THE GREAT OUTDOORS SUMMER Golfing TIARA RADO GOLF COURSE LAVENDER FIELDS If your idea of a great day on the links includes immaculately groomed greens and red-rock canyons rising in the distance, you’ll love playing golf in Grand Junction. Tiara Rado, Redlands Mesa (rated the No. 1 Course in Colorado by Golfweek ) and Adobe Creek all afford golfers stunning vistas of Colorado National Monument, while breathtaking views of the sandstone Book Cliffs and other surrounding mountain ranges can be found at Chipeta and Lincoln Park golf courses . Learn more at VisitGrandJunction.com/ Golf. SPRING FROM TOP: VISIT GRAND JUNCTION; VISIT GRAND JUNCTION; CLASSIC VISIONS PHOTOGRAPHY/HAJI MAHMOOD. Camping In the height of summer, temperatures stay cool on top of the Grand Mesa. Pitch your tent high above the heat at Island Lake or Ward Lake campgrounds , both at 10,000 feet and where you can enjoy wildflower hikes and top-notch lake fishing. Alternatively, the grassy, shaded Book Cliffs Campground at Highline Lake State Park in Loma is the perfect home base for all types of water recreation, including swimming, boating and bass fishing. Find more campsites at VisitGrandJunction.com/ Campsites . Road & Mountain Biking Choose between sweeping views of Rim Rock Drive at Colorado National Monument, ridgeline rides of 18 Road or the ultra-technical twists and turns of Lunch Loops — the Grand Valley is blessed with some of the best cycling in the world. Come springtime, the region plays host to a number of biking events, like the Fruita Fat Tire Festival and the Grand Junction Off-Road Mountain Bike Endurance Event . Birding Better bring your binoculars: The Riverfront Trail System is home to the 1.5-mile Audubon Section, just across the Colorado River from Downtown Grand Junction. Paved and perfect for hiking or biking, the trail offers delightful opportunities to spot blue heron, osprey, hawks and more. Discover more at VisitGrandJunction. com/Spring. Whitewater Rafting The Colorado River runs just south of Downtown Grand Junction, but it’s the Westwater Canyon stretch — about 30 miles down the river — where the region’s most popular whitewater rafting trips commence. Connect with a local outfitter (see listings on page 42) to book an epic day on the water and learn more at VisitGrandJunction.com/ Rafting . COLORADO NATIONAL MONUMENT 970.256.4060 | VisitGrandJunction.com | 29