Mesa, Colorado is by far one of the most beautiful hidden gems in all of Colorado! Of course many know it for its ski resort, Powderhorn, but not many think of it during any other season than ski season. Little do people know Mesa is a hot spot for incredible hiking trails! There are literally over 60 trails in this small mountainous area. Trails for ATV’S, four wheelers, horseback riding, and just plain old hiking.
The fun part about Mesa is you have half desert, half mountains. Hike a desert trail and then drive 20 southeast and you are in the mountains. Mountains covered in elk farms and pine trees. Beautiful scenery, yet you would be surprised that not only are the mountains gorgeous, the desert in Mesa is breathtaking!
Now my husband makes fun of me for saying this, but I think rocks are beautiful and the desert hikes in Mesa are in some incredibly beautiful rocks. My absolute favorite hike in this area…no my absolute favorite hike in the desert anywhere the Big Wash at the Foothills of the Grand Mesa!
Top 5 Reasons Why I Love This Hike:
- The rocks- call me crazy but these rock formations are breathtaking!
- It’s in a canyon- best way to hike in the desert, lots of shade from the canyon covering you.
- Wildflowers- go at the right time of year and this trail is covered in wildflowers and honeysuckles!
- Easy Hike- My toddlers did this trail without much help, but a nice pair of kids hiking shoes really helped.
- Short Hike- only a 1.8 mile long hike there and back.
What you need to bring on this hike:
- Hiking shoes!!!– Hiking shoes will make a huge difference on this hike. It is very rocky and very slippery. Unless you want sore feet, invest in some good hiking shoes!
- Camel Hydration Pack– You are hiking in the desert, bring a hydration pack, it is the easiest way haul water!
- Sunscreen– Spray sunscreen is my favorite! It smells better and isn’t near as greasy on the skin. The majority of the hike is in the sun, so protect your skin!
- Toddler Hiking Carrier– If you are hiking with toddlers, you will definitely want to bring one of these. My toddlers did the hike pretty much the entire way, but is was nice to have the carrier for when they got tired.
- Baby Hiking Carrier– When hiking with a baby this is essential! This carrier is my absolute favorite!! It has 6 different positions and is so easy to use! Use the discount code 2Camilla15 an you will get 15% off!
Best time to hike this trail:
SPRING!! Trust me this is a really beautiful season to hike this trail for multiple reasons! Most obvious reason though is the heat! This is a desert hike and summer time is a season of intense heat. Unless you want to be hiking in the 100 degree weather, which I do not recommend; you will want to hike in either spring, winter, or fall.
What makes spring the best season is also the wildflowers! Fall and winter, there are little to no wildflowers, but spring is when the trail covered colorful flowers. There are bushes of white flowers growing all up the sides of the canyon. Red small desert flowers and red honeysuckles around the sides of the trail. It just makes everything that much more beautiful.
As for the best time of day to go, mornings are the best. The mornings will be least amount of heat and you will have the highest chance to catch a glimpse of a big horn sheep.
Where Is It?
There is a dirt parking lot at the trail head just around the curve of the road.
What this trail is like:
The start of the trail is pretty flat and covered in a lot of brush. The trail itself is pretty well marked and easy to follow. This is where the majority of the flowers will be and the majority of the plants. As you get farther into the canyon, the less plants there will be. Not many of the plants are big enough to cover you though so make sure you wear sunscreen to protect you from the sun.
You will cross over a really rocky river multiple times, it is a dry river so there isn’t much water in it. The rocks can be pretty slippery though as they are smooth river rocks. This is why hiking shoes are essential for this trip. It makes it a lot easier to hike through the rocks and keeps your feet from being sore the next day.
The majority of the hike you will be crossing dry riverbeds. As you get further into the canyon it will get thinner and thinner. Also the farther you get into the canyon the more it covers you and the more shade you will have.
At this point you will start to hike by pools of water. You hike from pool to pool to pool. Each pool gets prettier and prettier! Problem is this is where it starts to get more difficult. The rocks are more wet and bigger so they are a lot more slippery. Also this is where the climbing begins. There are small cliff areas to climb to continue on the trail. Again hiking shoes are really helpful in making the climb in these spots, it helps your feet grip the rocks and keeps you from slipping.
Again the canyon just gets smaller and the pools get bigger and the cliffs get steeper to climb. This is also where it gets more beautiful! It is a fun hike with a lot of variety to it!
Hiking with kids:
This hike is rated as a moderate hike on the AllTrails app, but honestly the majority of the hike is very easy. I have 3 kids, a 3 year old, a 22 month old, and a 2 month old and they all did great on this hike. Both of my toddlers did the first half of the hike all by themselves. My 22 month old son would have done the hike back by himself if we had let him, but we decided it would be easier to have him in the hiking backpack. My 3 year old did the entire hike herself.
Now saying this we did help them towards the half way point, before you turn around. When making this hike with kids you will want to help them where the small cliff climbs are. Investing a some kid hiking shoes will really help them climb these rocks and keep them safter.
Some of the fun things we did with our kiddos on this hike to keep them happy was for one bring snacks! Snacks are my secret weapon for getting my toddlers to hike any sort of distance. Okay, lets be for real, I use snacks to bribe my kids to do anything! Haha!
Our Favorite Hiking Snacks:
To help your kids enjoy the hike let them climb on the big boulders, jump rocks, and throw rocks in the ponds. Also let them try some honeysuckle that is growing along the side of the trail! They will love that!
Hiking with kids can be a tough task at times, but this a trail they will love. If you need more advice on how to hike with toddlers click here!
What you should do after this hike:
- Little Book Cliffs Wild Life Area
This trail was a short one, so if you have time, try another one. This one has wild horses!! 5.9 miles through an incredible desert area with wild horses roaming around. A great second hike to add to the day!
- Kodiaxe
Want to have a little more action and adventure to end your day, stop by with your hiking pals and toss some axes!
- Graff’s Dairy
What sounds better than ice cream after a hike? Stop by for a banana split and a chili cheese dog for an after hike snack!
- Rocket Park
If hiking with kids, stop by this park afterwards to run off the rest of your kiddos energy so they sleep good that night! The whole playground is themed after space and rockets!
- Moyer Pool
There are 2 things I always want to do after a hike, eat ice cream and jump in a pool! Stop by go for a swim to cool off from the heat!
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