Mountain Mud Escape
Calling all mountain residents…. Flee the mud and bounce to Palisade and Fruita, where spring is on!
Here’s a preview of a fun-filled April day on Colorado’s beautiful Western Slope.
Breakfast: Camela’s Kaffee in Fruita.
Morning Ride: Roll out to Fruita’s 18 Road for a feast of flowy and fun trails. It’s hard to choose favorites out there, but we can pretty much guarantee that PBR will put a smile on your face, and you’ll feel like a hero rolling up and down Joe’s Ridge.
Lunch: Grab a bite (and beer) at Copper Club Brewing Company - their resident food truck specializes in hot sandwiches with locally sourced ingredients.
Afternoon: Make it a two-sport day and venture over to Colorado National Monument for a hike or trail run. Devil’s Kitchen Trailhead is a good launching point offering various trail options. Seek out phenomenal views, unique geology, and fun rock scrambling on the Devil’s Kitchen trail (1.5-mile round trip). Or climb 1.75 miles (one way) up Serpent’s Trail, a historic trail and the original park road with 16 switchbacks winding through sandstone walls. Another option is to venture to the No Thoroughfare Canyon waterfalls (about 1.8 miles to the first waterfall and 2.8 to the second waterfall).
Aprés: Finish the day off in Palisade and visit Talbott's Farmers Market and Taproom for aprés. The Talbott Family has been growing fruit and making apple juice and ciders for 100 years, and now the grandkid generation is brewing hard cider.
Dinner: Tacos at Palisade’s taqueria, Fidel’s Cocina. This locally owned hotspot is known for incredible mezcal and taco pairings, sure to hit the spot after a long day of outdoor adventuring!
Given all the trail systems in the Fruita and Palisade area, you can keep this routine going for days with additional visits to the Kokopelli, Rabbit Valley, and Palisade Rim trails, followed by vineyard and cidery stops and foodie delights in Palisade.
Event Pairings:
Consider pairing your trip with events in Palisade all summer long. Find details on our Events page.
Lodging:
Whether you’re looking for desert camping, RV campground, AirB-n-Bs or a hotel pillow, we have you covered. Browse all of our lodging options here.