Parachute, CO: See 3 interesting vibes we found during our visit!

Parachute – A Brief History

sources: NW Colorado Heritage Travel and Parachute Visitor Center

Utes, Pioneers & Settlers: Located at the crossroads between the rugged mountain ranges and the mesas and plateaus of Colorado’s Western Slope, the region surrounding Battlement Mesa and Parachute was once the seasonal campground of the Ute Indians. Later the area appealed to the early settlers who sought a more moderate climate for ranching and farming.

Mineral Wealth Era

“The Rock that Burns”: In 1882 pioneer Mike Callahan built a cabin with an oil shale rock fireplace despite stern warnings from the Ute Indians who told him that the rock would burn. At the cabin’s housewarming, attended by both white settlers and Utes, the shale rock of the fireplace ignited and set fire to the cabin—which burned to the ground. Forever afterward, Mike Callahan was an oil shale advocate. Mt. Callahan, the spectacular peak west of Parachute, was named in his honor.

What’s in a name? According to legend, a member of the Hayden Survey in 1879 noted that the watershed patterns of the Roan Plateau, north of present-day Parachute, resembled parachute lines and chose the name “Parachute” for the area. According to a June 30, 1910 edition of the local newspaper, however, the town’s name came from the Ute word, “Pahchouc.”

The name game continues! In 1904, residents changed the town’s name to Grand Valley to take advantage of a real estate promotion in nearby Grand Junction which is situated in the Grand River Valley. When the railroad conductor announced, “Next stop, Grand Valley” settlers disembarked thinking it was Grand Junction. Local sales agents at the train depot were on hand to tell settlers about Grand Valley’s (Parachute) property. Grand Valley was incorporated in 1908, and then in 1980 the town was renamed Parachute.

Boom and Bust Economy: Grand Valley is rich in mineral resources including oil, oil shale, natural gas, soda ash, uranium. However, oil shale is particularly plentiful, since the Grand Valley is part of a multi-state shale deposit that has been described as the “richest known deposits” of oil shale beds. Mineral extraction has long driven the local economy. However, demand for these minerals is cyclical causing “boom and bust” cycles. Today Parachute has acknowledged the importance of alternative energy by recently installing solar flowers which provide energy at the Visitors Cabin and information center just off of I-70 at Exit 75.

Bedroom community Era

Sister Community Battlement Mesa (non-incorporated) was created by Exxon during the late 1970s as a large residential community for Exxon’s oil shale employees. However, after a bust cycle in the early 1980s, it was transformed into a planned community – the only of its kind on the western slope! This 3,200 acre, covenant-protected community features an 18-hole golf course, tennis courts, miles of paved walking and biking trails, 767 acres of dedicated open space and great Colorado River fishing and rafting. governed by Garfield County, Colorado, United States. The CDP (census-designated place) is a part of the Glenwood Springs (population 9,963*) Micropolitan Statistical Area. Parachute/Battlement Mesa is also easy access along I70 to the larger town of Grand Junction (population. 92,685*)

#1. Visitor center – with a dog park and Solar Panel flowers!

Easy access off of I70, our first stop was the Parachute Visitor Center. It is located in a renovated historic building set in a nice park landscape. Our favorite feature was the solar panel flowers! There is also a nearby electric vehicle charging station and both children’s play equipment and a dog park. It also has free wifi! The Visitor Center itself has clean bathrooms and lots of area information.

• Parachute Visitor.Center – Google Maps
• Parachute Dog Park – Google Maps
• Electric Vehicle Charging Station – Google Maps

#2. Eclectic historic business district

We love walking around business districts to get the vibe of a place. As we walked around Parachute’s business district, we found a couple of places that piqued our curiosity. One fascinating building was the Marijuana shop with the teepee roofline! Local business trivia – we counted 5 marijuana dispensary shops in town. Near the visitor center park, there were 2 hotels across the street from each other – the Grand Visa Hotel was open but the Parachute Inn was closed.

We also saw a Coworking space cleverly named ‘Parachute Cowork Drop In‘… we do love a good pun!

#3. A Pedestrian Walkway across I70 connects Parachute to both sides of town

We were intrigued by a large-scale pedestrian walkway that enables one to walk or bike over I70 to the south side of town. This side of town is where the high school, a few more businesses and a couple of parks are located. It is also the side of town where you can access the Battlement Mesa community by car.

• The Coffee Shack – Google Maps – local coffee shop with high google reviews
• ROCKY MOUNTAIN COMBAT – Google Maps – “PAINTBALL & AIRSOFT ARCHERY BATTLES MILITARY LASERTAG BAZOOKABALL“

Annual Events

• Summer: Monday Market
• July: Grand Valley Days
• August: National Night Out
• September: Quilt show
• September: Rockmageddon Days – OHV & UTV Rally
• October: Oktoberfest
• November: Annual Craft Fair

Organizations that support Community in Parachute

• Home | Town of Parachute – city government
  • Parachute Renewal Partnership | Town of Parachute
  • Beautification Grant 2024 | Town of Parachute
• Home | Garfield County Federal Mineral Lease District – “an independent public body charged by the state legislature with distributing financial resources it receives from the development of natural resources on federal lands within Garfield County to communities impacted by these activities.” — we saw a sign near the walkway over I70 indicating this was its funding source.
• Northwest Colorado Cultural Heritage Tourism, Road trip Journeys and Historical Tours
  • Parachute and Battlement Mesa town brochure
• Visit Parachute Colorado | Official Guide to Parachute – local tourism information website

Map of Parachute