Colorado National Monument Audio Driving Guided Tour
Guide With Action
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Discover red rock country at its finest with this self-guided driving tour through Colorado National Monument. Gaze up at the iconic Independence Monument, a towering spire rising from the canyon floor. Marvel at the natural sculptures of Coke Ovens Overlook, shaped by millennia of erosion. Take in sheer cliffside views at Cold Shivers Point. Wander through rugged formations at Devil’s Kitchen Trail. This drive blends dramatic geology, and wild western beauty. Purchase one tour per car, not per person. Everyone listens together! After booking, you can check your email before downloading the Tour Guide App by Action, entering your unique password, and accessing your tour. The preceding steps require good internet/Wi-Fi access. Simply follow the audio instructions and the route from there. Buy once, use for one year! Ideal for extended visits and return trips over the next 12 months. This is not an entrance ticket to attractions along the route. Check opening hours before your visit.
Departure Point
- You can also begin the tour from 3CCG+4RR, Grand Junction, CO, USA. The tour works in both directions, so you can begin in Fruita and end in Grand Junction or vice versa.
- Begin from 47X6+QPP, Fruita, CO, USA. After booking the tour, search your emails and texts for "audio tour". Your tour is VALID FOR ONE YEAR so follow these instructions NOW to finish setting up the tour while you have Wi-Fi/data. Do NOT wait until you are onsite.
Duration
3 hours - 4 hours
Languages Available
- Audio guide - English
Points of Interest
Stop At: Colorado National Monument Sign
Fruita, CO 81521
we’ll discover beautiful cliffs, ravines, and vistas. We’ll also hear about cattle rustlers, dinosaurs, and the famous “hermit of the Canyons.”
Duration: 15 minutes
Stop At: Redlands View
Fruita, CO 81521
When you look around the Redlands View, take a look at how the rocks seem to have different layers, almost like a cake. These are different types of rock that were exposed over millions of years of erosion by the Colorado River.
Duration: 10 minutes
Stop At: Balanced Rock View
CO 81401
Our next stop features a rock doing a circus balancing act. Balanced Rock View offers a look at a 700-ton boulder seemingly perched precariously atop a rocky pillar.
Duration: Not Available
Stop At: Fruita Canyon View
16 Rimrock Drive, Fruita, CO 81521
Settlers in the 1880s realized that this was the perfect place to grow fruit trees. Peaches, apples, and grapes all love the sheltered valley and plentiful water here.
Duration: 10 minutes
Stop At: Window Rock Nature Trail
Grand Junction, CO 81507
This easy hike is only half a mile and takes about 15 minutes, so I highly recommend it. If you have children along, be sure that they stay away from the edge, as it’s quite steep in places.
Duration: 10 minutes
Stop At: Book Cliffs View
Grand Junction, CO 81507
The Book Cliffs look almost purple in some places. That’s because Mancos shale makes up the base of these cliffs. That rough, grayish stone gives way to the softer, tan sandstone that makes up the higher levels.
Duration: 10 minutes
Stop At: Amphitheater
Chimney Rock, CO 81147
The Saddlehorn Amphitheater, built during the 1960s. This was part of the “Mission 66 era,” when the Federal Government worked to revitalize national parks after WWII. The amphitheater has hosted live music, plays, educational talks, ranger programs, and community gatherings over the decades.
Duration: Not Available
Stop At: Saddlehorn Comfort Station
599-501 Rim Drive, Fruita, CO 81521
This is a small wooden rest stop for travellers built in 1937. When the Great Depression hit, millions of Americans were unemployed. President Franklin D. Roosevelt developed the Civilian Conservation Corp, putting thousands of young men to work on conservation projects around America.
Duration: 10 minutes
Stop At: Independence Monument View
17 Rimrock Drive, Fruita, CO 81521
When John Otto first started exploring this area, he gave the distinctive rock formations patriotic names. One of the most famous is Independence Monument, a towering monolith that soars above the valley below.
Duration: 10 minutes
Stop At: Monument Canyon View
Grand Junction, CO 81507
In Monument Canyon, you’ll see more of the colorful layers of sandstone we’ve been talking about today. These distinctive layers sit on top of the Uncompahgre Plateau. “Uncompahgre” is a Ute word that means “rocks that made the water red.” That description is certainly accurate. The distinctive orange and red-colored rocks come from the abundance of iron here.
Duration: 10 minutes
Stop At: Coke Ovens Overlook
1750 Rimrock Drive, Fruita, CO 81521
While today we might think of a coke bottle, these formations were actually named for the brick ovens that were used to heat coal into coke in the 19th century. Coke is one of the raw materials used to make steel.
Duration: 10 minutes
Stop At: Upper Monument Canyon Trailhead
Monument Valley Trail, Grand Junction, CO 81507
One reason people do this hike is to find petroglyphs, or ancient picture writings carved directly into the stone. Protected under small overhangs of rock, two separate pictographs are carved into the soft sandstone of the canyon.
Duration: 10 minutes
Stop At: Upper Liberty Cap Trailhead
Grand Junction, CO 81507
The Liberty Cap monument also got its name from our friend John Otto. I did say he had a fondness for patriotic names. This domed sandstone formation might remind you of the beehive shapes of the Coke Ovens. But why the name liberty cap? In the early 1800s, there was a penny in circulation that had a profile of Lady Liberty pressed onto the front.
Duration: 10 minutes
Stop At: Fallen Rock Overlook
Grand Junction, CO 81507
Fallen Rock is a gigantic piece of Wingate Sandstone, topped with the more durable Kayenta Sandstone formation, like many of the monuments here. This piece was once attached to the nearby cliff with softer Chinle formation sandstone.
Duration: 10 minutes
Stop At: Ute Canyon View Trail
2158 Rimrock Drive, Grand Junction, CO 81507
The Ute Canyon Trail, a moderate 8-mile hike that takes about four hours to complete. Rather than doing this hike, I recommend just checking out the overlook at the trailhead, which we’ll see in a minute.
Duration: 10 minutes
Stop At: Red Canyon Overlook
2198 Rimrock Drive, Grand Junction, CO 81507
This overlook gives you a view down into the Red Canyon. This canyon is almost untouched by humans, as no trails head directly down to it. If we decide to stop and take a look, we can hear a bit more about the canyon by tapping Learn More.
Duration: 10 minutes
Stop At: Cold Shivers Point Overlook
2203-2215 Glade Park Road, Grand Junction, CO 81507
It’s named because of the sheer drop on the other side of the guard rail. Unlike the other overlooks we've stopped at today, the edge of the road goes right up to the edge of the cliff here.
Duration: 10 minutes
Stop At: Devil’s Kitchen Trailhead
Serpents Trail, Grand Junction, CO 81507
The next trail on our route is the Devil’s Kitchen Trail, a moderate two-mile that takes about 1 hour 30 minutes. It leads down to a series of sandstone monoliths that gather together like the walls of a small room. Arches within the pillars make windows that you can peer through.
Duration: 10 minutes
Stop At: Grand Junction
Grand Junction, Colorado
Grand Junction has come a long way since then. Today, it’s the fourth-largest city in Colorado, but still boasts plenty of wide open spaces. Along with the Colorado National Monument, Grand Junction is home to the Grand Mesa - where skiing and snowboarding are popular in the winter - and Rattlesnake Arches - a trail where you can see 35 natural stone arches formed by erosion.
Duration: Not Available
Additional Information
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- How To Access: After booking, you’ll get an email and text with setup instructions and password (search “audio tour” in emails and texts). • Download the separate tour app by Action • Enter the password sent by email and text. • MUST download the tour while in strong wifi/cellular. • Works offline after download.
- How to start touring: Open Action’s separate audio tour guide app once onsite. • If there is just one tour, launch it. • If multiple tour versions exist, launch the one with your planned starting point and direction.
- Go to the starting point No one will meet you at the start. This tour is self-guided Enter the first story’s point and the audio will begin automatically Follow the audio cues to the next story, which will also play automatically. Enjoy hands-free exploring. If you face audio issues, contact support. Stick to the tour route & speed limit for the best experience.
- Travel worry-free: Use the tour app anytime, on any day, and over multiple days. Start and pause the tour whenever you like, taking breaks and exploring side excursions at your own pace. Skip anything you don’t care about or explore bonus content for everything that interests you
- Savings tips: Driving tours: purchase just one tour for everyone in the car
- Buy once, use for one year! Ideal for extended visits and return trips over the next 12 months.
- Easy-to-use app: download Action’s Tour Guide App onto your phone
- Great value: purchase per car, not per person. More affordable than bus or guided tours!
- Engaging storytelling: Uncover unique tales and thrilling history for a memorable journey!
- Perfect narrator: nothing can beat listening to a great voice. Proven with tons of rave reviews!
- Offline maps: no signal, no problem! Works perfectly without cellular or wifi.
- Comprehensive route and stops: See it all, miss nothing, leave no stone unturned!
- Go at your own pace: Start anytime, pause anywhere, enjoy breaks for snacks and photos freely!
- Hands-free: audio stories play on their own based on your location. Easy to use!
Exclusions
- Park Passes
Redemption Instructions
1. Find The Setup Instructions NOW:
• Download the App: actiontourguide.com/app
• Find Your Password: Search your email or text messages for "Action Tour Guide"
• Enter Password: Open the app and enter your 8-digit password
• Download the Tour NOW while you have WiFi or cell service
• Offline Ready: Once downloaded, the tour works without internet
• Need Help? Visit: actiontourguide.com/redeem
2. Download The Tour NOW:
• Download NOW over WiFi or cellular data ahead of your trip.
• Don't wait until travel day - your tour is VALID FOR ONE YEAR from purchase.
• Your password redemption is limited to the number of travelers booked. Please enter the same password on each device.
3. Audio Tour Tips:
• This is a self-guided audio tour - no one will meet you at the starting point.
• Entrance and attraction tickets are not included. Please book those separately.
• Curious how it works? Watch a quick video here: actiontourguide.com/tutorial
• For the best audio experience, connect to the car stereo via Bluetooth, USB, or AUX, or listen through your phone's speaker.
• CarPlay and Android Auto aren't supported yet.
• Valid for 12 months - listen to your tour on any day without changing your travel date or rebooking!
4. Help & Support:
• Visit our FAQs: actiontourguide.com/faq
• Chat online: actiontourguide.com
• Call: 1-508-484-8480
• Email: support@actiontourguide.com
Voucher Info
Mobile or paper ticket accepted
The tour identified in this promotion is made available through Viator. Groupon is not affiliated with or sponsored by the Guide With Action in connection with this deal. Please contact Groupon customer service for all inquiries related to this offer. Inquiries placed to Viator will be directed back to Groupon.
This offer is not eligible for promo codes.
Discover red rock country at its finest with this self-guided driving tour through Colorado National Monument. Gaze up at the iconic Independence Monument, a towering spire rising from the canyon floor. Marvel at the natural sculptures of Coke Ovens Overlook, shaped by millennia of erosion. Take in sheer cliffside views at Cold Shivers Point. Wander through rugged formations at Devil’s Kitchen Trail. This drive blends dramatic geology, and wild western beauty. Purchase one tour per car, not per person. Everyone listens together! After booking, you can check your email before downloading the Tour Guide App by Action, entering your unique password, and accessing your tour. The preceding steps require good internet/Wi-Fi access. Simply follow the audio instructions and the route from there. Buy once, use for one year! Ideal for extended visits and return trips over the next 12 months. This is not an entrance ticket to attractions along the route. Check opening hours before your visit.
Departure Point
- You can also begin the tour from 3CCG+4RR, Grand Junction, CO, USA. The tour works in both directions, so you can begin in Fruita and end in Grand Junction or vice versa.
- Begin from 47X6+QPP, Fruita, CO, USA. After booking the tour, search your emails and texts for "audio tour". Your tour is VALID FOR ONE YEAR so follow these instructions NOW to finish setting up the tour while you have Wi-Fi/data. Do NOT wait until you are onsite.
Duration
3 hours - 4 hours
Languages Available
- Audio guide - English
Points of Interest
Stop At: Colorado National Monument Sign
Fruita, CO 81521
we’ll discover beautiful cliffs, ravines, and vistas. We’ll also hear about cattle rustlers, dinosaurs, and the famous “hermit of the Canyons.”
Duration: 15 minutes
Stop At: Redlands View
Fruita, CO 81521
When you look around the Redlands View, take a look at how the rocks seem to have different layers, almost like a cake. These are different types of rock that were exposed over millions of years of erosion by the Colorado River.
Duration: 10 minutes
Stop At: Balanced Rock View
CO 81401
Our next stop features a rock doing a circus balancing act. Balanced Rock View offers a look at a 700-ton boulder seemingly perched precariously atop a rocky pillar.
Duration: Not Available
Stop At: Fruita Canyon View
16 Rimrock Drive, Fruita, CO 81521
Settlers in the 1880s realized that this was the perfect place to grow fruit trees. Peaches, apples, and grapes all love the sheltered valley and plentiful water here.
Duration: 10 minutes
Stop At: Window Rock Nature Trail
Grand Junction, CO 81507
This easy hike is only half a mile and takes about 15 minutes, so I highly recommend it. If you have children along, be sure that they stay away from the edge, as it’s quite steep in places.
Duration: 10 minutes
Stop At: Book Cliffs View
Grand Junction, CO 81507
The Book Cliffs look almost purple in some places. That’s because Mancos shale makes up the base of these cliffs. That rough, grayish stone gives way to the softer, tan sandstone that makes up the higher levels.
Duration: 10 minutes
Stop At: Amphitheater
Chimney Rock, CO 81147
The Saddlehorn Amphitheater, built during the 1960s. This was part of the “Mission 66 era,” when the Federal Government worked to revitalize national parks after WWII. The amphitheater has hosted live music, plays, educational talks, ranger programs, and community gatherings over the decades.
Duration: Not Available
Stop At: Saddlehorn Comfort Station
599-501 Rim Drive, Fruita, CO 81521
This is a small wooden rest stop for travellers built in 1937. When the Great Depression hit, millions of Americans were unemployed. President Franklin D. Roosevelt developed the Civilian Conservation Corp, putting thousands of young men to work on conservation projects around America.
Duration: 10 minutes
Stop At: Independence Monument View
17 Rimrock Drive, Fruita, CO 81521
When John Otto first started exploring this area, he gave the distinctive rock formations patriotic names. One of the most famous is Independence Monument, a towering monolith that soars above the valley below.
Duration: 10 minutes
Stop At: Monument Canyon View
Grand Junction, CO 81507
In Monument Canyon, you’ll see more of the colorful layers of sandstone we’ve been talking about today. These distinctive layers sit on top of the Uncompahgre Plateau. “Uncompahgre” is a Ute word that means “rocks that made the water red.” That description is certainly accurate. The distinctive orange and red-colored rocks come from the abundance of iron here.
Duration: 10 minutes
Stop At: Coke Ovens Overlook
1750 Rimrock Drive, Fruita, CO 81521
While today we might think of a coke bottle, these formations were actually named for the brick ovens that were used to heat coal into coke in the 19th century. Coke is one of the raw materials used to make steel.
Duration: 10 minutes
Stop At: Upper Monument Canyon Trailhead
Monument Valley Trail, Grand Junction, CO 81507
One reason people do this hike is to find petroglyphs, or ancient picture writings carved directly into the stone. Protected under small overhangs of rock, two separate pictographs are carved into the soft sandstone of the canyon.
Duration: 10 minutes
Stop At: Upper Liberty Cap Trailhead
Grand Junction, CO 81507
The Liberty Cap monument also got its name from our friend John Otto. I did say he had a fondness for patriotic names. This domed sandstone formation might remind you of the beehive shapes of the Coke Ovens. But why the name liberty cap? In the early 1800s, there was a penny in circulation that had a profile of Lady Liberty pressed onto the front.
Duration: 10 minutes
Stop At: Fallen Rock Overlook
Grand Junction, CO 81507
Fallen Rock is a gigantic piece of Wingate Sandstone, topped with the more durable Kayenta Sandstone formation, like many of the monuments here. This piece was once attached to the nearby cliff with softer Chinle formation sandstone.
Duration: 10 minutes
Stop At: Ute Canyon View Trail
2158 Rimrock Drive, Grand Junction, CO 81507
The Ute Canyon Trail, a moderate 8-mile hike that takes about four hours to complete. Rather than doing this hike, I recommend just checking out the overlook at the trailhead, which we’ll see in a minute.
Duration: 10 minutes
Stop At: Red Canyon Overlook
2198 Rimrock Drive, Grand Junction, CO 81507
This overlook gives you a view down into the Red Canyon. This canyon is almost untouched by humans, as no trails head directly down to it. If we decide to stop and take a look, we can hear a bit more about the canyon by tapping Learn More.
Duration: 10 minutes
Stop At: Cold Shivers Point Overlook
2203-2215 Glade Park Road, Grand Junction, CO 81507
It’s named because of the sheer drop on the other side of the guard rail. Unlike the other overlooks we've stopped at today, the edge of the road goes right up to the edge of the cliff here.
Duration: 10 minutes
Stop At: Devil’s Kitchen Trailhead
Serpents Trail, Grand Junction, CO 81507
The next trail on our route is the Devil’s Kitchen Trail, a moderate two-mile that takes about 1 hour 30 minutes. It leads down to a series of sandstone monoliths that gather together like the walls of a small room. Arches within the pillars make windows that you can peer through.
Duration: 10 minutes
Stop At: Grand Junction
Grand Junction, Colorado
Grand Junction has come a long way since then. Today, it’s the fourth-largest city in Colorado, but still boasts plenty of wide open spaces. Along with the Colorado National Monument, Grand Junction is home to the Grand Mesa - where skiing and snowboarding are popular in the winter - and Rattlesnake Arches - a trail where you can see 35 natural stone arches formed by erosion.
Duration: Not Available
Additional Information
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- How To Access: After booking, you’ll get an email and text with setup instructions and password (search “audio tour” in emails and texts). • Download the separate tour app by Action • Enter the password sent by email and text. • MUST download the tour while in strong wifi/cellular. • Works offline after download.
- How to start touring: Open Action’s separate audio tour guide app once onsite. • If there is just one tour, launch it. • If multiple tour versions exist, launch the one with your planned starting point and direction.
- Go to the starting point No one will meet you at the start. This tour is self-guided Enter the first story’s point and the audio will begin automatically Follow the audio cues to the next story, which will also play automatically. Enjoy hands-free exploring. If you face audio issues, contact support. Stick to the tour route & speed limit for the best experience.
- Travel worry-free: Use the tour app anytime, on any day, and over multiple days. Start and pause the tour whenever you like, taking breaks and exploring side excursions at your own pace. Skip anything you don’t care about or explore bonus content for everything that interests you
- Savings tips: Driving tours: purchase just one tour for everyone in the car
- Buy once, use for one year! Ideal for extended visits and return trips over the next 12 months.
- Easy-to-use app: download Action’s Tour Guide App onto your phone
- Great value: purchase per car, not per person. More affordable than bus or guided tours!
- Engaging storytelling: Uncover unique tales and thrilling history for a memorable journey!
- Perfect narrator: nothing can beat listening to a great voice. Proven with tons of rave reviews!
- Offline maps: no signal, no problem! Works perfectly without cellular or wifi.
- Comprehensive route and stops: See it all, miss nothing, leave no stone unturned!
- Go at your own pace: Start anytime, pause anywhere, enjoy breaks for snacks and photos freely!
- Hands-free: audio stories play on their own based on your location. Easy to use!
Exclusions
- Park Passes
Redemption Instructions
1. Find The Setup Instructions NOW:
• Download the App: actiontourguide.com/app
• Find Your Password: Search your email or text messages for "Action Tour Guide"
• Enter Password: Open the app and enter your 8-digit password
• Download the Tour NOW while you have WiFi or cell service
• Offline Ready: Once downloaded, the tour works without internet
• Need Help? Visit: actiontourguide.com/redeem
2. Download The Tour NOW:
• Download NOW over WiFi or cellular data ahead of your trip.
• Don't wait until travel day - your tour is VALID FOR ONE YEAR from purchase.
• Your password redemption is limited to the number of travelers booked. Please enter the same password on each device.
3. Audio Tour Tips:
• This is a self-guided audio tour - no one will meet you at the starting point.
• Entrance and attraction tickets are not included. Please book those separately.
• Curious how it works? Watch a quick video here: actiontourguide.com/tutorial
• For the best audio experience, connect to the car stereo via Bluetooth, USB, or AUX, or listen through your phone's speaker.
• CarPlay and Android Auto aren't supported yet.
• Valid for 12 months - listen to your tour on any day without changing your travel date or rebooking!
4. Help & Support:
• Visit our FAQs: actiontourguide.com/faq
• Chat online: actiontourguide.com
• Call: 1-508-484-8480
• Email: support@actiontourguide.com
Voucher Info
Mobile or paper ticket accepted
The tour identified in this promotion is made available through Viator. Groupon is not affiliated with or sponsored by the Guide With Action in connection with this deal. Please contact Groupon customer service for all inquiries related to this offer. Inquiries placed to Viator will be directed back to Groupon.
This offer is not eligible for promo codes.
Need To Know Info
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours in advance of the start date of the experience.
Merchant is solely responsible to purchasers for the care and quality of the advertised goods and services. Offer is not eligible for our promo codes or other discounts. Learn about Strike-Through Pricing and Savings