Basics
- Location
- Just south of I-70 by Fruita on the western slopes of the Rockies
- Season:
- Spring to Fall
- Rock Type:
- Sandstone
- Routes:
- Years
Basic Directions
Description
Colorado National Monument offers some truly great "Western" climbing on sandstone spires and exposed walls. Predominately a trad area, the monument still has a lot of unexplored climbing terrain which is just calling for attention.
Located a little to the south of I-70 and between Grand Junction and Fruita (which has a festival every year in memory of a headless chicken side-show mind you), Colorado National Monument is a great destination with some modest bouldering and sport routes and with most of the climbs falling into the 5.9-5.11 range. Definitely, the highlight of climbing here is topping out on one of the several hundred foot spires or climbing a crack all the way up a smooth sandstone wall. Try climbing an open book rather than reading one this time!
