US Summer Road Trip Outdoor Adventure Destinations: Mountain West
Arches National Park on the Devils Garden Trail.
We share five US Summer Road Trips that are in and near the Mountain West in this article. All of these destinations have an Outdoor Adventure flair to them and all are within six hours of driving from Grand Junction Colorado! US Summer Road Trip Outdoor Adventure Destinations: Mountain West awaits you in this article
WE WILL BE BREAKING APART THE US INTO REGIONS, AND FROM THE PLACES THAT WE HAVE LIVED AS NOMADS OVER THE PAST THREE YEARS, AND WE WILL SHARE OUR SUMMER ROAD TRIP GUIDES WITHIN SIX HOURS OF THOSE LOCATIONS! IF YOU ARE LOOKING FOR A SUMMER ROAD TRIP DESTINATION IN THE Mountain West WITH OUTDOOR ADVENTURE ENERGY THIS ARTICLE IS FOR YOU.
Our full list will feature the summer road trip guide from these destinations that we have lived in:
1. Columbus Ohio (Midwest)
2. Traverse City Michigan (Great Lakes)
3. Grand Junction Colorado (Mountain West)
4. Seattle Washington (PNW)
5. Malibu/Joshua Tree California (SoCal)
6. Paso Robles California (Central Cali)
7. Sedona Arizona (American Southwest)
8. Tamarindo Costa Rica (Lower Central America)
Without further ado here is your US Summer Road Trip Mountain West Destinations List!
Dinosaur National Monument, Utah.
From @Exploringthe63
”Dinosaur National Monument straddles the border of Utah and Colorado. This one we kept a surprise from our son and was totally worth the repeated temptation of telling him ahead of time. Anyone that has any interest in dinosaurs should make this part of your trip out west. I’ll let you read about the details, but suffice to say, seeing a building built over top of a “wall” of fossilized dinosaur bones is impressive. There is even a section where young and old can touch some of the prehistoric bones. I guess you could call this the “Holy Grail” for a budding paleontologist. Such a grand place.” Jason M
Distance from Grand Junction Colorado: 2h 35m.
Road Trip Add On’s From Here: Flaming Gorge National Recreation Area, The Grand Mesa, CO.
Our friend Monkey hiking on one of the main pet friendly trails in Moab.
Moab, Utah
One of my favorite parts of living in Grand Junction was its proximity to the outdoor adventure play land of Moab Utah. Two National Parks, world class mountain biking, outstanding skiing close-by, more Land Management hiking trails and camping sites than one can count, a fun outdoorsy vibey town, and even the chance to paddle down a very calm section of the Colorado River.
That’s Moab Utah in a super quick synopsis!
Two underrated spots in Moab are the Corona Arch Trail and doing a ranger led hike in the Fiery Furnace region of Arches National Park and a stay at the Gonzo Inn is always a good time.
Check out our “Mighty 5 Utah Parks Road Trip” article HERE!
Distance from Grand Junction Colorado: 1h 47m.
Road Trip Add On’s From Here: Canyonlands National Park, Utah. Green RIver Rafting, Vernal, Utah.
Coyote Ridge Nature Preserve, just outside of FoCo.
Fort Collins, Colorado. (FoCo!)
This Colorado mountain town/city is a must stop for any outdoorsy road trippers who enjoy a few amenities to go with their wilderness scene.
FoCo features in-town vicinity hiking spots like Coyote Ridge (watch out for Rattlers!), a slew of breweries/restaurants/art scene/community events, and fun workout favorites for me include Old Town Yoga (get some acupuncture from Holly while you are there) and an Orange Theory. (Splat point yourself on a rainy or snow day!)
FoCo also has an outstanding urban bike trail system and is a perfect spot to enjoy both city amenities and a groovy outdoor scene.
Finally, Bean Cycle Coffee Roasters is combined with a Kombucha Fermenter, cute in-store space MakerFolk, and Half Crown Creative for an excellent stop in FoCo!
Distance from Grand Junction Colorado: 4h 54m.
Road Trip Add On’s From Here:
Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado (Video at top of article.) Cheyenne, Wyoming.
Photo by alexandra avelar on Unsplash.
Leadville, Colorado.
The air is high, the winters are harsh, and the hiking/biking events are legendary here.
Leadville has plenty of lodging and dining amenities while still maintaining an old school “mountain town” feel. The legendary running book Born to Run highlighted the epic Leadville 100 Run Series, my friend Joe loves heading there for coffee and antiquing, and my doctor’s partner trains to qualify to compete in the MTB 100 most years in this high altitude town.
A straight shot across the I-70 Mountain Passes from Grand Junction you’ll feel the Wild West as you head towards Eastern Colorado in this town.
Distance from Grand Junction Colorado: 3h 3m.
Road Trip Add On’s From Here: Montrose Colorado, Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park, Mt Elbert Summit (High Point of Colorado at 14,440 feet.)
Capitol Reef National Park, Utah.
Enter @Exploringthe63 again:
”Do you know Utah’s least visited National Park is Capitol Reef?
Capitol Reef? Never heard of it. Waterpocket Fold? No idea.” The common theme among conversations before and after our trip to the Mighty Five. Sure, it sounds like something pertaining to the ocean or the coastline, but in the middle of Utah? Admittedly I only knew the place by name. Overshadowed by four, more well-known siblings, I had to do a little research before our departure. Instantly intrigued, so much so, it became our first stop!
Using the National Parks reservation system, we tent camped in the Fruita campground, literally an oasis in the middle of Utah desert. You find yourself in a valley semi-protected as the Fremont river passes through supplying water to the numerous orchards originally planted by the pioneers. Where else can you say you’ve eaten fruit right off the tree – pears, apples, peaches, apricots, etc. from the visions of a hundred years ago? You will love this little pocket in the middle of the desert.” Jason M
Distance from Grand Junction Colorado: 3h 18m.
Road Trip Add On’s From Here: Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, Glen Canyon National Recreation Area.
Well that does it for our Mountain West Guide from Grand Junction Colorado.
From teaching at Yoga V to bicycling to Fruita to volunteering at Meals on Wheels we’ll never forget our time spent there.
And it’s a great jumping off point for epic Summer Road Trips in and around the Mountain West.
What else would you add to this list??? Thanks for reading!
Because Adventure Feeds the Soul,
Mike R