Fruita

The Colorado National Monument in Fruita preserves one of the American West’s grand landscapes. Towering monoliths can be seen within a vast canyon and plateau panorama. Visitors can experience the red-rock, sheer-walled canyons along several turns and twists on the Rim Rock Drive, during which they may also spot soaring eagles and bighorn sheep. The Historic Rim Rock Drive is a journey of twenty-three miles offering a bird’s-eye view of the area’s canyons. Interpretive signs and photo opportunities can be found at scenic overlooks. The Colorado National Monument also boasts more than forty miles of trails with varied difficulties.

Address: 1750 Rim Rock Dr, Fruita, CO 81521, Phone: 970-858-3617

The Dinosaur Journey Museum with the Museum of Western Colorado is a regional geological and paleontological museum that highlights the story of western Colorado’s history of life, along with the history of the surrounding area with robotic dinosaur reconstructions, cast skeletons, and real fossils. The interactive, hands-on museum features more than fifteen thousand fossil specimens throughout its displays, exhibits, and collections, an earthquake simulator, a “quarry site” where children can discover dinosaur bones, a sandbox for making dinosaur tracks, and a viewable paleontology laboratory. The exhibition hall includes fossil dinosaur bones and robotic reconstructions of Tyrannosaurus rex, Triceratops, and many other dinosaurs.

Address: 550 Jurassic Ct, Fruita, CO, Phone: 970-858-7282

The Western Slope Vietnam War Memorial is dedicated to the women and men who served in the Armed Forces of the United States between the years of 1959 and 1975 during the Vietnam War. the focus of this memorial in Fruita, Colorado is to honor the people who serves both in the country and outside of it, and in particular, those who were killed, taken prisoner, missing, or disabled during the Vietnam War. The Western Slope Vietnam War Memorial’s basic design is a display of the UH-1H Huey helicopter, which symbolizes the Vietnam era. All military branches are represented.

Address: 340 CO-340, Fruita, CO 81521

Romantic Activities and Attractions:

Kokopelli's Trail is a multi-use, 142-mile trail that travels along a circuitous and scenic route through the desert starting in Loma, Colorado and ending in Moab, Utah. As a through route, the trail is mostly used by mountain bikes, with the trail featuring various terrains, ranging from technical singletrack to a pavement trail.

The majority of Kokopelli's Trail is made up of old jeep roads, and has become one of the premier trails for mountain biking in Utah and Colorado. Eight small camping area are located along the trail in Utah. Each one has a toilet, and some have a picnic table.

Rattlesnake Canyon is located within Colorado’s Black Ridge Canyons Wilderness, a core part of the McInnis Canyons National Conservation Area. The canyon is a rather scenic area consisting of nine natural arches, which is the country’s second highest concentration of arches of this kind, the highest concentration being at the famous Arches National Park. To reach Rattlesnake Canyon, visitors can take the Black Ridge access roads or attempt the difficult seven-mile hike from the trailhead of Pollack Bench. Guests can reach the access roads, which are open seasonally, through the Colorado National Monument located adjacent to the canyon.

Address: Black Ridge Rd, Fruita, CO

The Black Ridge Wilderness Study Area encompasess a total of 75, 439 acres across both the state of Colorado and the state of Utah. Vegetation throughout the wilderness area is fairly sparse with pinyon-juniper woodland here and there. The east-west Black Ridge area is separated by seven different red-rock canyons that vary in length. The canyons includes various geological characteristics, including desert patina, giant alcoves, windows, and spires. The Black Ridge Wilderness Study Area is also home to bald and golden eagles, desert bighorn sheeps, mountain lion, and deer. Hiking, backpacking, primitive camping, rafting, and horseback riding are all possible here.

If you are traveling with kids:

The McInnis Canyons Conservation Area is situated within western Colorado’s high desert canyon country, along with eastern Utah. The conservation area spans across more than 123,000 acres. One of the unique natural resources in the area is the Black Ridge Canyons Wilderness that contains North America’s second largest number of natural arches. Fossils of international importance have been unearthed in the McInnis Canyons Conservation Area during over one hundred years of excavation. There are many different petroglyph and pictograph sites throughout the area as well. The conservation area today is a recreation destination, drawing many guests in with its mountain biking opportunities.

Colorado Backcountry Biker, or also known as CBB, is the leading biking destination in the town of Fruita. It is a place to go before visitors leave on their ride, after they get back from their ride, or just talk about bike riding. Colorado Backcountry Biker offers self-guided, multi-day backcountry hut trips on western Colorado’s Uncompahgre Plateau. CBB is also a full-service bike shop with some of the most highly regarded mechanics in the region. The bike shop has everything guests may need for a great bike ride, along with an optional stay at the Gateway Spa and Resort during trips.

Address: 150 S. Park Square, Fruita, CO 81521, Phone: 970-858-3917

The Edge Loop Ride is a long bike ride of twenty-eight miles that loops north Fruita around the 18 Road trail system. This loop is created by the combination of the Frontside trail and the Prime Cut trail with more than fourteen miles of doubletrack and roads leading to the trail being Little Book Cliffs. The Edge Loop then sets off downhill from the Book Cliffs. After coming out from the canyon, the ride journeys around foothills to guide bikers back to the trailhead. The skill level of mountain biking along the Edge Loop Ride varys from easy to moderate to difficult.

Address: North Fruita, CO