Colorado National Monument is a great place to visit if you want to drive an area without needing to do strenuous hikes to capture the beauty of Colorado! There is a drive that lines the park and allows you to capture great shots of the park without having to go away from the car too much. There are tons of pull offs, and this is one of the best places in Colorado to capture a sunrise! I have chased the sunrise across this ridge a number of times and the sun coming over the horizon and hitting the sandstones is amazing to see in person. This park honestly looks like it is a part of Utah or Arizona, but we are lucky enough to have this in Colorado!

I visited on a bright sunny, hot day. There was no wait at the entrance and the Ranger was super friendly. Most all of the overlooks on Rim Rock Road are only a very short distance from the road. There was plenty of parking, sometimes I was the only car there. Lots of beautiful canyons and views of The Grand Valley.

I LOVED this place!!! I ended up getting there way later than intended but all the views were absolutely amazing. I did 3 of the short hikes for like 4-5 miles total but I would absolutely go back and do some of the harder ones with more time! The overlooks all provided so many photo ops and I love places like this where I can just sit on a rock and enjoy the beautiful scenery. I couldn’t have asked for a prettier skyline for my pics! Don’t skip this little gem. And the visitor center had lots of interesting info as well so don’t forget to spend a little time in there!

Colorado National Monument is an amazing and beautiful place to visit. There is a beautiful drive in Colorado National Monument which shows different viewpoints by which one can capture different shots of the park. This park looks like the park in Utah or Arizona and it was amazing to see the same structure in Colorado. Definitely visit the visitor center as it provides a lot of information regarding the park structure.

Basically a less busy Utah national park. It felt like we had the whole place to ourselves, and incredible notion considering the sheer natural beauty here. Every overlook has quiet and peaceful with gorgeous canyon views! Will be back soon!

When I was planning a roadtrip of Colorado's national parks and other similar attractions, I came across this. Two parts of me suggested we skip it, thinking maybe it might be too similar to or even less impressive than a place like Canyonlands, which we'd visited two years prior, or that because we'd be stopping by in mid-July, it wouldn't be enjoyable at all, since it's a high desert. I'm glad I ignored those two voices. While we only spent about 3 1/2 hours here, it was well worth the extra 90 minutes of driving on our trip. We entered at the West/Fruita entrance, and stopped at all but maybe one or two of the overlooks along Rim Rock Drive. Several of the overlooks offer excellent views of unique geological formations; others allow you to just soak in the beauty of the sandstone and the river valley off to the north and east. We also spent about a half hour at the visitor center, as our kids completed the junior ranger program booklets. If time were less of a factor, I would've liked to take Black Ridge Road out of the park toward Rattlesnake Canyon, as that seems to be a great, short trail to see a couple of amazing arches. And if weather were less of a factor (the temperatures were in the upper 90s the entire afternoon we were there), we almost certainly would've hiked at least a couple of the shorter trails (Coke Ovens, Otto's, Canyon Rim, Window Rock). But it felt like over 100 degrees outside, and just getting in and out of the car and walking a short distance to each overlook was exhausting enough as it was. Maybe another time. Ultimately, this park deserves to be reclassified as a National Park. My hometown has a "national park" that's way less impressive than this.

Worth the $25 to take this mountainous windy road through two beautiful canyons. Check out Independence Monument and many other gorgeous formations or hit the trailheads for a stunning hiking experience. This is worth the investment both time and money.

I was fortunate enough to visit the Colorado National Monument and Park back in February and breathtaking isn’t even a strong enough word to describe the beauty! It started snowing as we got towards the top, so we weren’t able to stay long, but the views were absolutely spectacular! I can’t wait to come back and visit during the summer for a different scene!

Just one person's opinion, but this is the most beautiful place in Colorado. The scale is "just right" in terms of being relatively close to the remarkable landmarks (for nice photos) and for wonderful end-to-end drives early in the morning or around sunset. To get the full effect, leave time to drive the full route in each direction. One caveat: In good weather, be forewarned that you are likely to encounter bicyclists on the two-lane road -- but a brief slowdown will let you savor the view of the landscape.

What a treat! The views and the drive are simply amazing. Photos don't do justice, experience with your own eyes. It took us about 2 hrs to leisurely cruise through the monument. Must not miss it you are in Western Colorado

A very beautiful place! Not as popular as national parks in UTAH But this offers great canyon views, solitude and unique amazing landscapes! Each viewpoint offers a unique view!

Located outside of Grand Junction, Colorado, the Colorado National Monument is a unit of the National Park Service that is worth a visit. We spent a few hours driving along the 23-mile Rim Rock Drive, stopping for a couple of short walks along the way. The first stop was for Otto's Trail, which was less than a mile round trip. At the overlook, you have excellent views of canyons and Independence Monument. We then drove to the Upper Monument Canyon to see the Coke Ovens; this walk was a little over a mile round trip. We even saw a big horn sheep crossing the road, so look out for wildlife! There was more to see that we'll have to go back for on another visit. Highly recommended.

Amazing National monument run by the National Park Service. Be aware of the entrance fee and the very steep inclines and tunnels you must drive through. Lots of pull outs and great views of the cliffs and geological formations, well worth a stop here.

Stunning views along Rim Rock Drive. Enter through the East side and you won't be disappointed. The drive starts off with beautiful views and ends with spectacular views. If you go early to see the sun rise you can grab breakfast in Fruita which is a charming town near the west entrance.

Beautiful park with expansive views. The entrance was unmanned, so visitors are on honor system to leave cash in the box or pay online. The drive along Rim Rock Drive offers many scenic overlooks.

Such an awesome park to drive through without having a need to do a strenuous hike for a viewpoint to capture the beauty of Colorado. There are tons of pull offs, and this is one of the best places in Colorado to capture a sunrise!

Definitely worth a stop! Decent hiking opportunities but this is one of those national parks/monuments that caters to those who are less mobile. Tons of pull-off and park-to-view spots, good signage describing the landscape, great visitor center, and the pictures do NOT do it justice, go experience it for yourself!