72-Hour Road Trip: Grand Mesa Loop

Visit Grand Junction

The largest flat top mesa in the world, Grand Mesa has an area of about 500 square miles (about a third the size of Rhode Island). With lots of recreational activities, including a full on ski resort, Grand Mesa is also perfectly positioned for exploration of both the Grand Valley and Delta County.

DAY ONE GRAND VALLEY

Palisade, Grand Junction and Fruita make up the core of the Valley and there is a ton on offer, from wonderful wineries to world-class mountain biking.

Morning

Matt Inden / Miles

Head to Fruita for an early morning mountain bike ride on some of

Colorado's most famous single track. There are hundreds of miles of bikeable terrain here, with something for everyone. If you want to explore outdoors but aren’t up for mountain biking, Colorado National Monument is a great place to head. You can road bike, hike or drive to take in the aweinspiring scenery.

Michael S via Yelp

Lunch

If you want to stick around Fruita, Hot Tomato Pizzeria offers some of the best pizza in the state and arguably the most eccentric business owners around. (Google the short movie “Life of Pie” to see).

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If you want to head into Grand Junction and stroll the historic downtown, stop at Tacoparty. From the same culinary minds as Bin 707 Foodbar, Tacoparty showcases the best of the Grand Valley with an ever changing menu. There is also soft serve and great drinks.

Afternoon

Colorado Wine

Tour the fruit and wine byway in Palisade via bike or e-bike. Visit Palisade has a downloadable fruit and wine byway PDF available here.

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If you’re a hard cider fan, venture to Talbott’s Farm Market & Taproom which offers delicious ciders and seasonal produce. For more cider, there is 13 Brix Cider Bistro. The taproom for Forbidden Fruit Hard Cider (itself a sister business to Varaison Vineyards and Winery), they have a menu of European-style bistro fare to accompany their lovely ciders.

Drinks and Dinner

Karl P via Yelp

Start at Peach Street Distillers where the philosophy is if you use the finest local ingredients the spirit in the glass will be extraordinary. Here you can sample the fruits of the valley, whether that’s juniper berries that are handpicked from the surrounding mesas to sweet corn grown less than half a dozen miles from the distillery or peaches that are so fresh “they have never seen the inside of a cooler.” For dinner, head to the newly-opened Pêche. Restaurant Open for dinner Tuesday - Saturday and on Sunday for brunch, diners can expect elevated dishes that incorporate local ingredients. Read more about Pêche on page 70.

Stay

Spoke and Vine Motel

Spoke and Vine is Palisade’s newest boutique property. Beautiful, modern and pared back, it is perfectly located right in the heart of wine country.

DAY TWO GRAND MESA & CEDAREDGE

Soaring 6,000 feet over the valleys below, Grand Mesa is the perfect spot to head for foliage in September, while Cedaredge, at a touch over 6,000 feet, offers colors later in the season when the snow starts flying on the mesa.

Morning

Get your caffeine fix and fuel up at Pressed Coffee and Wine Bar before making the 60-minute drive to Grand Mesa where we recommend spending the morning on the water. At this elevation and at this time of the year it takes a brave soul to actually get into the water, but kayaking or SUP boarding in the early autumn is fine - as long as you don’t fall in. With around 300 lakes, it is very possible to find a lake all to yourself. Water temperatures are pretty much frigid to begin with and as fall progressives they only get colder.

Visit Grand Junction

Aquaphobes fear not, a hike among the stunning fall foliage is around every corner. We like Lake of the Woods Trail. At just 2.3 miles one way, it is at a lower elevation which means more deciduous trees and therefore more beautiful fall foliage. This time of year is hunting season on Grand Mesa, so be sure to wear something fluorescent! If you’re visiting later in the season bring your crampons, or even snowshoes, as there is always a chance of snow.

For more information about Grand Mesa and what to do there, visit the Grand Mesa National Forest Visitor Center (open through September).

Afternoon

Stroll around Cedaredge’s downtown. Stop in at the AppleShed, a fine art gallery with work from dozens of artists from all over Western Colorado. There are home furnishings on offer as well as the opportunity to try local wine from Williams Cellars, a deli and even an artist co-op. Artist Connie Williams owns the AppleShed and also happens to be the artist responsible for many of the murals that adorn downtown Delta as well as the Williams Cellars wine labels. While you are in the area be on the lookout for cider from Cedaredge’s Snow Capped Cider (to read about Snow Capped and five other cider makers west of 105 see page 64) which is available at liquor stores and local restaurants.

Stoney Mesa Winery via Yelp

If you’re in town on the weekend of Oct. 5 stop by Cedaredge AppleFest, and if you’re visiting in September and have more time, consider stopping in at Pioneer Town Museum. The living museum of 24 buildings on nearly five acres has hundreds of artifacts from the late 1800’s through the early and mid 1900’s.

Lunch

J&S Bakeria via Yelp

J&S Bakeria (which is technically in Eckert, the next town over, but is just five miles away) has baked goods and pizza - and a lot more - hence the name. Also in Eckert is Route 65 Burger and Fries, which locals claim is the best burger in Delta County. For dessert a visit to Drost’s Chocolates just up the street is a must, assuming you catch them on a weekend when they are open.

If you are hungry and want to eat straight after your morning activity atop the mesa, Grand Mesa Lodge has a fullservice restaurant and bar. If you want to spend the night on Grand Mesa, this is a good option as there are several quaint cabins on offer right on Island Lake.

If you're a wine lover, you’ll love exploring the wineries in and around Cedaredge. A few miles southwest of town is Stoney Mesa Winery where you can try a rich Bordeaux-style blend called Rojo as well as merlot and pinot noir, while a little further away in the opposite direction is Chill Switch Winery where syrah, cabernet franc and cabernet sauvignon are among the wines on offer. Both offer tours by appointment, so be sure to call ahead to arrange. Then there's the Williams Cellars tasting room inside the aforementioned AppleShed where you can try Lunar God (riesling), Hunting Ground (pinot gris) and Moondance (pinot noir).

Evening

Lost Mesa Grill via Yelp

Cedaredge is a small town so expect down-to-earth cooking. Lost Mesa Grill comes highly recommended by people in the know. Expect anything between meatloaf and salmon tacos with a lime and dill aioli (both of which have been on the menu recently).

Stay

Grand Mesa Lodge via Yelp

There are, somewhat surprisingly, lots of options up on Grand Mesa including cabins and a suite at Grand Mesa Lodge. There is also Thunder Mountain Lodge as well as Kiser Creek Cabins. In Cedaredge there is the Creekside Bed and Breakfast, while a short drive south of Cedaredge is the Lodge at Black Canyon Anglers (the lodge closes for the season in early fall so be sure to check).

DAY THREE: DELTA COUNTY

Morning

Before heading to Delta for the day, grab breakfast or coffee in Cedaredge. Stacy’s On Main is open Tuesday through Saturday 6.30 am to 4 pm and offers breakfast sandwiches, oatmeal, pastries and even parfaits, while the eclectic looking Coffee Barn is great for a grab-and-go coffee.

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Spend the early hours trying - and no doubt mostly failing - to outwit the local fish population with some fly fishing along the 27 miles of Gold Medal Waters of the Gunnison. Gunnison River Pleasure Park is an outfitter a short drive from Delta that offers gear (including boats), guided fishing trips and rafting trips, among other things. There are other outfitters in the region too.

Lunch

After a few hours of back casts and break offs head into Delta for lunch. The City of Murals actually has several very nice murals that tell people the story of Delta’s agricultural heritage.

Starvin Arvins’ is a regional chain with five locations that serves standard American and Tex-Mex fare for breakfast, lunch and dinner - think biscuits and gravy, huevos rancheros, burgers, and chicken-fried steaks. The chain is sort of famous for the enormous cinnamon rolls that come with every breakfast dish, but be warned the rolls themselves are enough for most people. There are several Mexican restaurants in Delta, too, as well as Needle Rock Brewing which prides itself on its burgers and offers a few of their own brews along with a handful of guest brews. If you need another coffee, Moca Joe’s on Main Street is a lovely little independent shop.

Rita B via Yelp

Afternoon

Bob Wick for BLM

The BLM-managed Dominguez- Escalante National Conservation Area is made up of over 200,000 acres of protected public land and has some truly breathtaking canyon country scenery including red-rock canyons and sandstone bluffs that are 600 million years old. It is a must see if you’re in the area, and as you might expect, there are plenty of recreational opportunities including trails beloved by motorized vehicle enthusiasts as well as the 142-mile Tabeguache Mountain Bike Trail which connects Grand Junction to Montrose. The NCA is also home to the Old Spanish National Historic Trail, the shortest-known route from Santa Fe to Los Angeles between 1829 to 1848.

Bob Wick for BLM

Stay

Bob Wick for BLM

There are several primitive campsites along the Gunnison River inside the NCA as well as the developed Big Dominguez campground which can be accessed from Highway 141 or from Highway 50. Sites include fire rings and picnic tables. Big Dominguez Creek runs through the campground year-round and is a popular fishing spot. Grab some provisions and spend the night.