After the past few weeks in the dry, arid climate of Mesa County, I was ready to head to higher elevations to beat the heat, so I headed to the Grand Mesa for a mid-morning hike. Living in the Grand Valley, I am fortunate to have access to such a large variety of outdoor recreation activities, and with the Grand Mesa located just an hour drive away, it’s practically in my backyard. The proximity of the Grand Mesa to Grand Junction makes it easy to get away for a half-day of play or a weekend camping trip.
Looking forward to a hike in cooler temperatures, I loaded up my two dogs Sydney (age 12) and Nellie (age 11) and we headed out to hike Waterdog Reservoir. We parked at the Mesa Lakes Recreation Area along Highway 65, which has a vault toilet and access to several other hiking trails and fishing spots.
Crossing the highway and heading north, there is a dirt road that will lead to the Waterdog Reservoir trail. This road is open to vehicles, although a high-clearance 4WD vehicle is recommended. Driving up the road will shorten the walking distance by about a half mile one way. I tend to park on the south side of the highway and walk in; from the start of the dirt road it is .35 miles to the turn off for Waterdog, from the turn off it is another .2 mile walk to a gate; motorized travel is not allowed beyond this point. There is a red gate with trail access for hikers, bikers, and horses; the trail leads out onto the dam of the reservoir and immediately you will have a view of Waterdog, which happens to be one of my favorite lakes on the Grand Mesa. My pups fancy any trail with ample opportunities for swimming and chasing water skippers. After passing Waterdog Reservoir there is a small pond covered in lily pads, nestled in between a grove of aspens; it reminds me of a scene from a Disney fairy tale.
Follow the trail past the second body of water and eventually the trail will open up into a small meadow, although, this particular year with all the snow, it was actually very marshy. Starting my distance from the parking area on highway 65, I walked a total of 1.3 miles where the trail appears to come to an end, and is lined with large boulders. Here the trail comes to a T with Forest Service Road 254-1A. On many occasions, I have taken a left on the forest road, which offers a 4.65 mile loop back around to the start. This particular outing, I decided to take a right on the road, just another .2 miles from where I turned there was another little lake, so I took a short break to reapply mosquito spray while Sydney and Nellie cooled off with another swim.
We followed the road until it opened up into a meadow completely covered in wild flowers and came to another point where the road forked again; we stopped for lunch and enjoyed the brightly colored canvas of flowers. Some of the species I recall seeing included Mountain Bluebells, Columbines, Fire Rocket, Larkspur, Silver Lupine, Geraniums, Yarrow, and Queen Anne’s Lace. I always keep a pocket guide for Colorado Trees & Wild Flowers in my pack, it is a great resource and takes up very little space.
While the road continues on for several miles, we decided to turn around after lunch and retrace our steps for a total roundtrip distance of 4.5 miles; pausing at each water source so the dogs could take a dip. On the return hike, just before reaching the lily pad lake, we heard a loud crash and suddenly three feet in front of us, a young buck came leaping across the trail and into the thicket of trees. It happened so suddenly, I didn’t have time to grab my camera, but it was really exciting to see the deer that close.
The Grand Mesa has plenty of trails to choose from, most trails meander through the trees and come across a lake or a stream. Mosquitos are a plenty, be sure to carry spray in your pack and re-apply multiple times. During my trip I experienced optimal hiking conditions starting at 68 degrees and ending at 74 degrees, plus there was a nice breeze most of the hike, and there was plenty of shade. When planning your next mountain adventure, check out all the Grand Mesa has to offer.
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