With the close proximity of its winding, serpentine-like path and breathtaking views of the Colorado National Monument, Grand Mesa, Bookcliffs and Grand Valley floor, it’s no wonder Serpents Trail is a favorite of both locals and visitors.

The trail was built by visionary John Otto, whose campaign to establish the Colorado National Monument was accomplished in 1911. Climbing from east to west through Wingate Sandstone, the trail was, in fact, a 2.5-mile road from Grand Junction through No Thoroughfare Canyon and nearly to Cold Shivers Point.

Called “the crookedest road in the world,” due to its many twists and turns, this historic trail once had 52 switchbacks and was wide enough for two cars to pass. When completed in the early 1920s, most cars lacked fuel pumps and drivers had to back up the road so fuel flowed to the engine via gravity — food for thought as you traverse the trail.

Like most early road proposals, Serpents Trail served the dual purpose of access for ranchers between Glade Park and Grand Junction and represented the first successful attempt to make the wonders of the park accessible to visitors. Otto envisioned a trail around the rim of the Colorado National Monument, and his grand plan was to link the scenic trail from Grand Junction to Moab, Utah.

By 1950, the construction of Rim Rock Drive destroyed sections of the Serpents Trail, yet a 1.75-mile portion opened in 1961 and has been preserved as the current hiking trail. Serpents Trail was added to the National Register of Historic Places on April 21, 1994.

The plethora of switchbacks exposes something new around every corner. People of all ages love this hike which offers a moderate steady incline of 770 feet in elevation over the one-way course. Children have fun counting scampering lizards and switchbacks along the way and spotting crazy rock formations. Plan on two hours round-trip with children.

Adults enjoy the convenience of a brisk hike in their back yard that can be done in about one and a half hours. Many locals hike or jog the Serpents Trail as part of their daily fitness routine. Local lore requires you to touch the Serpents Trail sign at the top to make the hike complete before heading back down the snaking rugged path.

Serpents Trail is the perfect year-round hike. Be sure to stop frequently to admire the massive amount of work and engineering that went into its construction. Rush the hike and you risk missing the dramatic overlooks, big horn sheep and canyon wren sittings, wild flowers and a variety of desert cactus and landscapes.

Frequent hikers will attest to the notion that no matter how many times you hike Serpents Trail, it never looks the same. Try hiking it at different times of the day and different times of the year for new discoveries. If you’re a social hiker, there will be plenty of opportunities to make new friends and catch up with old ones.

Expect the unexpected. My most memorable experience on Serpents Trail was crossing paths with a man in street clothes hiking up with a suitcase at dusk as I descended. Two young children played joyfully as they followed him — certainly a very unusual site. Moments later at the parking lot, I was covered in goosebumps, witnessing his silhouette holding bagpipes on a switchback outcropping, as the still night air was filled with the beauty of “Amazing Grace.”

Getting there: Once you enter the east end of the Colorado National Monument from Monument Drive, the parking area is immediately on your left, opposite the trail head. The small parking area often fills up on weekends and busy days, so additional parking is available at the Devils Kitchen Picnic area (where there are facilities), just to the right side of the trail head.

National Park rules apply; please stay on the trail and no pets. And, during COVID, switch to single file when encountering other hikers to maintain social distancing.

Cell phone service is available throughout the hike.

Check out more of Melanie’s hikes here.

Originally published in the Winter 2020-21 issue of Spoke+Blossom.

Take A Hike: Serpents Trail