Hiking from Saddlehorn Visitor Center (U.S. National Park Service)

A low, mostly flat building with a flagpole and shrubs, standing before a desert canyon — Saddlehorn Visitor Center
NPS Photo

Saddlehorn Visitor Center is where most people begin their excursion to Colorado National Monument. There are a handful of great trails, short and long, that begin here. The 18-minute park film, exhibit hall, and bookstore are all located in the visitor center. Check out the What To See tab in the app to choose between Short Hiking Trails and Longer Hiking Trails and see descriptions of each.

Stay hydrated by drinking water at least every half hour, and wear plenty of sunscreen. Hats and sunglasses are highly recommended. Practice Leave No Trace principles by staying on the main trail, ensuring your trash gets taken with you and is stored securely, and taking only pictures and memories. It is illegal to approach wildlife, so admire lizards, desert bighorn sheep, and other critters from a distance.

Short Hiking Trails

These easy trails will give you a good first taste of what the Monument has to offer.

Alcove Nature Trail

Location: Directly across Rim Rock Drive from the Saddlehorn Visitor Center
Mileage: 0.5 one way (0.8 km) one-way
Difficulty Level: Easy (mostly level)
Elevation of trail (not elevation gain): 5,800 feet (1768 meters)
Average time: 1/2 hour
Usage: Hiking only. Horses prohibited.
Description: Level trail that travels to an alcove in a box canyon. Detailed trail guides are available at the trailhead and the visitor center. A good introduction to some of the plants, animals, and rocks of the monument. Great for families with small children.

Canyon Rim Trail

Location: Starts behind the Saddlehorn Visitor Center and ends at Book Cliffs View.
Mileage: 0.5 one way (0.8 km)
Difficulty Level: Easy
Elevation of trail (not elevation gain): 5,626 feet (1715 meters)
Average time: 1/2 hour
Usage: Hiking only. Horses prohibited.
Description: Level trail following the cliff edge above colorful Wedding Canyon. Outstanding views make this a favorite for landscape and wildlife photographers. Check out the Canyon Rim and Window Rock Trail brochure. You can connect to Window Rock Trail from Canyon Rim at the Bookcliff Shelter. Adding this extension to your hike adds another quarter mile to your one-way distance.

Longer Hiking Trail

The Black Ridge Trail is great for a longer day hike or an overnight in the backcountry. It climbs up from the same trailhead as the Alcove Nature Trail, but once you're on the ridge it's mostly rolling hills. Ask for a free backcountry permit for overnight camping from a ranger in the visitor center.

Black Ridge Trail

Location: Three access points: (1) across from the Saddlehorn Visitor Center in the north, (2) accessed by the CCC Trail 3.8 miles (6.1 km) east from the visitor center - trailhead on the right, (3) and at 6.4 miles (10.3 km) east from the visitor center - trailhead on the left; you can also access Liberty Cap Trail from this trailhead.
Mileage: 5.5 one way (8.8 km)
Difficulty Level: Moderate
Elevation: 5,790 to 6,730 feet (1765 to 2051 meters)
Average time: 3 hours
Usage: Hiking and horseback riding.
Description: Highest trail in the park with far-reaching views west to Utah canyonlands, east to Grand Valley, and south to the San Juan Mountains. Follows up-and-down terrain of Black Ridge. Trail crosses into McInnis Canyons National Conservation Area (Bureau of Land Management lands).

Length of your hike depends on which trail you choose, how far you go, and how often you stop to admire the views!

Pets are not allowed on any trail in the Monument. Do not leave pets in a car - even with the windows down, it gets too hot. Service animals are welcome in any building and on any trail. However, Black Ridge Trail is steep and not recommended for service animals.

Entrance fees are paid at the entrance station on your way to the visitor center. There are no additional fees for hiking or backpacking.

In spring and summer, you will often find lots of wildflowers on these trails. In winter, some people choose to cross country ski on Black Ridge when there's enough snow.

The visitor center has accessible front and back doors with an automatic door button located ahead of the doorway, inside and outside of both front and back doors. The visitor center has accessible restrooms and an accessible picnic table, both located to the right of the main entryway doors. The restroom doors are not automatic and push inward from the outside - they require pulling from inside the restroom in order to exit the restroom. The picnic table is covered and located through the outdoor hallway that passes the doors to the restrooms. The picnic table is square and has a bench on three sides, with one open side for wheelchair use. If you're curious, you can review our facility measurements. A handful of photos are available on our Accessibility webpage.

At the Visitor Center, videos are open-captioned, and an induction loop is provided for users of hearing aids. For those without T-coil enabled hearing aids assisted listening devices are available at the front desk. An audio description tour of the exhibits is also available. Handheld tour devices are available at the entryway to the exhibit hall on the right side, about halfway up the wall. Ask a ranger for assistance if desired.

Across Rim Rock Drive from the Visitor Center is the Alcove Nature Trail. The first 1/4 mile has a firm natural trail tread surface 5 feet wide with a average running slope of 7%. This is the most accessible trail in the Monument as of 2022.