Lands End Observatory

"Came recommended by the Gentleman in the Hightower, Lord of Olathe, a parting suggestion for the drifter. Up one FS/100, a long steep, rocky road that I mounted in the autumn via old FWD Corolla. Discovered a nice campsite nested within one of the switchbacks. Excellent view of Grand Junction from the plateau across the road, a plentiful pile of scrap wood to burn, some tree coverage, lots of flat space for the tent, and very little traffic apart from the odd dirt bike, ATV, Jeep, etc. Enjoyed a powerful sunset, calm campfire quiet, and mostly restful sleep disturbed only by one midnight joyrider who probably didn't even see me and one fox who scared the nightlights out of me on account of I didn't know fox sounds well enough, no idea what monster in the darkness might be making that noise. Next morning, I head the rest of the way up to this Lands End Observatory, an old, abandoned, locked-down CCC building completely overrun by chipmunk squatters. (I did a little squatting of my own, right in front of the sign that read, "Bathrooms temporarily closed.") The chippers allow you pretty close yet remain somewhat skittish, too, as though they've had mixed experiences with these so-called "sapiens" creatures. A lovely spot to spend the morning, with expansive views, a moving memorial, and spectacular quietude. Left down 100/A southeast and witnessed this mass migration of army-green grasshoppers soldiering right across the road for miles, thousands of the buggers. Greatly enjoyed the game of swerving all over the road to avoid squarshing them."

"What amazing little building. The views are simply B-E-A utiful! Picture perfect no matter where you look and you get to see the while valley from there."

"The drive is a beast. It's 12 miles of dirt roads and a couple of paved sections with some potholes as big as a person. But it is well worth the drive. Average safe travel speed was around 35ish mph - very slow. Some danger spots - steep w/o guard rails. We almost gave up but finally reached the spot. IT WAS WORTH IT! Beautiful views. Take water. Temps drop about 30 degrees from the bottom. We left 93 degrees in Grand Junction and dropped to 66 degrees at one point. The views are enormous and gorgeous. No restrooms so be prepared for that - a long wait. You cant find a restroom until you get to the Grand Mesa Visitor's Center."

"Want a spectacular site. It was very interesting to study the various rock formations recording the earth's history and to look at the valleies spread below. It was tempting to take the very steep road down into the valley but we decided against it after looking at the switchbacks. The public outhouse washrooms were spotlessly clean. Highly recommend the 12 Mile drive which was patchy, asphalt and gravel yet very well maintained"

"BRING BUG SPRAY!!! Don't forget the unsalted unseasoned sunflower seeds to feed the chipmunks. They are friendly but don't touch them. Did I mention bringing bug spray. The mosquitoes are really bad this year because of the moisture. They will carry you off. Okay, okay, not quite, but they are really bad up there. Bathrooms up at the top were not open yet, so prepare for that too."