(nr Cedaredge CO)
A large recreation area atop a flat mountain, the forests of Grand Mesa provide hiking, mountain biking, horseback riding, fishing, picnicking, camping, and skiing at elevations mostly over 10,000ft. The valley to the east has Colorado’s largest concentration of fruit orchards and wineries.
Valley viewed from atop Grand Mesa
The mesa has over 300 sub-alpine lakes, some of which get up to 10ft of snow atop them in the winter. Lakes I saw were Cobbett, Deep Slough, Ward, Alexander, Baron, and Island. Also, a few meadows with wildflowers.
Ward Lake
Alexander Lake
There were several trails to various parts of the mesa. I hiked only a couple of easy ones accessible from the campground where I was staying. The longest I took was 4 miles round-trip passing some lakes.
Baron Lake
Island Lake
Arriving on a Friday, I got lucky and was able to get a spot from someone that cancelled their reservation. My campsite was at 10,279ft, with a view of the lake through the trees, and close to a trailhead.
Cobbett Lake from Campground
Wildflowers along the trail
It was a pleasant stay, with cool temperatures in the middle of August, and some easy hiking with pretty views.
Camp: Grand Mesa NF-Cobbett Lake CG
Scene: Forest, lakes, trails
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