Let the blogging begin:

The weather is becoming more Grand Junction-like every day. It's in the 70s, and now is the time to hit the Colorado National Monument.

One of my favorite hikes is up to Liberty Cap, a 160 million-year-old remnant sand dune that is slowly succumbing to the forces of erosion. Whether you're looking for a strenuous climb or an easy stroll, this trail has it. It's steep and rugged from the bottom trailhead, easy and gentle from the top trailhead.

Liberty Cap Trail meanders from a small gravel parking lot on the Redlands in Grand Junction, to a small gravel parking lot a few miles from the Visitor's Center on top of the monument along Rimrock Drive. Total distance of the hike, from top to bottom, is seven miles. In between stands that cap.

Instead of hiking the entire distance, many locals climb up and down the 1.5-mile stretch from town to Liberty Cap quite often. I made it up that stretch in about 50 minutes the other day. It's wide open for a short distance, enough to stretch out before beginning the ascent through the visually inspiring sandstone formation. The trail is a little steep and slick in spots, so a walking stick may be useful. Good footwear is essential. Do not forget your water.
If you're looking for a more gentle hike, the upper reach of this trail winds across gently sloping Monument Mesa through pinyon-juniper forest and sagebrush flats for 5.5 miles.

From either trailhead, evening hikes bring spectacular color changes to the Bookcliffs in the distance. Early morning hikes bring stunning sunrises over the Grand Mesa.
To reach the top trailhead, take Monument Road about four miles to the east entrance of the monument, travel up Rimrock Drive, and stay on it for about 12 miles. You'll come to the Black Ridge Access Road to the left (west). A few hundred yards further and to the right, you'll see the Liberty Cap Trail parking area. If you're traveling from the Fruita side, or west entrance to the monument, drive about seven miles past the visitor center.
To reach the lower trailhead, take Broadway (Hwy 340) to the Redlands Parkway and turn left on South Broadway (or take the Redlands Parkway and stay on it since it turns into South Broadway). Stay on that until you come to Wildwood Drive. Turn left, then veer to the right past a couple private residences. Please respect their privacy and drive slowly.

Happy Trails!

Bill