Backpacking Colorado Canyon Country
The trail near Fruita, CO.
While it’s still way too early to backpack in the Colorado high country, right now is the perfect time to hit the lower elevation trails in canyon country. The western part of the state near Grand Junction and Fruita is dry and quite pleasant this time of year and offers up some incredible desert scenery.
Joe Wiggins posted his take on backpacking Colorado canyon country on Examiner.com and it’s a good read if you’re serious about finding a good spot to hike and camp. Wiggins points out this time of year offers up great weather plus water sources are more readily available now than in the summer. Even if you plan on getting in high country trips later this year an early season trip to western Colorado can help you shake down your gear and get acclimated for climbs about 12,000 feet. Ain’t Colorado great?
Related posts:
- Cave Canyon Nature Preserve Opens for Preview
- Garmin Colorado 400t GPS Review
- Grand Canyon North Rim Trip Report
- Skiing in Colorado
- Hiking and backpacking in Ocala National Forest
Tags: colorado
April 30th, 2009 at 2:47 pm
Several years ago I did a backpacking trip on the back side of Colorado National Monument along the Colorado/Utah border. It was in March which can still get bad weather but that time it was great. I also often mountain bike in Fruita around this time of year and have only gotten rained out once. I was riding there just last weekend for the Fruita Fat Tire Festival.
April 30th, 2009 at 3:45 pm
We’ll be backpacking in the high country in mid-June (Colorado Trail section), so hopefully that’s late enough for most of the snow to have melted away. We’re hiking Silverton to Durango–our first stretch of the CT. Anyhow, off to peruse more of your blog.
November 21st, 2009 at 4:05 am
Colorado’s really a good choice for backpacking and hiking. Been there last year with my friends and we really had fun!!