National and State Register

Rim Rock Drive Historic District

Mesa County

Constructed between 1931 and 1950, the district is significant for its role in the development of automobile access and tourism in Colorado National Monument and its contribution to the local economy during the Great Depression.  The district’s contributing features are representative of National Park Service Rustic style architecture in their use of native building materials. 

A black and white photo of a road looping in a series of rock structures

Rim Rock Drive Historic District (1990 photograph.)

Also significant for its engineering, Rim Rock Drive is considered to be the first modern road within the Monument and includes three stone tunnels blasted through solid rock that conform to the rugged terrain.  Listed under Colorado National Monument and the Historic Park Landscapes in National and State Parks Resources Multiple Property Submissions.