The top of Grand Mesa ranges from 10,000 to 11,000 feet above sea level. The cool, green slopes covered with aspen. Engelmann spruce, and subalpine fir rise above the Western Colorado high desert like an alpine oasis in the sapphire sky.
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 1800's.
The Valley floor has been home to farmers since 1881. Range wars between competing livestock operations for grazing rights erupted early on and were only ended when in 1892 President Benjamin Harrison established the Battlement Mesa Timberland Reserve. In 1924 the Battlement Mesa Timberland Reserve was renamed the Grand Mesa National Forest under the administration of the US Forest Service. The nation's first Forest Ranger, William Kreutzer, was stationed in Cedaredge to manage the area. The Grand Mesa National Forest covers Grand Mesa the largest mountain of its kind in the world.
Grand Mesa was created by a unique series of geological events. A hundred million years ago the area was on the swampy shore of an inland sea. As sediments were deposited in and around the sea, they buried huge amounts of trees, ferns and other plant matter growing in the swamps. The plant matter was turned into coal and has been mined for many years in the valleys beneath Grand Mesa. Living in these swamps were large numbers of dinosaurs and their tracks can be found in the rocks above the beds of coal. Time passed and the sea slowly disappeared, the area began to rise and experience volcanos. The rocks deposited by the inland sea were covered with lava flows and broken by fissures filled with lava. The lava cooled forming a flat surface that today is the top of Grand Mesa. Fissures that provided channelways to the lava today can be seen along Crag Crest Trail and on Leon Peak. Beginning about fifteen million years ago a glacier pushed across the top of the lava. Marks left by the glaciers as they moved across the surface of the hardened lava can be seen today. These marks are called glacial striations. The glaciers also scooped out large shallow depressions that formed lakes. Today many of these lakes have been modified with dams and provide valuable water storage.
Ranchers and farmers in the valleys have always relied on water from the Grand Mesa to water their crops and orchards. To better manage the water over 300 reservoirs have been constructed on the top of Grand Mesa. These water conservation systems continue to operate today with enhancements for hydroelectric production and municipal watersheds.
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 area. Relocated in 1964, it is now The Powderhorn of the Grand Mesa Ski Area.
Touring the scenic Grand Mesa has been a local past-time beginning with horse and buggy trips lasting 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. Today the Grand Mesa Scenic ByWay follows Highway 65 from Cedaredge to its terminus at I-70 along the banks of the Colorado River. Highway 65 is an all weather road maintained year around to provide access to this four season recreation area.
Grand Mesa is truly a unique place with both geologic and modern history to fascinate, beautiful scenery to captivate, and four season recreation to entertain all ages and interests. Your access to this alpine oasis in the sapphire sky is the Grand Mesa Scenic ByWay
www.byways.org
for more about scenic byways
www.cedaredgecolorado.com
for more information about Cedaredge
www.coloradoparks.org/vega
for information about Vega State Park
www.plateauvalley.evisionsite.com
for information about Plateau Valley
www.westerncolorado.org
for visitor information in Delta Country
http://outdoors.at/gmnc for the
Grand Mesa Nordic Council
www.wildlife.state.co.us
for more information on hunting and fishing in Colorado.
1-800-436-3041 for the Visitor Line
