Grand Mesa
Said to be the world's largest flat-topped mountain. Hundreds of lakes and aspen forests sit on a plateau above 3,000 m.
Grand Mesa is a basalt flat-topped mountain covering about 1,300 square km, with an average elevation above 3,000 m, more than 10 degrees cooler than the valley below. The plateau has over 300 lakes and reservoirs, surrounded by spruce and aspen forests. State Highway 65, the Grand Mesa Scenic Byway, climbs from the town of Mesa at the base. Along the way you can stop at the Mesa Lakes, stroll the lakeside near the visitor centre, fish for trout, or look over the Grand Junction valley from the Land's End overlook. It's about an hour's drive from the city. Bring a jacket even in summer, as afternoon thunderstorms are common.
Opening hours
Open all day; visitor center open in summer
Nearby sights
- Powderhorn Mountain Resort
- Palisade Wine Country
- Mount Garfield
- Dominguez-Escalante National Conservation Area
- Little Book Cliffs Wild Horse Area
- Cross Orchards Historic Site
- Museum of the West
- Downtown Grand Junction (Main Street)