Grand Junction Adventures and Luxuries
A lesser-known Colorado gem for natural beauty and creature comforts
While Colorado’s larger cities like Denver, Aspen, and Telluride often steal the spotlight, Grand Junction is a hidden gem, offering equally impressive outdoor adventures without the crowds or long lines.
Stay
Hotel Melrose
Staying in Grand Junction is convenient, without the congestion and crowds of some larger Colorado destinations.
For ease of travel, fly directly into Grand Junction Regional Airport. The airport is easy to navigate, and it’s easy to call a car service or utilize the downstairs rental car desk.
There are many options for accommodations, including over 30 hotels, both chains and boutique options. There are also hundreds of private vacation home rentals.
Hotel Maverick, a unique “teaching hotel” built on the campus of Colorado Mesa University, offers cruiser bikes, disc golf, and pet-friendly rooms. The on-site restaurant, Devil’s Kitchen, which is named after unique formations within the Colorado National Monument, offers an upscale menu, live music, and incredible mountain views from a rooftop patio.
Historic Hotel Melrose is a contactless hotel – the fully digital experience includes keyless check-in, a digital concierge, and “zero front desk fuss,” with a behind-the-scenes team ready if needed). In downtown Grand Junction, Hotel Melrose is furnished with distinctive décor and upscale furnishings. Melrose Spirit Co. is a trendy bar tucked into the hotel’s downstairs offering a warm, cozy ambience and an electric drink menu.
Historic downtown Grand Junction
Grand Junction’s historic downtown is a designated park and pedestrian-friendly zone with wide sidewalks and ample parking. Known for its unique serpentine Main Street, USA Today named downtown Grand Junction in the top “10 charming main streets across the US that you can’t miss.” It contains shops, restaurants, and over 100 art sculptures and murals, some of which are available for purchase. The outdoor sculpture exhibit Art on the Corner is one of the largest outdoor art displays in the country. This longstanding program, spearheaded in 1984 by art extraordinaire Dave Davis, was the first outdoor sculpture program in the United States and has shown over 875 sculptures created by 285 sculptors.
Eat and drink
Breakfast at Café Sol is an uplifting breakfast experience with coffee drinks and foods prepared from scratch using local, organic ingredients in an open kitchen, served in a warm, colorful dining room. Betty’s, located in the lobby of Hotel Maverick, serves locally roasted coffee and breakfast and lunch food options. Dream Café often has a line out the door for a reason – this fun and hip atmosphere offers dreamy foods including their well-known Eggs Benedict, specialty pancakes, and huge, house-made cinnamon rolls.
Grab lunch downtown at Hog and Hen, which offers hearty sandwiches and unique locally made chips. For a more healthy option, turn your sandwich into a salad. I highly recommend the Presto Pesto – with Genoa salami, pesto, and Italian marinated mozzarella on rosemary focaccia. So yummy!
For Chicago-based cuisine and a unique drink menu including tasty mocktails, try trendy Cruise Control Kitchen & Cellar downtown.
Visit Bin707 Foodbar for a thoughtful, upscale dining experience. Chef owner Josh Niemberg is a 2022 James Beard Outstanding Chef Semifinalist and a 2020 James Beard Best Chef Mountain Region Semifinalist.
For a casual meeting of friends for dinner and a drink, visit Trail Life Brewing on downtown Grand Junction’s Main Street. The brewery intentionally sources ingredients from local farmers and partners with local businesses to build connections in the area. Connected to the brewery is a rental shop in which you can rent trail gear. Given their close proximity to rafting, biking, climbing, and running trails, they’re happy to rent you the gear you need, and share their favorite spots with customers.
Highlands Distillery offers tasty cocktails in a family-friendly setting with fire pits amidst unique seating options such as Adirondack chairs, comfy pallet furniture, a cozy tent, and faux-fur lined picnic tables in their Yurt bar. Their unique menu features handcrafted spirits created on-site and served in their “Test Bar” before being added permanently to the menu. Visit their farmhouse shop for small-batch lavender products made from plants grown at Belli Fiori Lavender Farm next door.
Two Rivers Winery & Chateau is a 15-acre estate nestled in the heart of the Grand Valley. They currently produce six varietals and two blends and have unique microclimates that have allowed them to produce delicate wines which have won numerous international awards. The Chateau provides event space and gorgeous overnight accommodations right in sight of the Colorado National Monument.
Can’t miss outdoor landmarks
Grand Junction, which is comprised of approximately 70% public land, offers an incredibly diverse variety of ecosystems: from mountains and canyons to lakes and rivers, this outdoor mecca is ever-changing. From the high desert to lush forest-lined hiking trails, the scenery can change with just a short drive.
Colorado National Monument is often called “the mini Grand Canyon” by visitors because of the size of its canyons. Located just 10 minutes from downtown Grand Junction, Colorado National Monument, part of the National Park Service, contains over 43 miles of hiking trails plus scenic overlooks and vistas. It features year-round hiking trails of various difficulty as well as camping and a visitor center.
The Book Cliffs is the longest continuous cliff face on the planet. It is home to one of very few protected bands of wild mustangs in the country. Their numbers are limited to about 100 horses, as this is the maximum number that can sufficiently eat and be sustained by the available vegetation. To see the horses, park at Coal Canyon Trailhead and hike into the 36,000-acre Little Book Cliffs Wild Horse Reserve. For an extremely special view of the wild horses, book a horseback riding tour with JR’s Carriages, a local service which offers a variety of horseback riding activities in western Colorado.
Rattlesnake Arches, a remote area canyon, is known to contain the second largest concentration of natural arches in the world.
The Colorado River, which provides water to approximately 30 million people, and the Gunnison River wind their way through town before combining, giving the town its name of Grand Junction.
The Grand Mesa is the largest flat-top mountain in the world, with over 500 square miles of area and more than 300 lakes. It stands at over 10,000 feet above sea level and its views are filled with iconic aspen trees as well as pine groves. Visitors can often view moose, deer, and elk. The 63-mile Grand Mesa Scenic Byway winds through the national forest.
Although you can experience beautiful Bangs Canyon on your own, take the time to experience “Silence, Solitude and Serenity,” a canyon bathing experience offered by Hotel Maverick with local guide Zebulon Miracle. On this experience, guests enjoy a 1.5-hour immersion into remote canyons. Visitors will learn more about local flora and fauna and about centuries of area history and geology, all while taking a break from everyday busyness.
In addition to thousands of miles of trails suitable for hiking, mountain biking, and off-road adventures, sports enthusiasts may enjoy three year-round golf courses and skiing at nearby Powderhorn Mountain Resort in Mesa.
With its stunning landscapes, rich history, vibrant downtown, and endless opportunities for outdoor adventure, Grand Junction is the perfect destination for anyone seeking a unique and unforgettable Colorado experience, without the crowds of larger cities.
Richmond native Kari Smith is a freelance writer and professional musician.