I camped at Highline Lake State Park near Loma, CO, this past weekend. The campground is very near some excellent singletrack cycling trails and also just a few miles from the Colorado National Monument - a landscape filled with towering rock spires and vast red rock canyons.The first day we tackled the single track trails on the Kokopelli Loops near Fruita, CO. These rides follow the Colorado River as it cuts through a canyon and offers fantastic views from the rim.
I'm not an advanced singletrack rider, so negotiating the hairpin turns and rocks of every shape and size while at the same time trying to take in the scenery was pretty challenging for me. Some of the trails were pretty rough, and while descending one particularly bumpy trail, I lost my cell phone when it must have bounced out of my backpack. Fortunately it was found by another rider later. However, when I went to pick it up, I got the directions to their home mixed up and ended up on the wrong side of town. Later, at camp I spilled a container of antipasta for dinner, then I spilled my beer, etc. In retrospect, with the way my luck was going, I'm surprised I didn't pedal off a cliff during the ride!We had quite a bit of rain overnight, so instead of cycling the second day I explored the Colorado National Monument, which I have passed so many times on the way to other places and never bothered to stop.
I was glad I did this time. The Colorado National Monument is a little-known 20,000 acre area in Western Colorado filled with soaring cliffs and deep canyons. A 23-mile road wraps around the rim of the canyon offering spectacular and dramatic vistas at every turn. There are many opportunities to pull off and take pictures or have a picnic. The area also has many hiking trails which I hope to come back and explore some day soon.More photos of the trip are available here.
If you go: The campground at Highline Lake is off the beaten path, but still easy to get to if you happen to be traveling in Western Colorado. It is just a few miles off Interstate 70 near the Utah border. The campground has water at most sites, but no electricity. There are pay showers, flush toilets, laundry, and a dump station. Cost in 2010 is $16 per night + a daily $6 park pass for your vehicle. The park also offers boating and a swimming beach. We saw lots of wildlife including a great horned owl, seagulls, cranes, and even beavers. There are many birds in the area, and the mourning doves are particularly prevalent - be prepared for their morning reveille at very early hours.
