Island Lake: Kayakers and boaters enjoy an afternoon on the water at Island Lake on the Grand Mesa. Island Lake is one of the largest lakes on the mesa. Photo by Gary Warren/ladailypost.com
Photographers: A couple enjoy photographing the scenic Island Lake on the Grand Mesa. The entire mesa is a haven for photographers with more than 300 lakes, gorgeous scenery and an abundance of wildlife. Photo by Gary Warren/ladailypost.com
By GARY WARREN
Photographer
Formerly of Los Alamos
In our travels around Colorado, one of our favorite destinations is the western slope town of Grand Junction and the surrounding area. This area of the state differs from most of the mountainous regions of Colorado or the plains of Eastern Colorado.
Grand Junction is the largest city on the western slope of Colorado. The area offers endless recreation opportunities for all ages. The weather is more arid than most of the state and offers visitors a chance to explore the desert areas of Colorado.
However, one of the biggest outdoor recreational attractions of the western slope is Grand Mesa. The mesa is the largest flat top mountains in the world. It is one of the most highest in elevation as well. The Grand Mesa sits to the east of Grand Junction and is just a short drive from town.
The Grand Mesa Scenic and Historic Byway allows drivers to explore the mesa from the town of Mesa, Colorado in the north to Cedaredge, Colo. on the southern end of the 63 mile byway. There are other roads that lead drivers around the top of the mesa but most of those are dirt or gravel roads.
There are many attractive features to Grand Mesa but one would be the lakes located across the top of this massive 500 square mile mesa. There are more than 300 lakes and reservoirs scattered amongst the conifer and aspen forest on the mesa. Most of the lakes are within the Grand Mesa National Forest and are available for use by the public.
The forest service has several camp grounds on the mesa and some are located by the lakes. No where else in Colorado can one find so many lakes congregated so close together. The lakes off ample opportunities for recreational activities such as fishing, floating, paddle boarding, hiking, camping, kayaking, canoeing, or boating.
Another feature of recreation on Grand Mesa is the temperature. While Grand Junction and the Grand Valley are about 4,500-5,000 feet in elevation. Grand Mesa is more than 10,000 feet in elevation. The high temperature in Grand Junction was around 100 degrees this week while the temperature on Grand Mesa peaked at 80 degrees the day we visited. Some areas of the mesa never got above the 70s.
If given the opportunity to visit the western slope area of Colorado one should not miss exploring the Grand Junction area and especially the Grand Mesa. In the summer, the recreation opportunities are everywhere and the weather is cooler on the mesa than the valley. Bring your tent, camper, or stay in one of the lodges or motels along the scenic byway but don’t miss the Grand Mesa.
Editor’s note: Longtime Los Alamos photographer Gary Warren and his wife Marilyn are traveling around the country, and he shares his photographs, which appear in the “Posts from the Road” series published in the Sunday edition of the Los Alamos Daily Post.
Fishing: A lone fisherman cast his line in the lake near the Grand Mesa Visitor Center. Beautiful skies and cool temperatures attracted many visitors to Grand Mesa the day we visited. Photo by Gary Warren/ladailypost.com
Canoeing: A group of visitors enjoy a canoe trip around the Cobbett Lake on the Grand Mesa near Grand Junction, Colo. One of several camp grounds is located at the far end of the lake. Photo by Gary Warren/ladailypost.com
Grand Mesa View: One of many views from the scenic byway at Grand Mesa. Shown is a lake in the foreground and views of the mesa that drivers travel through to reach the top of the mesa. Photo by Gary Warren/ladailypost.com