Located on Colorado’s Western Slope near the Utah border, Grand Junction is a mecca for outdoor adventurers, known for its epic hikes and world-class mountain biking. More than 75 percent of its surrounding area is public land, including Colorado National Monument, a 31-square-mile expanse of red rock canyons and sandstone towers. To the east, you’ll find Grand Mesa, home to the world’s largest flat-top mountain and hundreds of trout-filled lakes. And you don’t have to leave the town to experience a great walking path: The Colorado Riverfront Trail offers a 24-mile paved trek that runs through the town past parks, fishing spots, murals, and craft breweries.

Grand Junction is also the hub of Colorado’s wine country with 27 nearby wineries producing riesling and cabernet sauvignon. Although it’s best known as a home base for exploring the surrounding mountains, downtown Grand Junction has a thriving cultural scene that includes the Museum of the West, which chronicles 1,000 years of Colorado history, and the Avalon Theater, where you can catch plays, concerts, and dance performances.

Although the weather can vary considerably throughout the year, there is no bad time to secure one of the many vacation rentals in Grand Junction. However, evening temperatures can drop considerably even in the summer, so pack layers. In winter, you can strap on a pair of skis or snowshoes or jump on a fat bike to explore the snow-covered trails on Grand Mesa’s flat top. Main Street is aglow with twinkling lights in early December, as the annual Parade of Lights makes its way through the city. As the snow melts, you can trade in your snowshoes for hiking boots. Spring is the peak time for blossoms on the Palisade Rim Trail to the east of town, whether you cruise on four wheels or make the most of mild temperatures on your bike.

The summer months bring hot, sunny days, although it can sometimes be a bit too hot for hiking during the middle of the day. This time of year can also see the occasional storm. Stop by in August to make the most of the region’s peach harvest. In autumn, the surrounding forest bursts into a sea of rust and gold as the leaves begin to change and the temperature drops.

Colorado National Monument

Located high on the Colorado Plateau, this expansive area spanning over 30 square miles features deep canyons, sandstone towers, and otherworldly granite rock formations. The 23-mile Rim Rock Drive gives you a glimpse of ancient layered rock, steep canyons, and pockets of pine and juniper, while the popular Monument Canyon Trail offers a close view of these enormous rock formations as you make your way through the park’s longest canyon.

Grand Mesa

Grand Mesa stands over 6,000 feet above Grand Junction and is a popular spot for skiing, snowshoeing, hiking, and fishing. It even has a National Recreation Trail designation, the Crag Crest Trail, which forms a 10-mile loop along the mesa’s spine, offering views of up to 100 miles on a clear day.

Museum of the West

This museum takes visitors back in time through the history of Colorado with extensive exhibits on the Ancestral Puebloans who originally lived here, the settlers who immigrated to Colorado, and the region’s boom in the 1950s when uranium mining became one of the city’s biggest industries.