Trees

woody tree trunks among lush greenery above and below, a single sandy trail down the middle
Gambel oak grove in the upper canyons of the monument

NPS Photo / N Scarborough

Colorado National Monument is home to both evergreen and broadleaved trees. The most common species you'll encounter on your visit will probably be the Utah juniper, followed closely by the pinyon pine. If you wander into the washes at the bottoms of the canyons, cottonwoods will likely be your most-visited tree species. The single-leaf ash grows almost like a shrub among the pinyon-juniper woodland. Depending on water availability, you might also come across Gambel oaks, box-elders, ponderosa pines, Douglas firs, and even quaking aspens.
 
A pinyon pine on the edge of a canyon
Pinyon Pine

Pinyon Pine (Pinus edulis) (aka Pinyon, Piñon, Two-leaf Pinyon, Two-needle Pinyon, Colorado Pinyon)

Utah Juniper branch
Utah Juniper

Utah Juniper (Juniperus osteosperma)

yellow Rio Grande Cottonwood leaves
Rio Grande Cottonwood

Rio Grande Cottonwood (Populus deltoides) (aka Fremont's Cottonwood, Meseta Cottonwood)

green Single-Leaf Ash leaf
Single-Leaf Ash

Single-Leaf Ash (Fraxinus anomala) (aka Dwarf Ash)

Last updated: December 31, 2025

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