If you’re looking for one destination that embodies America’s truly majestic landscape, look no further than the world-famous Grand Canyon. After all, Grand Canyon National Park has been voted the best outdoor destination in the United States, and it’s easy to see why. With its impressive red rock cliffs, massive canyons, and vast expanses, the Grand Canyon is a breathtaking place like few other places.

But while the Grand Canyon has grandeur, it’s not without its drawbacks. As one of the most popular national parks in the country, many popular Grand Canyon viewpoints and entry stations often draw large crowds and create heavy traffic jams. The proposed Grand Canyon fare increase is causing negative reactions, which will likely cause more travelers to look for other destinations in 2025.

Home to the Grand Canyon, Arizona has no shortage of great park destinations to tick off your Grand Canyon itch. For example, Sedona, a popular outdoor haven, is located near several excellent national park locations. other More than the Grand Canyon. however, the best There may simply be no place in Arizona that can replace the Grand Canyon.

Further east, Colorado is home to an amazing national park that offers the same breathtaking scenery as the Grand Canyon, but with lower entrance fees and fewer crowds. Although it is often (unfairly) ignored, colorado national monument It’s a perfect example of the beauty of the American Southwest and one of America’s premier outdoor destinations.

Colorado National Monument symbolizes the rugged beauty of the American West

The monument’s spectacular scenery shows a different side of Colorado, similar to Arizona

In the popular imagination, Colorado’s landscape is primarily defined by snow-capped Rocky Mountain peaks, beautiful alpine and subalpine forests, and enchanting mountain lakes. However, the westernmost part of the state takes on a somewhat different character, different from the mountainous region to the east, but no less beautiful.

The area surrounding the city of Grand Junction, near the Colorado-Utah border, lies within the broader Colorado Plateau, a vast desert-like geographic region that straddles the Four Corners states. Unlike the Rocky Mountains, this region features a much drier, desert-like landscape than other parts of Colorado, and is well representative of Utah and Arizona.

Thanks to the Colorado Plateau, Western Colorado’s landscape features a unique collection of buttes, mesas, and canyons rather than the expert-level 40-foot mountains that Colorado is famous for. Many areas of western Colorado are underappreciated but valuable outdoor destinations, but the region’s most astonishing natural wonders are primarily located within the boundaries of Colorado National Monuments.

located Approximately 30 minutes from Grand JunctionColorado National Monument, located near the small municipality of Fruita, receives less attention than famous destinations in the Southwest like the Grand Canyon. In 2023, fewer than 500,000 people visited the park. Nearly 5 million tourists visit the Grand Canyon In that same year.

This means you can enjoy some of Colorado National Monument’s best views without the annoying crowds that block the Grand Canyon’s best viewing platforms. You might be worried that you’ll be sacrificing some great views if you visit Colorado National Monument instead of the Grand Canyon, but when it comes to stunning views, you can’t beat the former.

related

Here’s how to earn your 2025 Colorado National Parks Pass

Colorado is home to some of the most popular national parks in the country, but they can be quite expensive to visit. Save money with a park annual pass!

Colorado National Monument boasts scenery that rivals the Grand Canyon and Sedona

There are many canyons, mesas and rocky cliffs here

Colorado National Monument protects a rugged landscape where the Colorado Plateau erodes into a vast plateau, one of the nation’s most canyon-forming. At the center of the park is the huge Monument Canyon, a long, major canyon. 30 miles or more Total area of ​​the park.

Monument Canyon is similar to the iconic Grand Canyon in many ways. Many of the canyons have towering sandstone cliffs that resemble the famous canyon walls of the Grand Canyon. Similarly, many of the landscapes deep within the canyon feature tall, prominent buttes and mesas, much like famous tourist attractions in Utah and Arizona, such as the iconic mesas of Monument Valley.

Colorado National Monument’s unique landscape also includes rock formations so distinctive that they have their own names. The most famous of these are the ones you definitely can’t miss independence monument.

At 5,739 feet tall, Independence Monument towers over the surrounding landscape as an impressive red sandstone spire. Other notable natural attractions within the park include: “Coke Oven” formation, unique “Kissing Couple” Rock spire, and the eerily named (but wonderfully beautiful) Devil’s kitchen area.

Colorado National Monument is an excellent gateway to Western Colorado’s many incredible geological wonders, even outside its borders. For example, the park is located at: grand mesa formation. Covering an area of ​​approximately 500 square miles, Grand Mesa is the largest flat-topped mountain in the world.

Colorado National Monument is also close to impressive ruins. book cliffsa rugged desert mountain range that straddles Colorado and Utah. Just north of the park is the famous Colorado River. This river is an impressive waterway that is responsible for forming the Grand Canyon (among many other natural wonders) further west.

related

7 Beautiful Small Towns in Colorado with Easy Access to National Parks

These small towns in Colorado are located near national parks, making them easy and quick to access and enjoy endless adventures.

Colorado National Monument is also a popular destination for outdoor adventures

Depending on your preference, you can enjoy hiking, camping, rock climbing, mountain biking, and more within the park.

Although impressive on the outside, Colorado National Monument is more than just a beautiful tourist destination. It’s also one of Colorado’s top spots for outdoor adventure (and considering Colorado’s reputation, that’s really saying something!).

Colorado National Monument, with its numerous cliffs, mesas, and rock spiers, is a particularly popular tourist destination. rock climbing. Independence Monument is a popular climbing spot thanks to its steep rock walls, technical routes, and spectacular views.

Other rock formations in the park are also great spots for experienced climbers. At the same time, many of the park’s challenging hikes gain significant elevation gain, making them comparable to the steepest hikes elsewhere in Colorado.

Depending on your preference, Various fun outdoor activities While visiting Colorado National Monument, you can experience:

• hiking

• backcountry camping

• mountain bike

• photograph

• wildlife observation

• picnic

• moreover!

If you’re feeling particularly lazy on the day you visit Colorado National Monument, you can still experience the park’s otherworldly beauty without ever leaving your car.

in the park Historic Rim Rock Drive It winds through a 37-mile scenic area, offering spectacular views from your car windows (and air conditioning).

Rim Rock Drive ranks as one of the top scenic driving routes in the United States. However, if you want to stretch your legs a bit, you’ll also pass trailheads for some excellent hiking trails.

related

7 of America’s most underrated Grand Canyon lookalikes

The Grand Canyon may be the crown jewel of America’s natural wonders, but these replicas remind us that grandeur isn’t limited to the famous.

Whether you’re riding in a car, walking, or hanging off the side of a cliff, the underrated Colorado Monument is a top rival to the red rocks of the Grand Canyon and Sedona. It is a complex outdoor experience that is not normally possible. Never forget.