Gambel oak grove in the upper canyons of the monument
NPS Photo / N Scarborough
Colorado National Monument is home to both evergreen and broadleaved trees. The most common species you'll encounter on your visit will probably be the Utah juniper, followed closely by the pinyon pine. If you wander into the washes at the bottoms of the canyons, cottonwoods will likely be your most-visited tree species. The single-leaf ash grows almost like a shrub among the pinyon-juniper woodland. Depending on water availability, you might also come across Gambel oaks, box-elders, ponderosa pines, Douglas firs, and even quaking aspens.
