Visitors to Western Colorado and Eastern Utah looking for comprehensive information about Colorado National Monument and its nearby communities of Grand Junction, Palisade and Fruita will want this TripPlan Media guidebook - the first in a series dedicated to national parks, national monuments and public lands.

The Colorado National Monument, along with Arches and Canyonlands national parks, represent the wonders of our nation's red rock country. The monument is the gateway to this land of towering monoliths, sandstone arches and dinosaur bones.

Features in this guidebook include:
- Maps of the Colorado National Monument and its many scenic hiking trails, McInnis Canyons National Conservation Area, Black Ridge Canyons Wilderness Area, the Little Bookcliffs Wild Horse Range, the Grand Mesa National Forest, and Grand Junction, Palisade and Fruita.
- Videos introducing the monument and what native people called its hallowed ground, and John Otto, the monument's eccentric founder and long-time caretaker. (He hung out with two mules, Foxie and Cookie.)
- Photos and slideshows that showcase the rock formations, canyons, plants, animals and history of the monument. Plus pictures of the nearby wine country and fruit orchards, museums, rafting adventures on the Colorado River, mountain biking trails and much more.
- Graphics illustrating some of the area's interesting geologic formations.

Want information on park fees and hours, camping, hiking, rafting, scenic drives, mountain biking, rock climbing, dining, lodging, winery tours or dinosaur digs? This book has it, as well as much more user information found few other places. Our writers and photographers have hiked the monument trails, stayed in the local motels and eaten in the restaurants. They've driven Rim Rock Drive through the monument and stopped to take pictures at the scenic overlooks, ridden the world-renowned mountain bike trails, including Kokopelli and North Fruita desert, and hiked deep into the hidden arches of Rattlesnake Canyon (Yes there are mountain lions back there, but chances are you'll only see the tracks).

We realize your vacation is about more than just exploring Colorado National Monument. That's why this guidebook highlights an amazing array of activities in the vibrant nearby communities.

Here's a quick sample:
- Palisade represents the heart of Colorado's fruit and wine country. Take a vineyard tour, visit a tasting room and sample a Chardonnay or treat the kids to a night in a bed and breakfast in the middle of a peach orchard all at the foot of the iconic Mount Garfield.
- Grand Junction is the home of the botanic gardens, the riverwalk, museums, brewpubs and a downtown chock full of fun and edgy sculptures on the street corners (think Dalton Trumbo in a bathtub). The city is the largest urban area in Western Colorado and home to a fine selection of restaurants from pizza joints to steakhouses. It boasts plenty of shopping at Mesa Mall and state-of-the-art healthcare facilities.
- Fruita is the mountain bike capital of the state and each spring hosts the popular Fat Tire Festival. But just as importantly, it's the home to the Mike the Headless Chicken Festival, and the Dinosaur Journey Museum with its nearby sites to dig dinosaur fossils.

If you're a lover of our national parks and monuments, give this TripPlan Media guide a try. And keep an eye out for more upcoming titles.