Hello again adventure seekers! Yogi Magee here dropping in to say hi and send you on another tour of Grand Junction. I wrote about one of my favorite dog-friendly hikes on the Western Slope a few months ago and thought I’d add in a bonus newsletter this month with a few more suggestions. Spring is the perfect time of year to hike with your dog in and around Grand Junction, because the temperature hasn’t reach scalding hot just yet. Once the thermostat begins to rise I load the dogs up and head for other areas of the state where temps are more mild, but I’ll save that newsletter for summer.
If you don’t have a dog, that’s OK, just expect these trails I’m mentioning to have four-legged friends with their humans close behind. Don’t like dogs? Hit up any of the hikes in Colorado National Monument as dogs are only allowed on the pavement there, so you won’t see them on your excursion. If you are only driving the rim of the canyon through the park and hoping in and out to take photos then you can have your dog in the car with you. This is a great alternative if you want views, have your dog, but are short on time.
In November I wrote about my top hikes in and around Grand Junction and mentioned Rattlesnake Arches. We originally hiked to the arches from the top down, but if you don’t have a high clearance vehicle you’d start this hike from the Pollock Bench trailhead near Loma. I wasn’t planning on hiking to the arches when I discovered this hike a month ago, but I have found the hikes around the Pollock trailhead are exceptionally dog-friendly. There are several other trailheads near Pollock, such as Flume Canyon and Devil’s Canyon and many of these trails overlap, so pay close attention to the signage when hiking so you don’t end up on the wrong loop.
There isn’t a lot of shade on this trail until you get to almost the 2 mile mark where there are some juniper trees your dogs can find shade under. There is also no water on this trail so you’ll have to bring all the water you need with you. My dogs and I can easily clear 3 liters of water on a 6 mile hike when it’s not exceedingly hot out, so I recommend you bring at least a liter per dog. Snooks Bottom Open space is near the hiking trails in the area, and it is also dog-friendly, so if your dog likes to swim I recommend taking a hike then planning a swim afterwards.
Dogs are only required to be under control at all times on Pollock Bench Trail and the majority of the dogs in the area are not on a leash, but under voice command. So if you are the type of person who doesn’t like other dogs coming to greet yours, this may not be the trail for you. As you can see from the photo above, this trail is wide enough to maintain space with other hikers and dogs and it’s open enough that you can see others approaching. I keep harnesses on my dogs, but we also you an electric recall collar and they have learned to return to us upon vibrating the collars. So when I would see other dogs approaching, I would recall my dogs and put them on leash or restrain them until others passed as a courtesy.
Personally, what makes this trail great for dogs and family is the fact that you can really hike as long as you want if you don’t have a goal of reaching the arches. I keep to the P1 (Pollock) trail and then turn around at the canyon view as pictured above. This ends up being about 6 miles RT or you can make it a little longer if you hike down in the canyon or continue straight onto F1 (Flume). There is a little bit of uphill climbing and some rock steps to navigate up and down. Hiking boots aren’t necessary, but I do recommend shoes with good grip as the trail scree can be a little slippery on the way down.
This hike has great views of the Grand Mesa and the city of Fruita as well as stunning formations of rock that make up the canyon walls. You’ll likely see lizards as well as juniper trees and cactus and birds (although we mostly just see crows). There is also horse trailer parking, but I’ve only seen horses at the trailhead. Even though the parking area can be crowded, because the trail splits at several points and loops around to other trails, you really don’t pass that many others while hiking. I’ve hiked here three times and it always feels like I have the place to myself.
Afterwards you could head to Fruita for lunch at Hot Tomato for a slice of pizza!
If Pollock trailhead is full, you’ll see several other spots along the gravel road with hiking trails, which is another reason this area is so amazing to me. You can pick another area to explore and likely enjoy plenty of solitude along the way.
I hope you enjoyed this month’s bonus adventure and enjoy getting out on the Western Slope before the temps are too unfavorable. I’ll craft a longer dog-friendly adventure guide on my paid-subscriber only newsletter. Cost is $20 a month and you can cancel anytime. It’s like having a personal guide written just for you from my personal experience on the trails! If you ever have any questions, comments or newsletters you’d like to see written, please let me know. I’m always excited to share my adventures with you!
Have a wonderful week and stay safe out there friends. Remember to pack out your dog’s waste and grab a few extra dog bags at the trailhead for any trash you might encounter along the way. Make sure and keep your dog well hydrated while hiking, watch for signs of overheating and respect the wildlife in the area and keep aggressive dogs on a leash. Pollock TH does have a dog waste disposal can at the start of the hike as well as a primitive toilet to use. Parking is limited so get there early on a weekend as this area is popular with the locals.
*Stevie living her best life on another dog-friendly trail outside of Grand Junction!*