I came here last year and found these canyons, and they feel like the heart of the world to me. I’m going to stay and build trails and promote this place, because it should be a national park.
– John Otto, 1907
I used to spend a lot of time hiking and photographing the Colorado National Monument, but over the last few years I’ve found myself spending less and less time there. It probably comes as no surprise to learn that I prefer to explore new places rather than revisiting old ones, so that’s usually where my attention is. However, after so much time away from the park I have started feeling the pull to return again, so I’ve decided that for 2025 I want to do something about it since this amazing park is practically in my backyard! While I’ve previously spent a lot of time hiking in the backcountry of the Monument to get to know this part of the Colorado Plateau a little bit better, I thought it might be nice to hike every single official trail in the park again this year to help me reconnect. While there are a few trails in the Monument that I hike almost every year, there are also many that I haven’t been on in a long time and I think it’s time to return. I’m creating this post to make myself accountable to this goal which will hopefully help motivate me to finish it! I am hoping to hike most of the trails after work during the week (aside from maybe some of the longer ones) which will help keep my weekends open so I can continue to explore new areas then.
Below is a list of all the trails that I plan to hike at some point this year ordered from west to east. I will update the list with the completed dates and add links to each Trip Report as I check them off the list!
- Kodels Canyon
- Fruita Dugway
- Alcove Nature Trail (1-1-25)
- Black Ridge Trail
- Window Rock Trail (1-1-25)
- Saddlehorn (1-1-25)
- Canyon Rim Trail (1-1-25)
- Otto’s Trail
- Wedding Canyon Trail
- Monument Canyon Trail
- CCC Trail
- White Rocks
- Gold Star Canyon
- Precambrian Bench Trail (Ute Trail)
- Artist’s Point
- Coke Ovens Trail
- Otto’s Bathtub
- Liberty Cap Trail
- Corkscrew Trail
- Ute Canyon Trail
- Ute Garden Interpretive Trail
- Red Canyon / Columbus Canyon
- Serpent’s Trail
- Devil’s Kitchen
- No Thoroughfare Canyon
- Old Gordon Trail
- Echo Canyon
Suggested Hikes in the Colorado National Monument Brochure
