Local Attractions and Businesses in Grand Junction, Colorado - Clarion

In addition to activities in Colorado and Dinosaur national monuments, there are numerous opportunities for hiking, camping, mountain biking, off-roading, horseback riding, cross-country skiing, snowmobiling, and snowshoeing on other public lands administered by the federal government. Contact the Bureau of Land Management, 2815 H Rd., Grand Junction, CO 81506 (tel. 970/244-3000), and the Grand Valley Ranger District of Grand Mesa National Forest, 2777 Crossroads Blvd., Ste. 1 (off Horizon Dr.), Grand Junction, CO 81506 (tel. 970/242-8211).

You'll also find plenty to do at James M. Robb-Colorado River State Park (tel. 970/434-3388), which has two main sections, both with campgrounds. Island Acres (tel. 970/464-0548), on the east side of Grand Junction at I-70 exit 47, also offers hiking, picnicking, fishing, and just gazing out at the river. The Fruita section (tel. 970/858-9188), located in the community of Fruita about 1/2-mile south of I-70 exit 19, covers 81 acres and has all of the above, plus boating and a swimming lagoon. Day-use fee at both sections is $5 per vehicle.

The Grand Junction Parks and Recreation Department (tel. 970/254-3842) manages more than 30 parks and other facilities, covering about 467 acres, which offer picnicking, hiking, tennis, playgrounds, swimming pools, softball, playing fields, horseshoe pits, and golf courses.

A busy local shop where you can get information on the best spots for outdoor recreation is Summit Canyon Mountaineering, 461 Main St. (tel. 800/254-6248 or 970/243-2847). In addition to information, it stocks a wide variety of outdoor-sports equipment, plus travel and outdoor clothing.

Golf

Our favorite course here, in large part because of the views -- it's like golfing in the Grand Canyon -- is the 18-hole Golf Club at Redlands Mesa, 2325 W. Ridges Blvd. (tel. 866/863-9270 or 970/263-9270), with greens fees of $39 for 9 holes and $76 for 18 holes. You'll also find great golfing and wonderful views at the 18-hole Tiara Rado Golf Course, 2057 S. Broadway (tel. 970/254-3830), at the base of the Colorado National Monument canyons. Greens fees Monday through Thursday are $12 for 9 holes and $22 for 18 holes; Friday through Sunday $16 and $26, respectively. The Chipeta Golf Course, an 18-hole executive course at 222 29 Rd. (tel. 970/245-7177), has weekday fees of $10 for 9 holes and $19 for 18 holes, with weekend rates of $13 and $23, respectively. The 27-hole Adobe Creek National Golf Course, 876 18 1/2 Rd., Fruita (tel. 970/858-0521), is 9 miles west of Grand Junction. On weekdays it charges $23 for 18 holes; on weekends the fee is $28.

Hiking

Hikers and walkers who want to stay close to town can explore the trails in the Colorado Riverfront Project. Collectively known as the Colorado River Trails, the system includes almost 20 miles of paved trails that meander along the Colorado and Gunnison rivers, offering the chance to see ducks, geese, blue heron, deer, and rabbits. They are open to walkers and hikers, runners, bikers, in-line skaters, and horseback riders, but are closed to all motorized vehicles (except wheelchairs). Dogs are permitted if leashed, but owners are asked to clean up after their dogs. Most of the trails are between .5 and 2 miles long, and they can be combined for longer hikes. Although all the trails tend to be busy on weekends, on weekdays you'll find they're very quiet. An excellent brochure with maps of the various river trails and directions to their trail heads is available free at the Grand Junction Visitor & Convention Bureau.

You'll also find hiking trails at Colorado River State Park.

Horseback Riding

Trail rides near the west entrance of Colorado National Monument are available through Rimrock Adventures, P.O. Box 608, Fruita, CO 81521 (tel. 888/712-9555 or 970/858-9555). The stables are about a mile south of Fruita on Colo. 340. Rates for a 1-hour ride are $28 for adults and $20 for children 5 to 12, and a half-day ride into the wilderness of Devil's Canyon costs $60 for adults and $50 for children. Kids' pony rides, lasting about 15 minutes, cost $10. Those with their own horses will enjoy the 14-mile (round-trip) Liberty Cap Trail through Colorado National Monument, which winds through a scrub forest and over a sagebrush mesa before dropping steeply into a valley.

Ice Skating

Bring your skates (or rent them for $2.50 a pair) and hit the ice at this new regulation NHL-size sheet of ice. The Glacier Ice Arena, 2515 River Rd. (tel. 970/242-7465), which opened in 2006, offers public skating, learn-to-skate sessions, hockey games, and figure-skating programs. General admission costs $6 for those 13 and older, $5 for children 5 to 12 and seniors, and is free for kids under 5. Public skating times vary, so call ahead or check the website.

Mountain Biking

Grand Junction has become important to mountain bikers as the eastern terminus of Kokopelli's Trail to Moab, Utah. Winding for 142 miles through sandstone and shale canyons, it has an elevation differential of about 4,200 feet. There are primitive campsites at intervals along the trail. The Colorado gateway is at the Loma Boat Launch, 15 miles west of Grand Junction off I-70.

For information on Kokopelli's Trail and several other area trails, contact the Colorado Plateau Mountain-Bike Trail Association, P.O. Box 4602, Grand Junction, CO 81502 (tel. 970/244-8877). There's also a bike route through and around Colorado National Monument. Covering 33 miles, it follows Rim Rock Drive through the park and 10 additional miles on rural South Camp Road and South Broadway at the base of the canyons. Rim Rock Drive does not have a separate bike lane, or shoulders, so be alert for motor traffic. The national monument publishes a free brochure.

There are also several short mountain bike rides in the area. Inquire at the Visitor & Convention Bureau for their brochures. You can also get information on area biking, plus rent mountain and road bikes, and see some antique and unique bikes at Brown Cycles, 549 Main St. (tel. 970/245-7939). Bikes rent for $25 to $35 per day, and the shop's bicycle museum includes an 1885 high-wheeler, Schwinns from the 1920s and 1930s, and a human-powered bicycle airplane.

River Rafting

For our money, one of the best ways to see this area's beautiful red sandstone canyons is from the river, in a big old rubber raft. Colorado river-rafting trips are provided by Rimrock Adventures. Cost for a 1 1/2-hour trip about 5 miles down the Colorado is $25 for adults and $18 for children 12 and under; a 25-mile full-day float trip costs $100 per adult and $75 per child under 14. An exciting 17-mile white-water trip through Westwater Canyon costs $140 per person. The company also rents rafts ($60-$110 per day), canoes ($35 per day), and inflatable kayaks ($30-$40 per day) for those who want to explore the river on their own.

Adventure Bound River Expeditions, 2392 H Rd., Grand Junction, CO 81505 (tel. 800/423-4668 or 970/245-5428), offers 1- to 7-day trips. Rates for a 1-day trip through Westwater Canyon are $150 per adult and $135 for youths under 18. Two-day trips cost $335 per adult and $310 for youths under 18; call for additional rate information.

Skiing & Snowboarding

Powderhorn Resort, Colo. 65, 7 miles south of Mesa (tel. 970/268-5700), is located 35 miles east of Grand Junction on the north face of the Grand Mesa. A favorite among local skiers and snowboarders of all ability levels, this pleasant resort offers 600 acres of skiable terrain with an average annual snowfall of 250 inches. Powderhorn has one quad lift and two doubles serving 27 trails, which are rated 20% beginner, 50% intermediate, 15% advanced, and 15% expert. Elevation at the top is 9,850 feet, and there's a vertical drop of 1,650 feet. Lift-ticket prices (highest Sat-Sun and holidays) are $43 to $48 for adults 26 to 59; $34 to $41 for young adults 19 to 25; $33 to $38 for students 7 to 18 and seniors 60 to 69; $20 for those 70 and older; and $12 for children 6 and younger. The resort has a ski school, a rental shop, and a repair center. It is usually open from early December through late March.

Located at Powderhorn is a slope-side lodge, the Inn at Wildewood, P.O. Box 370, Mesa, CO 81643 (tel. 970/268-5170). It has 15 rooms with double rates in winter from $89 to $159 and a fully equipped condominium unit that can be rented with two or three bedrooms and sleeps from 8 to 10 people with winter rates of $319 to $399. Summer rates are roughly 15% less. The Wildewood Restaurant serves lunch and dinner in a casually elegant atmosphere, with an American/Continental cuisine of sandwiches, salads, exotic pizzas, and pasta dishes.

Snowmobiling

A trail connects Powderhorn Resort to Sunlight Mountain Resort, running 120 miles from Grand Junction's ski area to Glenwood Springs, the longest multiuse winter recreational trail in Colorado, traversing White River and Grand Mesa national forests. It is fully marked and continuously groomed. Other trails are accessed from parking areas along Colo. 65, between Mesa Lakes and Grand Mesa.

Swimming

Centrally located Lincoln Park, at 12th Street and North Avenue, has a 50m outdoor heated pool with a 351-foot water slide, along with lighted tennis courts, playgrounds, picnic areas, and a 9-hole golf course. The Orchard Mesa Pool, 2736 C Rd., has an indoor pool, open year-round, with a diving area and shallow-water section. For hours, fees, and other specifics, contact the Grand Junction Parks and Recreation Department (tel. 970/254-3842).