Day trip from Montrose Colorado
Not every day trip from Montrose needs to be a canyon, a famous mountain town, or a dramatic overlook.
Sometimes the best day trip is quieter than that.
Orchard roads. Cider. Small towns. Farm fields. Fruit stands. A valley that feels like it is still mostly just being itself.
That is what you get when you head north from Montrose toward Cedaredge, Hotchkiss, Paonia and the North Fork Valley.
This area works really well as a day trip from Montrose if you want something slower than Ouray or Telluride, but you still want scenery, small towns, local food, and that “wait, how is this only about an hour away?” feeling.
From Montrose, you head north on Highway 50 through Olathe and Delta.
This part of the drive starts out more open and dry. Farm fields. Desert edges. Long views. The kind of western Colorado road where things feel spread out in a way that makes your brain relax a little.
Then in Delta, you turn east toward Cedaredge, Hotchkiss and Paonia.
And that is where the day starts to change.
Cedaredge and Applefest
Cedaredge is a tiny town, but do not let that fool you.
If you are here in the fall, Cedaredge Applefest is worth keeping on your radar.
I grew up as a Midwest girl, so I am used to cattle drives, corn festivals, small town parades, and the kind of local events where the whole town seems to show up. And yes, do not worry, I will absolutely be talking about the Olathe Sweet Corn Festival in another post.
But Cedaredge Applefest was my first real apple festival, and honestly, it did not disappoint.
There were crates of apples everywhere. Food vendors. Local makers. Small town festival energy. The kind of event where you think you are going to walk around for a little bit and somehow end up staying way longer than planned.
And the fall colors around the Grand Mesa do not hurt either.
Cedaredge is also one of those places that makes sense as part of a bigger day. You can stop for the festival, wander around town, grab something to eat, and then keep going toward Hotchkiss and Paonia.
It does not need to be complicated.
That is kind of the point.
Hotchkiss and the Valley View
Once you keep driving east, the landscape starts shifting again.
You get some of those open, dry, almost alkali-looking fields. Then the road pulls you toward Hotchkiss, and suddenly you are looking down into a valley with orchards, cattle, small farms, and mountains sitting behind it all.
It feels like a completely different world from the one you left in Montrose.
Hotchkiss has this mix of farm town, mountain town, and western Colorado road stop. It is not flashy. It is not trying to be Telluride. It is not trying to be Aspen. Thank goodness.
It feels practical and lived-in.
And in the background, you get Mount Lamborn and Landsend Peak sitting above the valley like they know they are doing the most.
The whole area has this strange combination of Midwest farm country and mountain town scenery. Orchards and cattle. Dry hills and green fields. Big sky and a big mountain backdrop.
It is a nice drive, and it does not feel like every other Colorado day trip.
Big B’s Delicious Orchards
Somewhere between Hotchkiss and Paonia, you will find Big B’s Delicious Orchards.
This is the stop that made this whole route stick in my head.
My boyfriend and I went late summer into early fall, and we still talk about it. Not because it was some giant attraction. Not because it was trying to be impressive. But because it was one of those stops that made the whole day feel slower in the best way.
Big B’s is part farm stand, part orchard, part cider stop, part local gathering place.
You can walk through the orchard for free, which I loved. There is something about walking between rows of apple and pear trees that makes time slow down a little. Especially when you are not rushing to the next overlook or fighting crowds in a famous mountain town.
They also sell apple cider, and I could drink their regular cider by the gallon.
No exaggeration.
Their hard cider is also apparently serious business. My boyfriend is from Minnesota, which means he has had plenty of hard cider, and he still says Big B’s had some of the best hard cider he has ever had.
That is not nothing.
Inside the shop, they have more than cider. You can find local and regional snacks, food, gifts, Colorado honey, and handmade items that feel more local than the same souvenir shelf you see everywhere.
That is one of the things I liked most.
It felt like a place connected to the valley, not just a stop trying to sell you something with a mountain on it.
Depending on the season and current availability, Big B’s also has camping and small lodging options. There are tent sites, camper spots, and little cabin-style stays near the orchard area. So you could turn this from a day trip into a slower overnight if you wanted the full orchard evening.
They also host music and events, but think more intimate outdoor music than giant amphitheater energy.
Which is good, because not everything needs to be Red Rocks.
Big B’s is also one of the places I want to go back to later this summer or early fall. They sometimes have yoga and seasonal events, and that is very much on my list.
Paonia
Keep going a little farther and you will reach Paonia.
Paonia feels tucked into the valley in a way that makes you want to slow down. It has that small-town bowl feeling, with views around you and enough local spots to make it worth parking the car for a while.
This is not a place I would rush through.
Get coffee. Find a local restaurant. Walk around a little. Let the day breathe.
That is the best way I can describe this whole route.
It is not a checklist day.
It is more of a slow down and see what you find day.
Paonia and the North Fork Valley have that mix of orchards, farms, wineries, local food, and mountain views that makes this part of Colorado feel different from the San Juans or the red rock side of the Western Slope.
And that is why I like it.
It gives you another version of western Colorado.
Not just a canyon.
Not just a ski town.
Not just a national park.
Not just famous mountain-town chaos.
Just valley roads, orchards, cider, local food, and a slower kind of beautiful.
The Drive Toward Carbondale
If you want to keep going, you can follow Highway 133 toward Carbondale.
This turns the day into a much longer drive, so I would not casually add it on unless you are comfortable being in the car for a while.
But it is a stunning route.
You leave the North Fork Valley and keep climbing toward McClure Pass. The scenery shifts again, from orchard valley to mountain forest to red rock and river country as you get closer to the Crystal River Valley, Redstone, and Carbondale.
Carbondale sits between Glenwood Springs and Aspen, so this road can turn into a much bigger western Colorado loop if you have the time.
That drive deserves its own post, and eventually it will get one.
Because there is a lot along that route. Redstone. The Crystal River. McClure Pass. Carbondale. The road toward Aspen. The kind of drive where the destination matters, but the road might be the better part.
But for this post, I would treat that as the extended version.
The main day trip from Montrose is Cedaredge, Hotchkiss, Big B’s and Paonia.
Why This Works as a Day Trip from Montrose
This is a good day trip from Montrose if you want a different side of western Colorado.
Not everything has to be the biggest thing, the tallest thing, the most famous thing, or the thing everyone already has saved on Google Maps.
Sometimes a good day trip is a drive through farm fields.
A tiny town that takes its apple festival very seriously.
A cider stop you still talk about months later.
A valley view you did not expect.
A mountain sitting in the background like it knows it is the main character.
That is what I like about the North Fork Valley.
It feels slower.
It feels less crowded.
It gives you room to wander without feeling like you are missing some giant bucket-list attraction.
So if you are using Montrose as a base and want a day that feels different from Black Canyon, Ouray, or Telluride, look north.
Drive toward Cedaredge.
Keep going toward Hotchkiss.
Stop at Big B’s.
Slow down in Paonia.
And let the day be a little less polished.
That might be what makes you remember it.
If you want to read more about the Western Slope check out some of my other posts below.
- A Day Trip from Montrose Colorado: Cedaredge, Hotchkiss, Paonia, and Big B’s
- Best Day Trips from Montrose Colorado: Black Canyon, Ouray, Telluride and More
- What Nobody Tells You Before Visiting Black Canyon of the Gunnison
- The Drive Nobody Tells You About: Silver Jack, Owl Creek Pass, and Ridgway
- A Weekend in Montrose, Colorado (And Why You Should Stop Driving Through It)
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