Colorado National Monument State Park
My boyfriend and I loved our weekend getaway to the Colorado National Monument! The drive was about 4 hours West of Denver, past Vail and Aspen, so we decided to stop in Glenwood Springs to break up our trip. Downtown Glenwood Springs was cute, walkable, popping with restaurants, bars, and live music. We enjoyed American Food and drinks at the Co. Ranch House. We also visited the Iron Mountain Hot Springs in Glenwood Springs, which friends had recommended over the Glenwood Hot Springs. The pools were much smaller and we enjoyed the private spa atmosphere over the large country club feel of the Glenwood Hot Springs.
Once we made it to the Colorado National Monument, we found our reserved spot at the Saddlehorn Campground. This campground was easy to find within the National Park and had us located close to all our hiking destinations. There was also rest room with electricity, running water, plus an amazing few of the mountains. We reserved the night for $22 which also included the park fee. Otherwise, the Colorado National Monument charges a fee to enter $15-25 depending on the group size.
The Canyon Rim Trail to Window Rock was an easy hike that looped us around the canyon and had stellar views of the canyon center. The canyon walls were an impressive 75-100ft drop from the Window Rock lookout point. I was surprisingly terrified looking over edge even with the metal railing.
We really wished we would've brought our bikes on this trip because the Colorado National Monument Park was paved with roads winding in and out of red rock tunnels! Pretty much everyone at the campsite had mountain or road bikes. The road biking looked intense, but we'll definitely be back to explore on mountain bikes!