Rim Rock Drive, Scenic mountain road in Mesa County, Colorado, United States
Rim Rock Drive is a 23-mile road that winds through Colorado National Monument, passing red rock canyons, tunnels, and scenic overlooks. The route cuts through dramatic landscape with steep canyon walls and several pullouts for viewing and short walks.
This road was constructed in the 1930s by the Civilian Conservation Corps and local workers using sandstone materials and manual labor. The project was part of national infrastructure development during the Great Depression.
The roadway connects visitors to numerous hiking trails and natural formations, serving as a central point for outdoor recreation in the Colorado National Monument.
The road has two entrances: the west entrance from Highway 340 in Fruita and the east entrance from Monument Road in Grand Junction. Plan for multiple photo stops as the drive itself takes only a couple hours, but the views are worth exploring at a slower pace.
Along the route, visitors can see rocks aged 1.7 billion years old from the pre-Cambrian era, including gneiss, schist, and granite exposed in canyon depths. These exposed layers tell the geological story of the region across immense time periods.
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