Colorado National Monument

Colorado National Monument makes its big desert scenery easy to experience from the car and at the rim. The paved Rim Rock Drive links a string of signed viewpoints and trailheads, and several stops have level, hard-surfaced routes from designated parking to the edge of the canyons for wide-open views. Independence Monument Overlook and Cold Shivers are fully accessible, while Historic Trails View, Fruita Canyon View, and the Bookcliff Shelter area include accessible elements such as graded surfaces, short approaches, or barrier-free viewing areas.

The Saddlehorn Visitor Center welcomes visitors with accessible parking, entrances, and restrooms. Exhibits, information services, and bookstore access are on an accessible route, and the building serves as the best first stop for planning a visit that matches individual mobility needs. Accessible restrooms are also available at the Saddlehorn Campground and at Devils Kitchen Picnic Area, giving travelers reliable facilities on both sides of the monument’s central district.

For a close-to-nature experience on foot, the Alcove Nature Trail offers a short, gentle path on a hardened surface directly across from the visitor center. The route is designed for wheelchairs and strollers and leads through pinyon-juniper woodland to views into Wedding Canyon, with interpretive waysides along the way.

Rim Rock Drive itself is a paved scenic route with numerous pullouts. Where overlooks are marked as accessible, expect striped parking, curb cuts or gentle ramps, and firm, relatively level paths to railings or view shelters. Drivers should be prepared for tunnels and share-the-road conditions, but the accessible overlooks noted above provide dramatic canyon scenery without uneven terrain.

Picnic options include accessible tables and nearby accessible restrooms at Devils Kitchen and near the visitor center, making it simple to pair a leisurely meal with a short roll or walk to a viewpoint. The accessibility brochure and site information identify these facilities so visitors can plan stops with confidence.

Camping at Saddlehorn includes accessible restrooms and at least one accessible campsite on a paved loop close to facilities. Surfaces, slopes, and pad dimensions are designed for easier setup and movement to water and restrooms, offering an overnight option that keeps the experience close to canyon overlooks and the visitor center.

Service animals are welcome throughout areas open to the public in line with federal accessibility standards. Pets that are not service animals must remain on paved surfaces such as roads, overlooks, campgrounds, and picnic areas and are not permitted on trails, which helps protect sensitive terrain while keeping paved routes comfortable and predictable for mobility devices.

Wayfinding is straightforward: start at Saddlehorn for maps and current conditions, then follow Rim Rock Drive to the signed accessible overlooks. With accessible restrooms at key hubs, an easy nature trail next to the visitor center, and multiple barrier-free viewpoints, the monument delivers its trademark red-rock drama in ways that are friendly to a wide range of visitors.