Coke Ovens, Colorado National Monument

This month I’m introducing our readers to four wonderful, yet lesser-known national parks and monuments in the Centennial State: Great Sand Dunes National Park, Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park, Colorado National Monument and Dinosaur National Monument. Although it is likely that many of you have never even heard their names, please be assured that each of these sites offers outstanding, easily accessible sightseeing opportunities, and can readily be combined with visits to some of Colorado’s “big name” attractions to create a superior tour experience. 

Most group leaders already have at least some familiarity with Denver, Colorado Springs and Pikes Peak, Rocky Mountain National Parks, Royal Gorge, historic railroads like the Silverton and the Cumbres & Toltec, and year-round resorts like Vail, Breckenridge and Aspen. However, these four areas (actually two national parks and two national monuments) are all distinctly different from each other and are conveniently located near a variety of group accommodations. Three of them can each be done adequately in a half-day’s time, leaving time for enjoying other attractions in the area. Only the fourth, which Colorado shares with neighboring Utah, requires a full day’s visit.       

Bob Hoelscher, CTC, CTP, MCC, CTIE, is a longtime travel industry executive who has sold his tour company, bought a motorhome and is traveling the highways and byways of America.  He is a former chairman of NTA, and was a founding member of Travel Alliance Partners (TAP).

Well-known in the industry as both a baseball and symphony aficionado, Bob is also one of the country’s biggest fans of our national parks, both large and small.  He has already visited more than 325 NPS sites and has several dozen yet to see.  He is currently traveling the country to visit as many of those parks as possible.  His blog, “Travels with Bob,” appears periodically on The Group Travel Leader’s blogsite, “Are We There Yet”.

Bob is available for contractual work in the industry and may be reached at bobho52@aol.com or by calling (435) 590-1553.

Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park

Split Mountain and Green River, Dinosaur National Monument

Great Sand Dunes National Park

Great Sand Dunes National Park

Traveling from southeast to northwest, the Great Sand Dunes National Park is a short drive from Alamosa, where most groups overnight if taking either the Cumbres & Toltec or Rio Grande Scenic Railroad. Here in the San Luis Valley are some 30 square miles of towering sand dunes, some as high as 750 feet, trapped at the base of the Sangre de Cristo (Blood of Christ) Mountains by northeasterly winds. 

Nature trails offer the opportunity to explore this fascinating, ever-changing sandscape or climb the towering dunes themselves. Groups seeking an evening activity are also sure to appreciate the nightly, ranger-conducted programs in the amphitheatre during the summer months. In my humble opinion, only White Sands National Monument in New Mexico offers an equally impressive dune experience in North America.

Second on our brief tour of the area is Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park, northeast of Montrose. Other easy to reach attractions in the area include picturesque Ouray, the historic Silverton narrow-gauge train to Durango, and the incredible San Juan Skyway scenic drive through Telluride to Cortez, which is especially magnificent during fall foliage season.

Through the ages, the winding Gunnison River has cut through layers of crystalline, dark-colored rocks (largely Precambrian gneiss, schists and granites) to create an incredible, 53-mile-long canyon. Reaching a maximum depth of 2,722 feet at Warner Point, the canyon’s narrowest width is 1,100 feet at the rim, but only 40 feet at the river. Visitors experience truly awe-inspiring vistas from a succession of viewpoints along the South Rim Drive. Although not as massive as Arizona’s Grand Canyon, no one encountering this awesome Colorado gorge is likely to come away unimpressed or disappointed.

Great Sand Dunes National Park

Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park

Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park

Ute Canyon from Rim Drive, Colorado National Monument

There are wonderful lesser-known natural wonders in Colorado, including the splendid Colorado National Monument, which lies west of Grand Junction. The monument just happens to be celebrating its 100th anniversary this year with a number of special events.

Amid 32 square miles of rugged terrain, you’ll find towering monoliths like the Independence Monument, balanced rocks and sheer red-walled canyons. Unlike the Black Canyon of the Gunnison, the geology here is reminiscent of the great canyons found in Utah and Arizona, carved over millions of years by wind, water, and the processes of freezing and thawing. 

The twisting Rim Rock Drive offers breathtaking views of this plateau-and-red-canyon marvel from 19 interpretive viewpoints along its entire 23-mile length. While in the Grand Junction area, your group will surely also want to tour the beautiful Colorado Wine Country. One of the most charming and picturesque places to stay is the Wine Country Inn, situated among the vineyards in nearby Palisade.

Finally, 325-square-mile Dinosaur National Monument, which straddles the Colorado/Utah line, can be reached by two fine scenic routes, either north from the Grand Junction area via CO 139, or west from Rocky Mountain National Park on U.S. 40 via Steamboat Springs and Craig. From the Colorado side, you’ll surely be thrilled (and I mean that literally) to see incredible views of the extensive Echo Park Canyons. 

Planning a picnic lunch in the park at the end of the road will allow all but disabled travelers to take the easy, one-mile round-trip hike on the Harpers Corner Trail. This is one of the most spectacular short hikes in the American West, affording almost unbelievable views of the canyons surrounding the juncture of the Green and Yampa Rivers. In fact, Via Magazine, published by the California State AAA Club, recently included Harpers Corner among eight “Thrilling overlooks and vistas” singled out as being truly exceptional. 

On the Utah side, you’ll find the brand new Dinosaur Quarry Visitor Center, as well as the reconstructed Dinosaur Quarry Exhibit Hall, site of the original visitor center, which are both scheduled to open to the public this coming October 4th. The original structures were closed for safety reasons in 2006 due to earthquake damage, so visitors for the past five years have been unable to view the protected canyon wall from which gigantic dinosaur bones continue to be excavated. Nearby also is the Fossil Discovery Trail, impressive Split Mountain Gorge on the Green River, and yet another great scenic drive to the historic Josie Morris Cabin at the end of the Utah park road. Visitor accommodations are readily available in nearby Vernal, Utah.            

Independence Monument, Colorado National Park

View towards Echo Park from Harpers Corner Trail, Dinosaur National Monument

New Visitor Center under construction, Dinosaur National Monument