Colorado National Monument is literally a must see if you are in the Grand Junction/Fruita area! Actually it is a must see in the state of Colorado! It is an incredible plateau full of unique and jaw dropping rocks and views. I literally took like 200 pictures in an hour of being there because every where you look in magnificent! It isn’t something I am just saying you should do! This is something you HAVE to do!
Colorado National Monument brings stars in my eyes, but it also brings shivers down my spine. This gorgeous park is a terrifying place to visit with young children. Keep reading to find out why you should be cautious about bringing your toddlers or young children here.
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Why Is It So Dangerous For Toddlers?
Don’t get me wrong I am a huge fan of hiking and I absolutely live for taking my kids hiking. Just wanted to make that clear before I keep going. I am not saying you shouldn’t take your toddlers hiking and I am not telling you to not visit Colorado National Monument. I am in fact highly encouraging you to go, but I think it is extremely important that you be aware of the dangers that lurk at Colorado National Monument for small children.
Colorado National Monument is a giant plateau. For those of you who do not know, a plateau is a flat area on high ground. Imagine a mountain with the top cut off so it looks flat on top. That is a plateau. Colorado National Monument is a very high plateau and to truly appreciate the majesty of the this plateau the majority of the hikes are to viewpoints and overlooks at the cliff edges.
Quite a few of the hikes are right along a cliff edge or to a drop off view point. These cliff edges are drastic drops and there is very few areas that are guarded by railing or fences. So in shorter terms it would be extremely easy to fall to your death at this park.
I had 2 toddlers and a baby when I went to visit this park. I made the dumb mistake of going by myself with my 3 kids and I will forever have bad dreams because of it. None of my toddlers got hurt, thank heavens, but I certainly underestimated the danger I put them in.
If my daughter had goofed off, she could have tripped over a rock and branch and fallen over the edge. If my 2 year old son had seen a bird and let go of my hand to chase it, he could have ran off the edge. It would have been that quick and that easy for me to have lost them. In some trails you are literally on the edge looking down a couple hundred feet.
I kept my kiddos pretty close, and though a lot of my pictures look like my toddlers are on the edge they weren’t. I just took the picture at an angle that made them look like they were on a cliffside. If I can get a picture like that, can you not by a cliff you can imagine what the cliffsides really did look like!
Should I Visit Colorado National Monument With Toddlers?
This is not a safe place for toddlers. That is a simple fact……BUT that does not mean you shouldn’t take your toddlers to Colorado National Monument!! I think it is an incredible place to visit and a must see bucket list item! Now you are aware of the danger, lets learn how to prep for it so that you and your toddlers can safely visit the wonder of Colorado National Monument!
General Information About Colorado National Monument:
Hours: Open 24 hours, everyday
Admission: $25 per vehicle, $20 motorcycle, or $15 as a walk-in or bicycler
Location: 1750 Rim Rock Drive, Fruita, CO 81521
How To Keep Your Toddlers Safe At Colorado National Monument:
Don’t go alone with your kids!
Make sure when you go to Colorado National Monument with toddlers or with kids for that matter, bring another adult. 2 pairs of hands and eyes are needed for this park, trust me! All hands on deck!
Tie down your toddlers as much as possible!
I absolutely love having my kids hike and not having to hold or carry them the entire way, but this is not the place for that. If you have a hiking carrier use it! It will bring you such peace of mind! I have never considered buying one of those leashed toddler back packs before until coming to this park, but that is all I wanted when I was there! Make sure they are tied to you in some way so that you can always know exactly where they are.
Stay away from the edges.
I mean this is kind of obvious! Don’t let your kids get too close to the edge. There are edges everywhere! Literally you are surrounded by drop offs. Keep your kids away from the edge and they will be safe.
Do not let them climb on the fences.
There are fences around the cliffsides of certain view points. These rinky dink fences will not hold the weight of a child, nor will your kid be safe balancing on them. Just because there is a fence does not mean your child is protected.
One of the fences wasn’t even secured at the bottom, a kid could easily lean against it, it move forward, and your child slip under it…..straight down a cliff. Do not assume your child is safe because there is a fence!
No goofing off and playing around the trails.
A way that I enjoy hiking with my kids and getting so far on hikes is I chase them or play games with them on the hike. I even have a whole article of games that we play while we hike (click here if you would like to learn more). This is not the place for horseplay though. You seriously want to keep your kids as close and as focused on their surroundings as you can.
Beware of the wildlife.
Just as a general rule give animals their distance and they tend to do the same. Colorado National Monument is home to several dangerous critters such as mountain lions, bobcats, midget-faded rattlesnakes, and scorpions. Just stay on the trails and keep an eye out. Noise is also a great way to ward off dangerous critters.
I am super paranoid when it comes to rattlesnakes in particular. I know the chances of getting bite are not high, but just for peace of mind I love this rattlesnake bite kit! I thankfully have never had to use it, but like I said I would rather be safe than sorry. I have been on trails before where people have carried their dog back due to rattlesnake bites, so I know its a possibility! Be sure to be prepared with your own snake bite kit, stay on the trails, and stay alert.
Bring water!
Another danger and probably the most common one is dehydration. This is a desert and it does get hot, plus you are getting closer to the sun. Stay hydrated and keep those little ones hydrated as well.
Did you know that they make CamelBak Mini backpacks? These are genius! These tiny hydration backpacks are comfortable and super easy for your toddler to carry their own water while they hike. It beats having to stop and bend down every 10 steps for your toddler to drink out of your CamelBak hose. Also, don’t know about you, but I refuse to drink after my toddlers!
Top 3 Short Hikes You Should Try With Toddlers:
Ottos Trail-
(1 mile there and back) This short hike is mostly a dirt trail and is super easy. The trail takes you out on a rim so on either side of the trail is a drop off, but if you stay on the trail you will be just fine. The trail leads to an overlook of a gorgeous rock formation and a great view of Grand Junction/Fruita.
Ute Canyon Overlook-
(0.20 mile there and back) I don’t know if you can even consider this a trail. This short walk if just a great place to get an over look of Colorado National Monument canyon.
Window Rock-
(0.5 mile there and back) This trail is mostly dirt, but also has a couple rocks to climb. It takes you to an gorgeous overlook of Grand Junction/Fruita and you get a view of a beautiful rock formation!
Other Fun Things To Do Near Colorado National Monument With Toddlers:
Western Slope Vietnam Memorial
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