A Grand Junction Jeep Rental Adventure

It might not be the first place you think of when planning to rent a Jeep in Colorado.  But Grand Junction is the hub of adventure in Western Colorado!  With growing airport service, tons of great lodging accommodations, restaurants, breweries, wineries and more its the perfect place to jump into adventure with an overlanding, campervan or Jeep Rental.  Surrounding communities like Fruita and Palisade are popular adventure destinations with epic mountain bike trails, river float trips, and so much more!  But the Grand Valley is also surrounded with public land and a host of diverse landscapes and adventures.  The worlds largest flat top mountain, a remote collection of natural arches, one of the countries most under rated national monuments, wild horses, bighorn sheep, and a climate known for having an average of 300+ days of sunshine.

No 4x4 required but stick with us.  Colorado National Monument is the cornerstone of public land enjoyment opportunities in the Grand Junction area.  With towering sandstone formations and excellent big horn sheep viewing its a popular destination. Though its not a Jeep trail the primary attraction is the historic Rim Rock Drive.  Rim Rock Drive was constructed in 1930's by the Civilian Conservation Corp.  It features 3 carved tunnels and traverses the canyon rim, leading you from one amazing view point to another.  The road is very exposed in some places and features amazing views along with remarkable craftsmanship of the stone guard walls and stairs that lead you out to each overlook.  Even if you are headed to Moab or other Colorado area destinations you should take the time to check out Rim Rock Drive.  The drive is only 23 miles and will take 1.5 to 3 hours depending on how much time you spend at overlooks or taking in the exhibits at the parks visitor center.  The park also has a very nice campground with nice comfort stations.  The only downfall is that campfires are not permitted.  Make reservations to be sure you have a spot, although sites are often available on a first come first serve basis.  The park also has some fantastic hiking trails!  We recommend checking out the Devils Kitchen Trail, Corkscrew Trail, and the Lower Monument Trail to Independence Monument.

There wouldn't be much point in getting one of our Grand Junction Jeep Rentals though if we didn't get you off the beaten path.  Luckily there's no shortage of places to explore.  Lying just south of Colorado National Monument is the Black Ridge Canyon Wilderness and the Rattle Snake Arches.  Wilderness is characterized as a place where motor vehicle travel is not allowed, but getting there is half the fun!  Rattlesnake Arches is known for being the second largest collection of large arches in the world, only second to Arches National Park.  But unlike Arches NP this place is only accessible by one of two 4x4 access roads or a very long hike.  And, on any given day you may see only a hand full of other adventurers, if any at all.  The view from the end of the road is worth while in itself but a short hike will lead you to these remote spectacular arches.  The two roads alternate being open by season and offer different experiences, so more than one trip to experience each road is not a bad idea.  There is some dispersed camping in this area as well.  Ask us any question you have when making reservations for your Grand Junction Jeep Rental or when you pick up.  Its easy to extend an adventure from here and continue exploring the Pinion Mesa area to the south of Colorado National Monument and Black Ridge.

  If you're looking to escape those summer temperatures or just looking for a greener landscape there are plenty of Jeep trails to check out on Grand Mesa and throughout the Grand Mesa National Forest.  Grand Mesa is known for being the worlds largest flat top mountain with amazing views overlooking the valley and boasting more than 300 reservoirs and lakes the Grand Mesa is a place worth taking some time explore.  Take the 4x4 trail out to Grandby reservoirs area and see if you can catch a glimpse of a moose and set up camp at one of the many dispersed campsites throughout the area.  Or head up to the Grand Mesa through the town of Delta and Cedaredge and take Surface Creek Road and FS Road 127 out to Leon Lake for a more remote experience.  This is a beautiful part of the mesa with several shallow water crossings along the road, open meadow, colorful aspens and towering pine trees.  Stay at camp for a day or two and enjoy some fishing and hiking or explore the area more on some short day trips.  You'll find plenty to do on Grand Mesa!  Hit us up if you need more ideas on what to do.

The Little Bookcliff Wild Horse Management Area is just northeast of Grand Junction and is about 36,000 acres in size.  Its rugged canyons are home to 90-150 wild horses.  These horses can been seen throughout the range if you spend some time looking and can usually be easily photographed if you can manage to find them.  This area can be hot during the summer and our favorite time to go for a ride is in the fall. 

There's plenty more to explore with your Grand Junction Jeep Rental such as the   

Dominguez-Escalante NCA and the Uncompahgre Plateau.  Many of these routes and areas can be connected to create a great multi-day overlanding and camping adventure.  And, this is just for the Grand Valley area.  One of the best things about getting a Jeep Rental in Grand Junction is that an hour and a half drive in any direction can put you in or near other destinations such as Moab, Arches NP, Canyonlands NP, Ouray Colorado and the Alpine Loop, Telluride, and White River N.F.  If your planning a Grand Junction trip and looking for a Jeep Rental please reach out to us with any questions.  We'd love to help you plan a Jeep overland or camper van rental adventure.

For more Grand Junction planning resource check out the Visit Grand Junction Welcome Page here!   www.visitgrandjunction.com 

Or, just give us a call!  We're always more than happy to help steer you towards the path of adventure!  970-426-5577