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The Grand Mesa has long dominated both the landscape and the lives of the people in the valleys below, providing food and water, shelter, and recreation. Evidence suggests that ancient people were already living in the area 10,000 years ago.

The first Europeans known to encounter the Grand Mesa were members of the famous Dominguez-Escalante expedition. In 1776 they were led over the Mesa by Ute guides in their unsuccessful attempt to find a land route to California. European fur traders moved into the area in the mid 1800s.

Range wars between competing livestock operations erupted and were only ended by the establishment in 1892 of the Battlement Mesa Timberland Reserve.

The Valley floor has been home to farmers since 1881. They rely on water from the Grand Mesa to feed their crops and orchards. These water conservation systems continue to operate today with enhancements for hydroelectric production and municipal watersheds. In 1924 the Battlement Mesa Timberland Reserve was renamed the Grand Mesa National Forest, administered by the US Forest Service, and the nation's first Forest Ranger, William Kreutzer, was stationed in Cedaredge to manage the area.

People have always enjoyed the beauty and recreational opportunities provided by the Grand Mesa. Fishing has been promoted since 1893 when the Mesa Resort Company was established. The company, still in existence today, built several lodges and over 300 summer homes. Skiing on the Mesa dates back to 1939, with the construction of Mesa Creek Ski are. Relocated in 1964, it is now Powderhorn Resort. 

 Touring the scenic Grand Mesa has been a local past-time that began with horse and buggy trips that had to last several days due to the remote ruggedness of the area. Access was improved in 1895 when the first road through Plateau Canyon was completed. A stage line and freight wagons regularly traveled the route. The road was improved with convict labor in 1911, and later became part of Pikes Peak Ocean-to-Ocean Highway.

A second access route to the top of the Mesa was constructed in 1933 by ex-servicemen on a Civilian Conservation Corps crew. The twisting, rocky road was then known as the "Veteran Road" in their honor. Today we know it as Lands End Road. With the advent of better roads and automobiles, the popularity of Grand Mesa touring has continued to expand.