Here are the 3 best Rocky Mountain National Monuments that you should definitely visit this summer.  The good days of spring and summer are coming, make sure you get outside to enjoy the Rockies.  

Spring is in the air, which for me means that I am thinking about all of the cool places to explore this summer.  There are a lot of amazing natural places for families to visit in the Rockies, such as the national parks.  Well, I want to make sure that you don’t forget about the other spectacular places that have been protected as National Monuments.

The 3 Best Rocky Mountain National Monuments

Grand Staircase Escalante NM – This is one of my all time favorite areas to explore in the red rock deserts of Southern Utah.

Grand Staircase is huge!  It covers a sizable area and is full of slot canyons, slick rocks, and other fun areas.  My family and I have visited this area a lot and we have only done a small fraction of the hikes.  Many of the hikes are a bit too long for kids, but there are still plenty to do.

Some of our favorites include Spooky and Peekaboo, and Willis Creek Slot Canyon.

Cedar Breaks NM – This is a lesser known, but beautiful area to visit.  Similar to Bryce you look down at the crazy rock formations from the clifftop, but you can do some exploring of the area.

Ashdown Gorge is spectacular.  You can follow a long day hike through the gorge that takes you on a mini version of what the Zion Narrows is like.  It is a commitment though as once you start you can’t easily get out of it until the end.

Dinosaur NM – Located in the north-eastern corner of Utah and north-western corner of Colorado, this monument is small, but cool.

You can check out the visitor center and see where the dinosaur bones have been found in the rock itself.  Then you can explore the area on one of a few trails.

Or to get a super cool adventure you can take a day raft trip on the Green River through Split Mountain.