Grand Mesa

(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, trees, mountains

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.

Lake, hills, trees

Ward Lake

Lake, trees, flowers

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.

Lake, log, trees

Baron Lake

Lake, island, trees

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.

Lake, trees, rocks

Cobbett Lake from Campground

Flowers, trees

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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