During the course of this trip, we will tour the agricultural regions of Western Colorado; climb the Grand Mesa; overnight in Crested Butte; enjoy the vistas from the plateaus of The Colorado Monument; and bike the Glenwood Canyon Trail.
Highlights include: Grand Junction, the Colorado National Monument, Wine Country, Grand Mesa, the Black Canyon of the Gunnison and the White River National Forest.
The majority of Colorado’s vineyards and orchards are located in the valley near the Colorado River and skirt the hillsides along the Grand Valley and Orchard Mesa, near Palisade. Colorado boasts more than 80 vineyards growing at the highest altitudes in the US. We will have ample time to sample the wines from this region for two evenings, while staying in Palisade and journey into the Colorado National Monument.
We skirt through groves of aspen trees as we continue our trip up and over Grand Mesa. Grand Mesa covers most of the skyline when we look up from small western Colorado towns. Grand Mesa is situated between the Colorado and Gunnison Rivers and is the camping and hiking playground of western Colorado. Most of the mesa sits at elevations greater than 10,000 feet and covers some 500 square miles.
For a taste of small town charm, farm to table meals and cattle drives, we ride through the downtowns of Hotchkiss, Crawford, Crested Butte and Paonia. We climb McClure and Keebler Pass and enjoy the peaceful surrounding of Redstone and Marble before heading to our final destination along the Rio Grand Trail leading to Glenwood Springs.
For those with the passion for heat, a visit to the hot mineral springs can be enjoyed before you start your journey home. Or, continue on to the next stage of Epic Colorado bike tour.