“What a great hike!”
This was the spontaneous comment made by one of my friends as we neared the end of this week’s hike.
On our annual Thanksgiving pilgrimage to the Southern Utah desert, we stopped off to hike a trail that had been on my
list for a long time the Monument Valley Trail in the Colorado National Monument. After looking down into this stunning
canyon on several occasions over the years, it was time.
Hike description
This hike works equally well in either direction, or best as a round trip. It depends on whether you can arrange a car shuttle. I prefer to start at the lower elevation and hike uphill. This way, if you run out of time or energy, the return is downhill.
From the parking area off Colorado 340, follow the trail as it skirts around a development before heading up into the canyon in 0.65 miles.
The excellent trail takes you below the picturesque cliffs that bound the right side of the canyon. These cliffs are a popular rock-climbing destination. As you continue up the trail a prominent tower becomes obvious this is Independence
Monument, named by John Otto, the person responsible for developing the trails in the monument and instrumental in having
the area declared a national monument.
Otto inscribed a part of the Declaration of Independence on a flat rock near the tower. Though the soft sandstone has
eroded significantly over the years, some of the text can still be deciphered.
Look for the rock to the right of the trail close to where the trail divides at the tower after 2.4 miles of hiking. (Waypoint
“Inscription”). It is a bit of a stretch to scramble onto the slab to view the writing.
The main trail heads to the left of the monument and continues up-canyon, passing the feature named the “Kissing Couple” before turning west in front of the “Coke Ovens.”
The trail finally climbs more steeply on a well-constructed trail to reach the rim of the canyon and the road after a total of
5.6 miles.
Note: John Otto is also famous in climbing circles for creating a route to the top of Independence Monument by chipping steps and drilling holes for steel pipe. This must be one of the earliest examples of route modification. Because of the different ethics in place in 1911, the route is usually considered historic rather than destructive this kind of rock modification would not be accepted today.
Dave Cooper is the author of “Colorado Scrambles: A Guide to 50 Select Climbs in Colorado’s Mountains.”
The details
Getting to the trailhead: From Exit 19 on Interstate 70 (Fruita), head south on Colorado 340 for 2.4 miles to an intersection (Waypoint “Intersection”), the right fork signed to the Colorado National Monument (west entrance).
To reach the lower trailhead (Waypoint “Colorado 340 TH”), continue on Colorado 340 for another 2.2 miles. Just past a house with street number 1901 is a dirt road leading to the right, marked with a hard-to-see sign for the Monument Valley Trailhead. Take this road for a tenth of a mile to the parking area.
To reach the upper parking area, from Waypoint “Intersection,” turn right toward the west entrance to the Monument (Monument Road) and drive 8.5 miles on this road to the Upper Trailhead (Waypoint “Upper TH”).This parking area is two-tenths of a mile past the Coke Ovens Overlook.
Hike Statistics: From the lower trailhead, the trail has an elevation gain of 1,900 feet in 5.6 miles, one way. (Moderate one way, strenuous for round trip).
USGS Quads: Colorado National Monument, C
