Hike Report: Independence Monument via Lower Monument Canyon-Wedding Canyon Loop

Looking for a hike that’s easily accessible and with incredible desert scenery? Lower Monument Canyon-Wedding Canyon Loop is just such a trek.

Located within Colorado National Monument just south of Grand Junction, Monument Canyon is home to Independence Monument, a tall monolith located at the end of Monument Canyon and Wedding Canyon.

Unlike other Colorado National Monument Trails that are accessible via Rim Rock Drive, you can access Lower Monument Trail and Wedding Canyon without being charged the park fee. Situated at the base of CNM, the Lower Monument Canyon Trail and Wedding Canyon trailhead is just off Broadway (HWY 340) and consists of a dirt parking lot, with two porta potties.

For my trek, I began with Lower Monument Canyon trail. The route begins in desert scrubland, winding up and past a Redlands subdivision, following the “buffalo fence.” Back in 1925, bison were introduced to the park, hence the fence. Bison are non-native to the high desert, so the National Park Service continuously provided hay and water for the creatures for the next six decades. In 1983, the remaining herd was finally relocated to Badlands National Park.

At .7 miles, the trail turns southward, revealing Monument Canyon and Independence Monument itself. You’ll come across a park register in a metal box, with hikers sporadically signing in.

Hewn into the red rock, the trail is well-marked and easy to follow as it gradually ascends. The canyon wall soars up immediately to your right. In several areas, there are stone steps carefully placed, but no real scrambling or path finding is involved.

As you hike, keep an eye out for desert bighorn. The area possesses several herds, and it’s a common sight to see several or more bighorn keeping a wary eye on adventurers from the cliff walls above.

The entire trek presents spectacular views, with sheer cliff faces and spires surrounding the trail. Turning around to face the mouth of the canyon, you’re rewarded with views of Grand Mesa (the world’s largest flat-topped mountain) in the east, while the town of Grand Junction sits in the Grand Valley below. Framed by the cliffs, this sight is a unique juxtaposition of nature and civilization.

As you further ascend the trail, Independence Monument grows in size, appearing taller than its actual 450 ft. height. The reason for this is the monolith itself is perched on a red dirt hill. Several unofficial trails thread around the base of the rock.

A unique fact about Independence Monument is every 4th of July rock climbers scale the monolith and place a US flag at the top. John Otto, founder of CNM, was the first person to climb the rock, and built many of CNM’s trails himself, including Monument Canyon.

At this point, after soaking in the beauty and solitude of the area, you have several options: you can turn around to make for an out and back trek, hike Upper Monument trail all the way up to Rim Rock Drive, or continue into Wedding Canyon.

Upper Monument Canyon Trail skirts south along the base of spires and cliffs, offering different perspectives on Independence Monument and surroundings rock formations, such as Pipe Organ and Coke Ovens. I have yet to hike the rest of this portion, but have heard it’s a beautiful, steep route. Note: The route of Lower and Upper Monument Canyon trail is about 6 miles; roundtrip is 12 miles. If you want to hike the one-way route of 6 miles, arrange to have a car to shuttle you back to wherever you start. Locals recommend starting at Upper Monument and hiking down into Lower Monument.

Regarding Wedding Canyon, this trail branches off north from Monument Trail, at the base of the monolith. Descending into Wedding Canyon, this trail is so named as John Otto married Beatrice Farnham here in 1911.

Unlike the grippy rock surfaces of Lower Independence Monument trail, the upper portion of Wedding Canyon Trail is “unimproved,” per the trailhead sign. This means the trail is mostly dirt and sand, and steeper. Even with my Salomon Speed Cross trail shoes with their prominent tread, I still felt some slippage underfoot. This is why it is usually recommended that if you’re hiking Lower Monument Canyon-Wedding Canyon loop, you start by ascending Wedding Canyon first. However, should you hike the route vice-versa, as I have several times, trekking poles are especially helpful in descending Wedding Canyon. While the trail may be slick underfoot, the route is well marked throughout, with no trail finding involved.

The trail winds down and rounds the canyon’s edge before you return to the flatter base of CNM. There’s a few short hills on the way back as the trail meanders back to the Lower Monument Canyon trailhead.

Easy to get to with spectacular views, I highly recommend Lower Monument and Wedding Canyon trails. Popular with locals, this route is rarely crowded, even when the parking lot is full. Spring, fall, and winter are the best times to hike this loop. If you choose to hike during the summer, do so in the morning or evening, and bring plenty of water. Soak in the surroundings, and marvel at this corner of Colorado’s canyon country. With just enough imagination, you may be able to picture the bison that once roamed along the desert sands. 🙂

~LMC