Ute Canyon Overlook is a spectacular overlook above a sheer cliff on the eastern side of Colorado National Monument. Reach the overlook by parking on the west side of Rim Rock Drive at a signed parking area and walking west for 0.09 miles through a piñon-juniper woodland to a fenced overlook above a 300-foot vertical cliff. The viewpoint looks straight into the west arm of Ute Canyon and also north down the cliff-lined Ute Canyon to the Grand Valley. When you look directly into Ute Canyon below, note seven-mile Ute Canyon Trail, which begins on the opposite rim and follows the bottom of the canyon northward. Fallen Rock is on the big cliff on the right side of Ute Canyon directly to the west.
Pro Tips
Ute Canyon, despite the road along its south rim, is a true wilderness canyon that’s traversed only by Ute Canyon Trail. It’s best to start the seven-mile hike from a trailhead by Fallen Rock Overlook on the opposite side of the canyon. It switchbacks downhill for about 550 feet in a half-mile before following the water course north to a junction with Liberty Cap Trail, which steeply descends to a lower trailhead. Bring plenty of water, a hat, sunscreen, and don’t plan on meeting anyone else on the remote trail.A couple spectacular overlooks are east of Ute Canyon Overlook. Red Canyon Overlook peers into another remote and untrammeled desert canyon, while Cold Shivers Point perches above a vertical cliff on the east side of Columbus Canyon. Past Cold Shivers, Rim Rock Drive begins descending to the monument’s east entrance and the trailhead for Devils Kitchen Trail, No Thoroughfare Canyon Trail, and Serpents Trail.Serpents Trail to the east of Ute Canyon Overlook was reputedly the “Crookedest Trail in the World” after John Otto finished building it in 1921. The twisting road, now a 1.75-mile hiking trail, gains 800 feet in 18 switchbacks. The trail, often used for a workout by Grand Junction runners, is best hiked from the top trailhead on Rim Rock Drive down to a lower trailhead near the east entrance station since its all downhill.Ute Canyon Overlook sits on top of a tall, vertical cliff of Wingate sandstone. It’s an airy and exposed spot, especially if you stand right next to the fencing. The long fenced area offers lots of places to get photographs so resist the urge to walk out on the canyon rim for a better vantage point. Footing on the cliff edge can be insecure and the stone beneath your feet can break. Keep control of your children. Remember that falls are the third leading cause of deaths in National Parklands.Recommended season(s): Year-round.
—Stewart M. Green
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