Colorado National Monument Hike

Collared Lizard

The next day, we put away the bikes and put on our boots and hiked the Monument Canyon trail. The 6 mile trail took us from the canyon rim all the way down to the valley floor. We were able to see the neat formations we viewed from above the day before from the canyon floor for a totally different perspective.

Taking the steep switch-back trail from the rim to the canyon floor

View of Coke Ovens from below

Trail meanders through big boulders

Prickly pear bloom

Precarious tower formation

Kissing Couple tower formation on right (and close-up below)

Neat buttress formation holding up Kissing Couple

Posing in front of wide-view of Independence Monument

Narrow view of same monument

Collared Lizards are beautiful and surprisingly calm and friendly

Peter gets an up close and personal view

Frank and Peter in front of the Cube Rock

Six miles later, the trail terminates at Hwy 340 after dropping more than 2,000'. A fantastic day hike!