2020 normals, Overture places to stay, Census town figures, Wikidata and Wikipedia. Updated when the Park Service posts a new month.
Crowds and weather, month by month
Crowds at Colorado rise and fall through the year, as below.
Colorado National Monument
Colorado National Monument is a National Park Service unit near the city of Grand Junction, Colorado. Sheer-walled canyons cut deep into sandstone and granite–gneiss–schist rock formations. This is an area of desert land high on the Colorado Plateau, with pinyon and juniper forests on the plateau. The park hosts a wide range of wildlife, including red-tailed hawks, golden eagles, ravens, jays, desert bighorn sheep, and coyotes. Activities include hiking, horseback riding, road bicycling, and scenic drives; a visitor center on the west side contains a natural history museum and gift shop. There are scenic views from trails, Rim Rock Drive, which winds along the plateau, and the campground. Nearby are the Book Cliffs and the largest flat-topped mountain in the world, the Grand Mesa.
- Type
- National Monument
- Established
- 1911
- Area
- 32 square miles
- Run by
- National Park Service
- Wikipedia readers
- 15K a year
- Official site
- nps.gov/colm
Getting in
- Private Vehicle$25
- Motorcycle$20
- Per Person$15
- Non-commercial Groups$15
Places to stay near Colorado National Monument
You can sleep inside the park (1 place). Close by, places to stay are in Grand Junction (50) and Fruita (7).
Stay in the park
- Saddlehorn Campground campground
Grand Junction
The closest town with somewhere to stay.
71,827 people
9 mi east of Saddlehorn Visitor Center · 5 mi to the park
Compare 7 towns
| Town | From the visitor center | Drive | Places to stay | People | Typical home | Safety |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grand Junction | 9 mi east | 15 min | 50 31 hotels · 4 motels · 6 inns & B&Bs · 3 lodges & cabins · 1 campground · 5 RV parks | 71,827 | $390K | D |
| Fruita | 4 mi north | 5 min | 7 3 hotels · 2 inns & B&Bs · 1 lodge or cabins · 1 RV park | 14,003 | $398K | A− |
| Redlands | 4 mi east | 5 min | 2 1 hotel · 1 campground | 8,868 | $488K | — |
| Clifton | 15 mi east | 20 min | 6 2 hotels · 2 inns & B&Bs · 1 lodge or cabins · 1 RV park | 19,518 | $251K | — |
| Palisade | 20 mi east | 30 min | 8 2 hotels · 2 motels · 3 inns & B&Bs · 1 campground | 2,599 | $405K | B |
| Fruitvale | 14 mi east | 20 min | 2 2 inns & B&Bs | 8,019 | $333K | — |
| Loma | 8 mi northwest | 10 min | 1 1 campground | 1,350 | $787K | — |
Getting there
Nearest airports with airline service, from the visitor center
Beyond Colorado
You can reach each of these within 68 miles.
Big draw51 mi National ParkArches National Park1.5M visitors a year
61 mi National ParkBlack Canyon of the Gunnison National Park250K visitors a year
41 mi MountainGrand Mesa
68 mi State parkDead Horse Point State Park129 mi Ski areaPowderhorn56 runs · 1,653 ft vertical
210 mi MuseumCAF Rocky Mountain Wing Museum
311 mi MuseumCross Orchards Historic Site60 mi GardenMontrose Botanic GardensPhoto credits
Arches National Park: m01229 from USA, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park: http://www.terraprints.com, CC BY 2.5 · Grand Mesa: DrunkDriver, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Dead Horse Point State Park: Nikater, Public domain · CAF Rocky Mountain Wing Museum: Airbase1, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Cross Orchards Historic Site: Jeffrey Beall, CC BY-SA 3.0
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483,436 visits in 2025
The chart runs from 2016 to 2025.
Before visiting Colorado
What town is Colorado National Monument near?
Fruita, CO, about 4 miles north.
When is the best time to visit Colorado National Monument?
May and September, with highs of 79–84°. May is the busiest month (about 52,146 visitors).
How many people visit Colorado National Monument each year?
483,436 in 2025, according to the National Park Service. The record is 499,841, set in 2021.
What is the closest airport to Colorado National Monument?
Grand Junction Regional (GJT), about 11 miles away. The nearest big hub is Salt Lake City (SLC), about 208 miles.
Where should I stay near Colorado National Monument?
Inside the park: Saddlehorn Campground. Nearby: Grand Junction (9 mi, 50 places to stay), Fruita (4 mi, 7 places to stay) and Clifton (15 mi, 6 places to stay).
Tips for visiting, from Fruita
People in Fruita have not posted tips yet; their Town Square is open.
Sources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · National Park Service visitor use statistics · NOAA climate normals · U.S. Census.