Kodels Canyon & Fruita Dugway

Kodels Canyon & Fruita Dugway

Page Type Page Type: Route
Location Lat/Lon: 39.11223°N / 108.74683°W
Additional Information GPX File: Download GPX » View Route on Map
Additional Information Route Type: Hiking
Seasons Season: Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Additional Information Time Required: Half a day
Additional Information Difficulty: Hike
Sign the Climber's Log

Overview

Kodels Canyon
Kodels Canyon is the western-most large canyon in Colorado National Monument. An unsigned trail that does not appear on the official park map takes you 700 vertical feet up the canyon where it fades at the base of the upper walls that form the head of the canyon. An interesting rocky monolith can be seen in that area. A short spur trail can be followed to an abandoned mine (see external link at the bottom of the page).

Fruita Dugway
Fruita Dugway was an old path for taking cattle from the nearby town of Fruita to the top of Glades Park Plateau. Some maps show a trailhead near the western entrance of Colorado national Monument but I did not see a parking spot or any signs of a trail there. The trail described below starts at a junction with Kodels Canyon Trail near the mouth of the canyon. It then goes up 1350 vertical feet to end at a junction with Black Ridge Trail which can be followed further up the plateau.





Map of Kodels Canyon and Fruita Dugway

Getting There

Kodels Canyon Trailhead near Dinosaur Hill
From the junction of I-70 and Route 340 (Broadway) in the town of Fruita, drive south on 340 and cross Colorado River. Right after Kingsview Road, you will see an inconspicuous parking area on the right (west) side of the road. This is outside the boundaries of Colorado National Monument.

Visitor Center Trailhead
The upper end of Fruita Dugway can be reached by hiking 0.8 miles on Black Ridge Trail which starts at Colorado National Monument Visitor Center 4 miles from the west entrance of the park on Rim Rock Drive.

Kodels Canyon Route Description

Place
Elevation
Distance
Trailhead near Dinosaur Hill
4500 ft
zero miles
Jct. Fruita Dugway Trail
4670 ft
1.05 miles
End of Trail
5200 ft
1.20 miles
Total One Way
-
2.25 miles




At the trailhead near Dinosaur Hill you will not see any signs for Kodels Canyon. A network of trails marked K1 through K10 follow various paths in and around the dry arroyos on the plains. Follow the K1 trail for almost a mile and then turn left onto K7 trail. Hike about 600 feet on K7 past an unmarked junction with Fruita Dugway Trail until you reach a number of hitching posts (because of rain, I was not able to take pictures on this part of the trail). This is the mouth of the canyon.

Looking up Kodels CanyonLooking up Kodels Canyon


The trail takes you down to the bottom of the canyon and follows it uphill.

Kodels Canyon
Kodels Canyon
Kodels Canyon
Kodels Canyon

Kodels Canyon


You will then reach a fence that marks your entrance into Colorado National Monument. Follow the trail around this fence and then up a relatively steep grassy slope. At a split in the trail, take the right one (the left one supposedly goes 0.25 miles to reach an abandoned mine, see external Link at the bottom of the page).

Kodels Canyon
Kodels Canyon
Kodels Canyon
Kodels Canyon


Continuing up.

Kodels Canyon
Kodels Canyon

Kodels Canyon


You will soon go by a rocky monolith rising up from the bottom of the canyon.

Monolith in upper end of Kodels CanyonMonolith


At around 5200 ft of elevation, the trail fades away at the base of the walls of the head of the canyon which rise up another 400 vertical feet.

Kodels Canyon
Upper end of Kodels Canyon

Fruita Dugway Route Description

Place
Elevation
Distance
Jct. with Kodels Canyon Trail
4670 ft
zero miles
Jct. with Black Ridge Trail
6020 ft
2.95 miles
Visitor Center
5760 ft
0.80 miles
Total One Way
-
3.75 miles




From the junction of Kodels Canyon and Fruita Dugway Trails, head east and follow Fruita Dugway Trail as it turns south and begins to go up a steep slope at the base of a series of slickrock walls.

On Fruita Dugway Trail


Go through a gate and enter Colorado National Monument. You will soon get a good view of Kodels Canyon.

View of Kodels CanyonKodels Canyon


As you quickly gain elevation, you get to see the slopes that go down to the edge of the city of Fruita.

On Fruita Dugway Trail
On Fruita Dugway Trail

On Fruita Dugway Trail


You will then reach what looks like a shelf road dug in the canyon wall.

On Fruita Dugway Trail
On Fruita Dugway Trail
On Fruita Dugway Trail
On Fruita Dugway Trail


Views of Colorado River, towns of Fruita/Grand Junction and the mountains known as Book Cliffs.

Zoomed view of Book Cliffs
Town of Fruita and Book Cliffs

Colorado River anf town of Fruita


For a short time, the trail comes close to Rim Rock Drive (the park’s main road).

Park road
Park road


You can now see the upper walls of Kodels Canyon.

On Fruita Dugway
The upper walls of Kodels Canyon


After a switchback, you will reach another shelf where the trail goes.

Narrow pathway


Some type of a water facility.

Water facility and park roadWater facility


Further up.

On Fruita Dugway Trail
Colorado River seen
Town of Fruita and Colorado River
On Fruita Dugway Trail


This Butte is actually visible from way down at the bottom of Kodels Canyon.

Upper end of Fruita Dugway


Before reaching the junction with Black Ridge Trail, you can get glimpses of Monument Canyon.

View of Monument CanyonMonument Canyon

External Links

http://www.gjhikes.com/2009/10/kodels-canyon.html.

Parents 

Parents

Parents refers to a larger category under which an object falls. For example, theAconcagua mountain page has the 'Aconcagua Group' and the 'Seven Summits' asparents and is a parent itself to many routes, photos, and Trip Reports.