Colorado National Monument | Subaru Ascent Forum

This week, we decided at the last minute to spend some time in Colorado National Monument, which is about 255 miles west of Denver (basically on the western border of Colorado). We packed up quickly without any detailed plans. We knew we could sleep on Ascent 2023 or in our tent depending on the conditions. I chose that area to go considering the weather conditions at higher altitudes. The San Juan Mountains will have to wait a month or so as the trails I was interested in were covered in snow and rain was in the forecast. The monument stretches between Grand Junction and Fruita with access points at both ends. Visitors from international countries and border states were present. There are three camping rings in a developed campground, but there are many undeveloped backcountry sites to be found.

Averaging around 65-80 MPH I was getting 24MPG with two occupants and gear. I am very pleased with this. ACC & Lane Centering continued to work great. There is a stretch near Glennwood Canyon that has many twists and turns. Along that area there are times when lane concentration drops despite the lane markings being clear. This is a rapidly changing trajectory function. This has happened elsewhere in the past on similar stretches of road, so it was confirmed on this trip. The ride on the Ascent was very smooth and comfortable.

We have had national park permits in the past, but this is the first time we have purchased an inter-agency permit. It’s a great deal if you visit any number of federal lands ($80). You can also get a 50% discount on campsites. Seniors pay just $20 a year and veterans get a free pass for life.

My 2019 Ascension had captain’s chairs for the second row, and as many of you know, those seats don’t fold all the way down. My 2023 model has a second row bench seat that lays flat, but we noticed that there is more space when placed down between the back of the second row and the third row seated (see photo ). We packed a few items in the space to reduce sleeping pad space and it was never a problem.

Saturday was a quick hike along the rim of the canyon for various magnificent views and then a scramble past our camp to a high rock formation for a final view of the sunset.

On Sunday we left early before it got too hot on the road canyon trail. It’s an easy walk following the stream to a thigh deep pool and two waterfalls. Beyond the falls is not recommended unless you are willing to bushwack with a machete. There is a bit of scrambling from the pool to the first waterfall, but certainly nothing technical. A smaller percentage of visitors go to the second waterfall. All three sites were shaded and a welcome cooling break (I wear leather hiking boots, quick-dry pants, and wool socks, so I just got in the pool). Wildflowers can be seen throughout the hike. You can camp along the trail with a free permit, but there are only a few reasonable spots to be found. grow times are not nearly as long as they say.