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Alan
04-10-2007, 02:50 PM
Colorado National Monument is just a mile or two outside of Fruita and the monument towers over Fruita. The road to get to the top of the monument is a great motorcycling road. The road is entertaining during the day, but after dinner down in Fruita, we rode back in pitch dark and then the road up was really interesting. :eek:

http://www.nps.gov/colm/ provides information about CNM.

Saddlehorn campground was nice and had a newer clean restroom. The view was great and we were able to watch a fleet of fire fighting airplanes passing back and forth as they fought a fire far to the east of us. The roads in the campground were paved. Take a look at the map from the link above and you can see how interesting the roads at CNM are. In the morning we headed south through the monument and that is also an outstanding fun road. While we were there in late June, the campground was only about 50% full and there was little traffic.

Another great ride in the area is Grand Mesa east of Fruita at Grand Junction, CO. I liked the Grand Mesa roads so much that I when I had to leave my son behind and head home, I made sure I routed through Grand Mesa a second time. Grand Mesa is so high, that there was still snow in late June at the higher elevations and warmer gear was required for me.

I added three pictures, the first two show our camp site at dawn and the last is a picture my son snapped of me riding up the entrance road to the monument.

Tombstone
04-10-2007, 05:43 PM
Nice report. CNM is a beautiful place. One of the most scenic roads you can ride. I plan on taking my annual Father's and Son's ride there next year.

traveler
04-25-2008, 11:32 AM
I agree about the roads through CNM being both fun to ride and very scenic. Never camped there.

That area is also prone to experience some pretty nasty thunderstorms, which I encountered on my only ride through there. Probably why I didn't camp. Ended up at a former KOA in Grand Junction (overpriced, full of rv'ers, etc...) after drying out and eating dinner as the storm passed.

Next day I rode 141 and 145 south to Cortez. Spectacular. And dry and sunny.