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Grand Junction to the Utah border
This trek, part of a 486-mile loop that crosses the Colorado-Utah border, is a safari of sorts—but with dinosaur remnants and ancient art instead of lions and elephants. Starting at Colorado National Monument, a rock climber’s paradise, our state’s portion of the road winds past areas replete with petroglyphs. Add in Dinosaur National Monument, where you can see a wall of bones from species such as the apatosaurus, allosaurus, stegosaurus (our official state fossil), and more, and you’ve got the makings of the original Jurassic Park.
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Roadside Attraction
Take a step back in time while hiking in the Canyon Pintado National Historic District, a 16,000-acre area with archeological sites—including rock art from the Ute and Fremont cultures—you can view that date back to A.D. 1.
’Grammable Spot
Snap a photo of Steamboat Rock, which looks a bit like a beached ship above the Green River.
Refuel
What happens when two Texans can’t find the perfect breakfast taco on the Western Slope? They open a business—Tacorado—so no one else will be without tortillas, eggs, and salsa in the morning. 158 Park Square, Fruita, 970-639-0080
Go Now
One of the state’s most historic bike races (the route dates back to the Coors International Bicycle Classic), the 41- or 62-mile Tour of the Moon threads riders through Colorado National Monument.