Thanks to the invention of the mountain bike and an abundance of natural slick-rock trails, Fruita is finally gaining much-deserved recognition as an outdoor paradise. Along with Fruita's extensive trail system, this Western-slope town also has rafting for all types, be it a leisurely float down Ruby and Horsethief Canyons or a heart-pounding surge through Westwater Canyon.

Downtown Fruita features a walking tour of 16 historic buildings. Also near here are free self-guided tours of dinosaur excavations at Riggs Hill and Dinosaur Hill, while Dinosaur Journey combines fossils and skeletons with robots and interactive exhibits.

Stop by the Colorado National Monument Visitor Center for a better understanding of the history and geology of the rock plateaus and canyons in this stunning 32-square-mile monument. Then fill a water bottle or two and see them for yourself.

Visitors at the Fruita Fat Tire Festival can watch bike races and even a bike rodeo, or just kick back and listen to the live music. Mike the Headless Chicken Day celebrates the story of one Fruita chicken who lived without his noggin for two years.

Community Resources:
Colorado Welcome Center at Dinosaur
101 E. Stegosaurus
Dinosaur, CO 81610
970-374-2205

Colorado Welcome Center at Fruita
I-70 at Exit 19
Fruita, CO 81521
970-858-9335

City of Fruita
325 E. Aspen
Fruita, CO 81521
Toll Free: 877-6FRUITA