The Roan Plateau is the high wall of cliffs above Rifle and Parachute

If you drive I-70 west through Garfield County near Rifle and Parachute and look north, that long, steep wall of rock is the Roan Plateau, edged by the Roan Cliffs. It is one of the more striking landscapes on the Western Slope, and much of it is public land managed by the Bureau of Land Management.

The plateau is deeply cut. Streams have carved waterfalls and steep box canyons into the rock, and the high ground holds meadows and aspen. That mix of terrain makes it good habitat. Herds of mule deer and elk use the plateau and its valleys, and some of its waters hold native Colorado River cutthroat trout, a fish that belongs to this part of the state.

For visitors, it is a place to hike, hunt, camp, fish, and in some areas ride motorized trails. Because it is BLM land rather than a developed park, services are few and access roads can be rough or seasonal, so a map and a full tank matter.

The plateau also has a long history tied to oil and gas, going back to early naval oil shale reserves, and parts of it have been the subject of careful land-use planning.

For recreation maps, current access, and rules, see the Bureau of Land Management’s Roan Plateau pages.