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Jerry Pillarelli | profile | all galleries >> Travel and Nature; Sites by State >> US Travel; by Trip, by State >> Colorado >> Colorado National Monument – Colorado >> Colorado National Monument – Colorado (2016) tree view | thumbnails | slideshow

Colorado National Monument – Colorado (2016)

Images of Colorado National Monument – Northwestern Colorado, taken in May 2016.

I hadn’t done my homework; I didn’t know what to expect here. I rolled into the park and immediately saw vistas that I had seen before. Colorado National Monument was familiar to me because I had seen it in pictures; amazing canyons festooned with rock spires and monuments. To drive along the 23 mile Rim Rock Drive is a spectacular experience with great views and overlooks along the way offering overhead panoramas of the canyons, and the monuments in them, from several different angles.

As with all parks you can drive along the main road and not be disappointed with your experience, however, if you get away from the road you can see the park in a whole new way. It was no different here. I hiked the Monument Canyon Trail to Independence Monument, the monument that divides Monument Canyon from Wedding Canyon, and took the Wedding Canyon Trail back to where I started, a 5 mile round trip hike. This early morning hike yielded spectacular sunrise views of the monuments from below which is always better than viewing stuff “from the road”.

Now a Bighorn Sheep update; one evening coming down off of the rim drive I was flagged down by a guy on a bicycle coming from the other direction. He was warning me that there were sheep on the road. Were there ever, and 15 to 20 sheep standing on the side of the road quickly became 15 to 20 sheep running down the road ahead of me. This went on for about 300 yards until they came to a ridge and then they started to climb almost straight up a cliff to escape me. I stopped the car, started shooting, and was lucky enough to catch two sheep butting heads. Alas there were young males, females and a lot of babies but no big rams…the quest continues!

And for the doubters out there the Collared Lizard is real and it is wild, shot on the Wedding Trail; a fast but fiercely territorial lizard that stood his ground even as I approached him. Then again, what’s the use of hiding when you’re that brightly colored?
Formations in Monument Canyon in Colorado National Monument
Formations in Monument Canyon in Colorado National Monument		 The sun setting on the Kissing Couple formation in Colorado National Monument
The sun setting on the Kissing Couple formation in Colorado National Monument		 Sunset over Independence Monument and Monument Canyon in Colorado National Monument
Sunset over Independence Monument and Monument Canyon in Colorado National Monument		 Independence Monument at sunset in Colorado National Monument
Independence Monument at sunset in Colorado National Monument		 Cloud cover highlights Independence Monument at sunset in Colorado National Monument
Cloud cover highlights Independence Monument at sunset in Colorado National Monument
Monument Canyon from the Canyon Rim Trail in Colorado National Monument
Monument Canyon from the Canyon Rim Trail in Colorado National Monument		 Herd of Bighorn Sheep on a cliff in Colorado National Monument
Herd of Bighorn Sheep on a cliff in Colorado National Monument		 Bighorn Sheep joust in Colorado National Monument
Bighorn Sheep joust in Colorado National Monument		 A Bighorn Sheep in Colorado National Monument
A Bighorn Sheep in Colorado National Monument		 Independence Monument with Window Rock in the distance in Colorado National Monument
Independence Monument with Window Rock in the distance in Colorado National Monument
Kissing Couple and other formations as seen from Otto’s Trail in Colorado National Monument
Kissing Couple and other formations as seen from Otto’s Trail in Colorado National Monument		 Pipe Organ in Wedding Canyon as seen from the Canyon Rim Trail in Colorado National Monument
Pipe Organ in Wedding Canyon as seen from the Canyon Rim Trail in Colorado National Monument		 Collared Lizard holds its ground in Colorado National Monument
Collared Lizard holds its ground in Colorado National Monument		 Independence Monument in Monument Canyon in Colorado National Monument
Independence Monument in Monument Canyon in Colorado National Monument		 Kissing Couple in Monument Canyon in Colorado National Monument
Kissing Couple in Monument Canyon in Colorado National Monument
Monuments in Monument Canyon from the Monument Canyon Trail in Colorado National Monument
Monuments in Monument Canyon from the Monument Canyon Trail in Colorado National Monument		 The moon over Independence Monument from the Wedding Canyon Trail in Colorado National Monument
The moon over Independence Monument from the Wedding Canyon Trail in Colorado National Monument		 Independence Monument from the Wedding Canyon Trail in Colorado National Monument
Independence Monument from the Wedding Canyon Trail in Colorado National Monument		 Pipe Organ from the Wedding Canyon Trail in Colorado National Monument
Pipe Organ from the Wedding Canyon Trail in Colorado National Monument		 Independence Monument and Pipe Organ from the Wedding Canyon Trail in Colorado National Monument
Independence Monument and Pipe Organ from the Wedding Canyon Trail in Colorado National Monument
Coke Ovens from the Coke Ovens Overlook in Colorado National Monument
Coke Ovens from the Coke Ovens Overlook in Colorado National Monument		 Close-up of the Coke Ovens from the Coke Ovens Overlook in Colorado National Monument
Close-up of the Coke Ovens from the Coke Ovens Overlook in Colorado National Monument		 Vulture soars over Monument Canyon in Colorado National Monument
Vulture soars over Monument Canyon in Colorado National Monument		 Coke Ovens from Artists Point in Colorado National Monument
Coke Ovens from Artists Point in Colorado National Monument		 Wedding and Monument Canyons as seen from the Canyon Rim Trail in Colorado National Monument
Wedding and Monument Canyons as seen from the Canyon Rim Trail in Colorado National Monument
Sentinel Spire as seen from the Rim Rock Drive in Colorado National Monument
Sentinel Spire as seen from the Rim Rock Drive in Colorado National Monument		 Flowers in Colorado National Monument
Flowers in Colorado National Monument		 Chipmunk in Colorado National Monument
Chipmunk in Colorado National Monument		 Flowers in Colorado National Monument
Flowers in Colorado National Monument		 Independence Monument from the Independence Monument View in Colorado National Monument
Independence Monument from the Independence Monument View in Colorado National Monument
Independence Monument and The Island as seen from Grand View in Colorado National Monument
Independence Monument and The Island as seen from Grand View in Colorado National Monument		 Blooming Yucca plant in Colorado National Monument
Blooming Yucca plant in Colorado National Monument		 Cactus flower in Colorado National Monument
Cactus flower in Colorado National Monument		 Pinion Pine along the Canyon Rim Trail in Colorado National Monument
Pinion Pine along the Canyon Rim Trail in Colorado National Monument		 Kissing Couple as seen from the Monument Canyon View in Colorado National Monument
Kissing Couple as seen from the Monument Canyon View in Colorado National Monument
Monument formations as seen from the Monument Canyon View in Colorado National Monument
Monument formations as seen from the Monument Canyon View in Colorado National Monument 		Window Rock in Colorado National Monument
Window Rock in Colorado National Monument		 Lizard in Colorado National Monument
Lizard in Colorado National Monument		 Balanced Rock from the Balanced Rock View on the Rim Rock Drive in Colorado National Monument
Balanced Rock from the Balanced Rock View on the Rim Rock Drive in Colorado National Monument		 The Island on the edge of Monument Canyon in Colorado National Monument
The Island on the edge of Monument Canyon in Colorado National Monument
Kissing Couple as seen from the Grand View in Colorado National Monument
Kissing Couple as seen from the Grand View in Colorado National Monument		 Independence Monument as seen from Otto’s Trail in Colorado National Monument
Independence Monument as seen from Otto’s Trail in Colorado National Monument		 Flowers among the cactus in Colorado National Monument
Flowers among the cactus in Colorado National Monument		 The top of Pipe Organ from the end of Otto’s Trail in Colorado National Monument
The top of Pipe Organ from the end of Otto’s Trail in Colorado National Monument		 The top of Independence Monument with I-70 passing through Grand Junction in Colorado National Monument
The top of Independence Monument with I-70 passing through Grand Junction in Colorado National Monument
Squaw Fingers formation from Artists Point in Colorado National Monument
Squaw Fingers formation from Artists Point in Colorado National Monument		 Red Canyon from the Red Canyon Overlook in Colorado National Monument
Red Canyon from the Red Canyon Overlook in Colorado National Monument		 Tunnel near the Grand Junction park entrance in Colorado National Monument
Tunnel near the Grand Junction park entrance in Colorado National Monument		 Clouds over Echo Canyon in Colorado National Monument
Clouds over Echo Canyon in Colorado National Monument		 Rain falls on Pipe Organ and Sentinel Spire as seen from CO 340 on the edge of Colorado National Monument
Rain falls on Pipe Organ and Sentinel Spire as seen from CO 340 on the edge of Colorado National Monument

comment | share
Dana Russell 31-May-2016 02:31
Beautiful pictures Jerry! We enjoy looking at them. We are jealous of your travels! You get to see the neat things this country has to offer. Safe travels.

Ben and Dana
www.offthepathadventures.com
Dale Gentry 30-May-2016 22:06
You got some beautiful shots. Never heard of this park. A must see park in the future. Thanks for showing it off.
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