Palisade

Type of Area

Town

State

Address

View on Map

Timezone

MST

Elevation

4,718 ft (1,438 m)

Population (Est.)

2,624

Nickname

The Peach Capital of Colorado

Key Features

Elevation

4,718 ft (1,438 m)

Population (Est.)

2,624

Nickname

The Peach Capital of Colorado

Best Seasons to Visit

June to August

Overview

A small, sunny Western Slope town next to the Colorado River Palisade offers delicious peaches, 1,000 acres of vineyards, wineries, and a Victorian downtown.

Getting Around

There are many ways to move around Palisade. Active travelers can bike, you can ride in a pedicab or take a horse-drawn carriage for a slower look at town, and downtown is small enough to explore comfortably on foot.

History & Culture

Nestled beneath towering Mancos Shale cliffs in the Grand Valley, once carved by the Grand River (renamed Colorado River in 1921). Palisade began as Ute land before white settlement in the early 1880s. Pioneers like J.P. Harlow and W.A. Pease introduced irrigation and fruit farming. With the 1915 Grand River Diversion Dam feeding the Government Highline Canal, orchards flourished, shielded by katabatic winds and frost‑fighting smudge pots. Coal mines and a mid‑century power plant added to the town’s growth before agriculture became the defining industry.