Hotels in Grand Junction

Major chains offering reasonably priced lodging are lined up along Horizon Drive near I-70. Downtown, you'll find a very nice Fairfield Inn & Suites at 225 Main St. (📞 970/242-2525), with double rates of $109 to $159 and suites for $159 to $209.

In the high county atop Grand Mesa to the southeast of Grand Junction, there are several Forest Service cabins (📞 877/444-6777; www.recreation.gov) for $120 to $180 nightly. Contact the Grand Valley Ranger District office (📞 970/242-8211) for more information. You will also find spartan rooms ($55 to $65 double) and cabins ($80 to $160) at Grand Mesa Lodge, Colo. 65 16 miles north of Cedaredge (📞 970/856-3250; www.grandmesalodge.com).

Camping

In addition to campgrounds at Colorado National Monument, James M. Robb-Colorado River State Park (www.parks.state.co.us) has two campgrounds. The Island Acres unit (tel. 970/464-0548), 10 miles east of Grand Junction off I-70 exit 47, has 80 campsites, and the Fruita unit (tel. 970/858-9188), off I-70 exit 19 and about 10 miles west of Grand Junction, has 57 campsites. Rates at both are $14 for tents, $18 for RV sites with electricity, and $22 for full RV hookups. These fees are in addition to the $5 per vehicle day-use fee. Reservations for both campgrounds are available from March through October for an $8 reservation fee; call tel. 800/678-2267 or go to the park's website. The Fruita campground is the top camping choice in the Grand Junction area -- it's well laid out and conveniently located just a few miles from the west entrance of Colorado National Monument. Both campgrounds have showers and laundry facilities, a playground, naturalist programs, picnicking, fishing, and hiking. The Fruita unit also boasts a swimming lagoon and boating.

Of the commercial campgrounds in the Grand Junction area, the pick is Junction West R.V. Park, 793 22 Rd., Grand Junction (tel. 970/245-8531), which has clean bathhouses; 66 large, somewhat shaded sites; a store; coin-operated laundry; a game room; a dump station; and wireless Internet. Rates are $35 for RVs and $25 for tents. To get there, take U.S. 6 and 50 to 22 Road (or I-70 exit 26), and go north half a mile.