This climb is excerpted from 100 Hikes in Colorado, by Scott S. Warren, published by The Mountaineers, Seattle. ©1995 by Scott S. Warren. All rights reserved. Embracing a ruggedly beautiful cross-section of canyons, cliffs, and mesa tops, Colorado National Monument offers some wonderful hiking opportunities within a short drive from Grand Junction. The hike described here follows the Monument Canyon Trail to the base of Independence Monument, the monument's flagship landform.
From the trailhead the Monument Canyon Trail begins dropping immediately into the head of a side drainage that eventually feeds into Monument Canyon. Within 200 yards is the turnoff for the 0.5-mile trail to the Coke Ovens a cluster of beehive-shaped formations of Wingate Sandstone. Created by the erosion of the softer sandstone beneath caps of more resistant Kayenta Sandstone, these monoliths are clearly visible from the Monument Canyon Trail, which turns left at the trail junction.
Beyond the turnoff for the Coke Ovens, the Monument Canyon Trail begins to really drop in elevation as it negotiates steep switchbacks, areas of loose rock, and exposed drop-offs. In about 0.5 mile the route descends some 600 feet before reaching the relatively level canyon bottom. Originally built by John Otto shortly after the turn of the century, this route was part of his one-man campaign to bring attention to this scenic area. His efforts paid off, and Colorado National Monument was established in 1911 by a stroke of President Taft's pen. Along this descent you may want to stop and take in the geology of the canyon. Like the Coke Ovens, the canyon walls consist of Wingate Sandstone, a rock that tends to form sheer cliffs several hundred feet high. Wingate Sandstone was deposited as sand dunes during the Triassic period more than 200 million years ago. Atop the Wingate Formation is a layer of Kayenta Sandstone, and above that a layer of pinkish rock known as Entrada Sandstone. Like the Wingate Formation, Entrada Sandstone was formed from wind-blown sands. Although Entrada Sandstone forms the rimrock in most of the national monument, younger layers of substrata are identifiable in the higher terrain west of the trailhead. Included among them is the Morrison Formation, which has produced most of the dinosaur bones found in the Colorado Plateau region thus far.
After continuing 0.5 mile east from the bottom of its descent into the canyon, the Monument Canyon Trail begins to bend north as it follows the canyon wall. A little more than 2 miles from the trailhead the trail passes almost directly beneath an interesting formation called the Kissing Couple. From this up close vantage point, the landmark is quite impressive. By this point you may have also noticed some dark metamorphic rock along the lower reaches of the canyon. Dating back 1.5 billion years, these Precambrian schist and gneiss form the core of the Uncompahgre Plateau, which reaches its northern terminus at Colorado National Monument.
Although the 6-mile Monument Canyon Trail continues for another 3 miles from the base of Independence Monument to reach a trailhead just east of the national monument boundary, this hike turns around here to return to the upper trailhead. Don't forget that you have a 600-foot climb back to your car before finishing this hike. Water is not available along this hike, so bring plenty, especially in the hot summer months. Although rattlesnakes tend to shy away from people, watch out for them anyway.
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