Last updated: October 10, 2024
Place
Scenic Drive Stop 8
NPS / E. Van Ness
Quick Facts
Amenities
2 listed
Parking - Auto, Trailhead
An old dirt road used to connect Fruita with the small town of Grover to the west. The Old Wagon Trail follows a portion of the former road, ascending over 1,000 feet to an overlook of the cliffs along the Scenic Drive.
The trail leads hikers through a pinyon-juniper woodland. Pinyon pines are known for the delicious and nutritious pine nuts nestled in their cones. Pine nuts aren’t just good in pesto; pinyon jays know they’re a treat eaten plain. Pinyon jays form noisy flocks of a few birds to a few hundred birds. They gorge themselves on pine nuts and store some for later in underground caches. An expandable esophagus allows them to carry 40 seeds at once! During a good crop year, a large flock can cache millions of seeds. Of course, not all are recovered, allowing some escapees to grow into new trees. One thousand years ago, the indigenous people known as the Fremont Culture harvested pine nuts as well. For many species, these little packets of fat and protein have been key to survival in this harsh environment.
The trail leads hikers through a pinyon-juniper woodland. Pinyon pines are known for the delicious and nutritious pine nuts nestled in their cones. Pine nuts aren’t just good in pesto; pinyon jays know they’re a treat eaten plain. Pinyon jays form noisy flocks of a few birds to a few hundred birds. They gorge themselves on pine nuts and store some for later in underground caches. An expandable esophagus allows them to carry 40 seeds at once! During a good crop year, a large flock can cache millions of seeds. Of course, not all are recovered, allowing some escapees to grow into new trees. One thousand years ago, the indigenous people known as the Fremont Culture harvested pine nuts as well. For many species, these little packets of fat and protein have been key to survival in this harsh environment.