The Devils Kitchen

Me and Alexa approaching the Devils Kitchen

Overview

My family was headed to Utah for a long weekend, so we thought a short hike would be a good way to break up the driving. Devils Kitchen is a hike within Colorado National Monument near Grand Junction, Colorado. This was my second time to the area, but my first time along this trail. I was last at the park about four years ago as part of my geology field camp for school. I’ve wanted to come back, so this worked out great for us on all accounts. The area is primarily on trail (class 1), but parts do veer off making it a class 2 hike at times. I hope you enjoy this trip report and find it helpful in planning your next adventure in the hills.

Directions/Trailhead Information

Kristi and Alexa in the Devils Kitchen

The Devils Kitchen Trailhead is located at—latitude  39.031722°, longitude -108.630683°. There are no restrooms at the trailhead, and there is room for about a dozen vehicles. Use the east entrance into the Colorado National Monument park. Note that the TH is used for multiple trails such as the popular Serpents Trail, so parking may become difficult.

The Climb

The trail takes off from the south end of the parking lot. At 9 am it was already hot out, so make sure to plan accordingly for that. We let Alexa try and walk on the trail, but soon enough she was riding on my shoulders.

There were a few side trails breaking off from the main trail, but all intersections were properly signed, so just follow the signage that leads you to the Devils Kitchen. Near the half mile mark the nice trail transitions into a wash and then some slickrock where several paths are marked by small cairns. We took a longer route on or ascent that paralleled a south trending sandstone bed and eventually switch backed allowing us to gain the top of the bed. This was an easy route to follow but not very direct. Once we were hiking across the sandstone, it felt like we were on another planet. I could see the monoliths where the Devils Kitchen was in the distance. After a short stroll across the slickrock, and a short ascent we made it into the Devils Kitchen.

A happy group of hikers

Alexa was excited once we made it into the Devils Kitchen. There is an area about a quarter of a football field that is surrounded by monolithic sandstones that raise 50-100 feet into the sky. We were fortunate to arrive to an empty kitchen, so we had the chance to explore in solitude. I was thankful that the area was shaded as that was a nice relief after our ascent. After we scrambled around on the rocks and took in some snacks we decided it was time to get back, so we could get on the road again. We took a more direct line down to the main trail, and with a little help Alexa was able to manage the hiking.

GPX track

Parting Notes

I would highly recommend this area for family hiking. There are plenty of great trails, and the rock formations are an amazing sight. I would like to come back at some point and hike the Serpents Trail. Now we are off to Utah, and I have one more trip report in the works from our trip, so in the meantime, happy trails!

Date: August 9, 2019

Trailhead Elevation: 5,059 feet

Devils Kitchen: 5,259 feet

Total Ascent: 243 feet

Class: 2

Distance: 1.6 miles

Moving Time: 1 hr 7 min

Stopped Time: 0 hr 27 min

Climbing Partners: Kristi, and Alexa

GAIA GPS Link: Devils Kitchen