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Grand Junction to the Utah border
This trek, part of a 486-mile loop that crosses the Colorado-Utah border, is a safari of sorts—but with dinosaur remnants and ancient art instead of lions and elephants. Starting at Colorado National Monument, a rock climber’s paradise, our state’s portion of the road winds past areas replete with petroglyphs. Add in Dinosaur National Monument, where you can see a wall of bones from species such as the apatosaurus, allosaurus, stegosaurus (our official state fossil), and more, and you’ve got the makings of the original Jurassic Park.
Give One Year of 5280 for just $16.
Roadside Attraction
Take a step back in time while hiking in the Canyon Pintado National Historic District, a 16,000-acre area with archeological sites—including rock art from the Ute and Fremont cultures—you can view that date back to A.D. 1.

’Grammable Spot
Snap a photo of Steamboat Rock, which looks a bit like a beached ship above the Green River.
Refuel
What happens when two Texans can’t find the perfect breakfast taco on the Western Slope? They open a business—Tacorado—so no one else will be without tortillas, eggs, and salsa in the morning. 158 Park Square, Fruita, 970-639-0080
Go Now
One of the state’s most historic bike races (the route dates back to the Coors International Bicycle Classic), the 41- or 62-mile Tour of the Moon threads riders through Colorado National Monument.