Getting Around

A view of Rim Rock Drive

NPS Photo / VIP C DeKalb

Rim Rock Drive

A 23-mile paved scenic drive will lead you along the rim of a colorful panorama of deep, sheer-sided canyons and high rock towers. Exhibits at pullouts along the drive provide information about the natural and human history of the park. Allow at least one hour for the drive, plus additional time for walking, photography, or stopping at pullouts. At times repair or restoration work is needed on Rim Rock Drive, check for current conditions.

Many people prefer to stop at the visitor center to get maps, information, and see the park movie. The west entrance in Fruita is the closest entrance to the visitor center. Traveling from west to east may also be easier for people who are afraid of heights.

There are three tunnels on Rim Rock Drive, two on the west side and one on the east, with a height restriction of 16 feet.

Rim Rock Drive has steep drop offs, sharp turns, and no shoulders. Please follow speed limits, and stay alert for wildlife in the road, rockfall, and other road hazards. Desert bighorn sheep frequently walk along Rim Rock Drive.

Hiking

For those who would like to explore the monument by foot, there are fourteen hiking trails and routes that range from short and relatively flat to long and steep. The Alcove Nature Trail is a self-guided walk near the visitor center. Pick up the guide at the trailhead.

Bicycling

Bicycling the Rim Rock Drive is also a popular (and challenging) pastime. Whether you decide to ride the entire circuit or only a part of it will depend on how fit you are and how far you would like to ride.

For the grand loop, start wherever you wish and go either way around the circuit that includes the entire Rim Rock Drive and other rural/suburban roads. The aggregate climb for a complete trip is 2,300 vertical feet, due primarily to the steeper grades just inside either entrance. Allow three hours. Bicyclists are required to ride single file only. Bicyclists must be equipped with lights visible from the front and rear for safe passage through tunnels. Bicyclists must use a white light that is visible from at least 500 feet to the front and a red light that is seen from at least 200 feet from the rear.

For an easier 10-mile ride, start at the visitor center and ride to Artists Point and return. If the parking lot at the visitor center is full, overflow parking is available at Saddlehorn Picnic Area.

Off-road mountain biking is not permitted in the monument, but several adjoining areas are ideal for it, including next-door Lunch Loops mountain bike and hiking trails, and McInnis Canyons National Conservation Area.

The monument is not accessible by public transportation. There are car rental companies at the airport and in Grand Junction. Taxi, Uber, and Lyft services are available in Grand Junction and Fruita.

In addition to the information on this page, you may also be interested in things to know before you come.