Field Trips

Spring 2025 Field Trips Fully Booked

Thank you so much for your continued interest in bringing your learners to the monument! Ranger-led field trip dates are full, but you're still welcome to lead your own groups at the monument. Please reach out to [e-mail] if you'd like some guidance on how to do that. We might be able to offer bus funding and fee waivers, even if you aren't coming for ranger-led activities.

We'll begin accepting requests on August 1st for Fall 2025 field trip dates.

 

Small group sizes offer more personalized learning experiences.

NPS Photo

Colorado National Monument offers ranger-led field trips Tuesdays through Thursdays during the schoolyear (external link to Microsoft Bookings). Field trip experiences typically start at 10am and conclude by 1:30pm Mountain Time.

If your school group is planning on camping at Saddlehorn Campground, please email the campground staff at [e-mail] to let them know. They will assist with campsite reservations and try to help make sure your group can camp in adjacent sites!

Planning a Ranger-Led Field Trip to the Monument

1. Choose a program (below) that fits your classroom's needs.

2. Use our Microsoft Bookings calendar (external link) to view available dates and request a time.

Use the same link to request a virtual pre-visit (before your field trip) and virtual post-visit (after your field trip). Note that this is a REQUEST and not a confirmation of a ranger program.

3. Complete our Education Reservation Request Form at least four weeks (one month) before your requested date.

This is available as an online form or as a fillable PDF (256 KB PDF, complete Sections 1, 2, 3, and 5 and email it to us at [e-mail]). After you have sent in this form, a ranger can reply with a confirmation of your field trip, pre-visit, and post-visit.
This form needs to be completed at least four weeks prior to your requested date in order for staff to process the high volume of requests we receive. If we do not receive these details about your group two weeks before your requested date, the ranger-led field trip will be canceled and you will be notified. An alternative date might be possible but is not guaranteed.

Things to Consider:

• We prefer one classroom at a time in order to engage small-group and individualized learning opportunities.
• Groups larger than 30 students will be offered programs in a station-rotation format. These occur in Devils Kitchen Picnic Area (Grand Junction side).
• Please maintain a ratio of close to 10:1 students to adults, including chaperones and teachers.
• A maximum of five personal vehicles, in addition to the school buses, will be allowed entry with a school group per academic fee waiver. Additional vehicles (six or more personal/chaperone vehicles) will be charged standard entry fees. This decision is to ensure adequate parking space for other monument visitors.
• Accommodations may be available for any students or adults in your group with accessibility needs. Please let us know so that we can prepare and try to provide for you.
• Programs may be canceled due to inclement weather. In the case of a weather cancellation, we will contact you to discuss rescheduling options. If you are concerned about the weather conditions, please call us at 970-858-2835. Programs may be rescheduled to a later date; however, we cannot guarantee a reschedule date.

Bus Funding Available

Our non-profit cooperating association partner, Colorado National Monument Association, received a $5,000 grant from National Park Trust, in partnership with the USDA Forest Service, to connect our community's elementary school-aged learners with local parks, public lands, and waters through the Every Kid Outdoors Small Grants Program. If your elementary classroom needs funding assistance to pay for transportation to the monument for a field trip, please send us a message and ask about bus funding. We're so grateful to our partners for this opportunity to more equitably serve the Grand Valley's learners!

Pre-Visits and Post-Visits

Please schedule an in-classroom pre-visit and post-visit with a ranger, or use the same Bookings link to reserve a half-hour virtual pre-visit and post-visit on Mondays or Fridays. Pre-visits prepare learners for what to expect on the field trip and get to know one of the rangers who will be leading them in the monument. Post-visits review the field trip experience to reinforce the learning and apply skills to one final capstone challenge!

At the bottom of this page is a two-minute video you can show your learners about what to bring to prepare them for the adventure.

 

 

Field Trip Pre-Visit Video

 

Duration:

2 minutes, 12 seconds

Check out this video on preparing for your upcoming field trip!