Segment 2

Adobe Badlands & Grand Mesa

  • 68.1 miles

  • Vertical: +10931', -11327'

  • Highlights:

    • Mars-like badlands

    • Palisade Plunge

  • Main Challenges:

    • Long water carries

    • Scrambling up Grand Mesa

    • Hiking on durable surfaces

  • Scrambling Grade: Up to Class 4, depending on route

  • Exposure: Moderate when climbing Grand Mesa

The Palisade Plunge

From Pleasure Park, the GCR follows State Highway 92 to connect to the stunning and extraterrestrial Adobe Badlands. It passes by Orchard City, which has a Dollar General for resupply. The bigger town of Delta with motels, restaurants, and a grocery store is also nearby.

After crossing the open vehicle area, things really kick off with one of the most unique and seldom-explored parts of the Colorado: The Adobes. These barren and bone-dry badlands make for truly memorable hiking as you serpentine through dry washes beneath the Devil’s Thumb. Please be extra careful to hike on durable surfaces and not trample the fragile cryptobiotic soils.

From there, the GCR scrambles directly up the world’s largest flattop mountain, Grand Mesa, tracing its western cliffs before taking the iconic Palisade Plunge. This plunge is one of the coolest trails that drops directly into a town, going from subalpine terrain, alongside and then down cliffs, all the way to beautiful canyons. This is a multi-use trail, so please be aware of and respectful to mountain bikers.

This segment concludes at the Colorado River in the peachy town of Palisade.

Important: Read Before Viewing

The Great Colorado Route travels through remote, high-elevation backcountry. Hazards include severe weather, lightning, altitude illness, river crossings, wildlife, rockfall, steep and exposed terrain, route-finding errors, and limited or no cell service or emergency rescue.

This map and its information may be inaccurate, incomplete, or out of date. Conditions, closures, and land access change. It is not a substitute for your own judgment, navigation skills, current conditions, and other sources. You are solely responsible for your own safety and decisions.

By clicking below, you acknowledge these risks and agree to the Terms of Use of this website.

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Use at your own risk. Backcountry travel is inherently dangerous. Route information may be inaccurate or out of date and was last reviewed on October 2026. Always carry appropriate navigation tools, verify current conditions and land access, and make your own decisions. See the Terms of Use.

Logistical Considerations

Devils Thumb Adobe Badlands
Devils Thumb Adobe Badlands

Devils Thumb, Adobe Badlands Wilderness Study Area

Seasonal Closures

  • Parts of the Palisade Plunge close from December 1st through April 30th.

    • This shouldn’t impact thru hikers’ timeline.

Grand Mesa

Permits & Fees

There are no permits or fees along this segment.

Grand Mesa

Water

You will need to rely on manmade water sources until Grand Mesa National Forest:

  • Dollar General near Orchard City

  • Devil’s Thumb Golf Course Grill

  • A cow-tank with unknown reliability when ascending Grand Mesa

The current main route between Indian Point and Shirttail Point has several streams and creeks.

The Palisade Plunge has a 16-mile and very hot section without water from Whitewater Creek till the Colorado River. Take more than you think you will need.

Adobe Badlands Wilderness Study Area

Camping

The main considerations for camping along this segment are that you must respect private property and camp on durable surfaces.

Lodging in Palisade can be hard to come by during Memorial Day Weekend (which roughly aligns with thru hikers’ timeline).

Palisade Plunge, Grand Mesa

Other Considerations

  • Please pack out human waste in the Adobes and Palisade Canyon. Burying human waste in Grand Mesa National Forest is okay.

  • Please hike and camp on durable surfaces. The Adobe Badlands is home to cryptobiotic soils that take years to grow and should not be trampled. “Don’t Bust the Crust”

  • The scramble up Grand Mesa has a short but unpleasant bushwack. We will rework this section soon.