24 hours in Montrose, Colorado

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Sitting at the heart of Western Colorado, Montrose has a lot to offer, both in town and within a couple of hours drive in pretty much every direction. Day-tripable destinations from Montrose include several ski areas, the largest flat top mesa in the world in Grand Mesa, wineries, a national park and several state parks. You can spend 24 hours in Montrose, 48 hours in the Uncompahgre Valley or three days in the wider region 

7.30 am — Coffee and Donuts

A long day requires something of a jump start, so head down to the lobby of the brand new Rathbone Hotel nice and early for an injection of caffeine with an espresso or even a doppio espresso and a pastry.  

Montrose has several coffee shops in case you feel like topping up your caffeine levels later. The Coffee Trader has two locations in town (we prefer the original on Main Street) and Cimarron Coffee Roasters which is a little more methodical and has a wider range of coffees. For donuts head to Montrose Donut And Deli. 

8.30 am — Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park

There are few towns that have a national park at their doorstep, but Montrose is one of them. A 10-minute drive from downtown, the magnificent Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park is a veritable gash in the crust of the earth, descending 2,722 feet at its deepest point from the rim to the roaring Gunnison River below. The dizzying chasm is also a designated International Dark Skies Park which is “a land possessing an exceptional or distinguished quality of starry nights and a nocturnal environment that is specifically protected for its scientific, natural, educational, cultural heritage, and/or public enjoyment.” For a nice stroll, Oak Flat Loop is great, but more adventurous hikers should take on Tomichi Trail, an extremely steep 1,800-foot descent to the canyon floor. The dramatic landscapes and serene environment make it a perfect morning activity and one that sets you up nicely for lunch! 

If you do decide to take on Tomichi, you might want to consider a heartier breakfast. Sunrise Burritos is a tiny drive-through just south of downtown and is great for a quick grab and go. 

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12 pm — A post hike libaton is essential after a hike, and for those that took on Tomichi another meal is also likely on your mind.  

Pomona Brewing is on Townsend (a couple of minutes from the airport) and has excellent beers and a menu of pub grub including Bock Bock Fries, a dish that is becoming somewhat legendary in Montrose after selling 10,000 in the first 15 months of the brewery being open. Named after the Roman Goddess of fruit, Pomona has a dog-friendly patio, cornhole, a firepit for chilly evenings and foosball, shuffleboard, and darts inside. 

En route to your next stop at the Montrose Water Sports Park, stop in at the amazing Alpen Confections to either grab some top tier dessert or some top tier gifts for people back home. Lin and Mike are bone fide chocolate masters and create edible art. 

1 pm — Explore Montrose Water Sports Park

The park is a great palace for a restful afternoon of snoozing under a tree, bocce, slacklining, disc golf on the 18-hole course, or for the more adventurous, a spot of river surfing. The ADA-accessible white water park is unique in the state (and maybe the country) with its six drop structures and offers a refreshing way to enjoy the water. It is surfable until around Halloween every year.

Montrose Surf and Cycle has all of the equipment you’ll need for an afternoon in and around the park including bikes to cruise around the area as well as all the safety gear you’ll need for river surfing. If you have never surfed, it is highly recommended that you get a lesson from someone who knows the river. Montrose Surf and Cycle has you covered there, too. Call ahead if this is something you think you might want to do to arrange a surfing lesson.

5.30 pm — Gin and Juice (or whatever you prefer)

After returning to your hotel and getting refreshed and redressed, it’s time for a pre-dinner aperitif. Storm King Distilling Company is an award-winning distillery that offers great cocktails and bottles to go (they also make for great gifts for people, FYI) making it a must-visit for spirits enthusiasts. Try their 'Side Gig' whiskey, which won 'Best American Whiskey' at the Whiskey Magazine Awards – America 2023.

Montrose is blessed with not one but two distilleries. Storm King Distilling is the OG, but Shelter Distilling is the new kid on the block. A few months ago Montrose became the second location for the Mammoth, California-based company. Located on the Uncompahgre River, the distillery and brewery is on a beautiful site and is accessible from a bike path.  

8 pm — American (Pizza) Pie

Montrose is admittedly lacking a tiny bit in the dinner department, but we hear that is about to change. Until that is the case, however, there are several places that are good even if the choice is a tiny bit limited.  

Colorado Boy on Main Street is a mainstay and has been slinging excellent beer and really good Neapolitan-style wood-fired pizzas for years. There are no reservations here, so be prepared for a little wait, but it is worth it. Trattoria Italian restaurant Di Sofia has good reviews from locals, Tacos and Beer on the south end of town is very popular, too. If you didn’t try the Bock Bock Fries at Pomona earlier in the day it is worth going back for them. The place is usually buzzing with locals and visitors, too, so if you are a solo traveler this is a good spot to meet people, too. Shelter also has food.

9 pm — That’s Entertainment 

The Montrose Rotary Amphitheater is an impressive outdoor music venue a short walk from downtown. Opened in 2021, the amphitheater has a capacity of around 6,000 and has regular entertainment including the Montrose Summer Music Series. There is also the amateur dramatic Magic Circle Players theater, occasional concerts at the Bridges Golf Course and the fantastic Star Drive-in Theater. Canyon Creek Bed & Breakfast hosts comedy nights from time to time, too. 

11 pm — Sleep

Montrose offers all of your typical Colorado accommodation options: campsites, motels, hotels, Airbnbs and the like. There’s even a bed and breakfast with a Hollywood connection: Canyon Creek Bed and Breakfast on Main Street is where Quentin Tarantino found himself one October night when he couldn't get out of town after (presumably) scouting locations for the “Hateful 8” in nearby Telluride. Owner Kendra Gallegos duly obliged and housed the director and his assistant. Such was Gallegos’ hospitality that Tarantino found time to handwrite a personal note to her. It’s framed with a photo of the two together in the lobby of the property. Gallegos also brings comedians from across the state and the country for regular comedy nights at Canyon Creek.

The newest offering in town is the rather nice Rathbone Hotel. Located on the corner of South Cascade Avenue and South 1st Street, the building has been home to several businesses since its initial construction as a Knights of Pythias Lodge in 1909, with residential apartments occupying the upstairs for many years. In a nod to the building's history, the owners named the hotel after Justus Rathbone, the original founder of The Knights of Pythias – a non-sectarian fraternal organization that began in 1864 and is still in existence today. 

Additional Recommendations

If you’re staying longer, explore the rich history at the Ute Indian Museum, the Museum of the Mountain West, or the Montrose County Historical Museum. 

To the west of downtown is the trailhead for the RimRocker Trail, a 160-mile trail that takes off-road enthusiasts (most often those behind the wheel of a Jeep but occasionally a cyclist) to Moab, Utah. 

The area is also great for mountain bikers, with three trail systems in the area—Buzzard Gulch, Electric Hills, and the RAT system in nearby Ridgway. The best resources for mountain biking in the area are COPMOBA, the Montrose chapter of the Colorado Plateau Mountain Bike Trail Association, and MUT, the Montrose Uncompahgre Trail, a lead chapter of COPMOBA.

There are also three golf courses—The Bridges, Cobble Creek, and Black Canyon—plus miles of award-winning fly-fishing along the Gunnison River in nearby Gunnison Gorge National Conservation Area.

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