Parachute and Battlement Mesa, Colorado
Parachute, Colorado
Parachute is located off the I-70 corridor and is bordered by the spectacular Roan Cliffs and Mt. Callahan. Legend reveals that a surveyor in the 1800’s spotted a bit of erosion in the nearby hillside that looked like the billowing of parachutes; hence the name of Parachute.
The town’s name was changed to Grand Valley in 1904 and then renamed Parachute in 1980. Oil shale and soda ash mining along with natural gas exploration have provided the town’s primary economy for many years. The long growing seasons and mild winters make this area an ideal place to raise livestock and cultivate fruit orchards.
Some of the richest petroleum reserves in the world lie just north of Parachute. Since the early 1900’s there has been a wide range of laboratory and field work, seeking economically feasible and environmentally compatible methods of extracting usable crude oil from shale.
Battlement Mesa
Battlement Mesa, located midway between Grand Junction and Glenwood Springs is a scenic-filled, 3,200-acre, weather protected mesa overlooking the Colorado River. The Battlement Mesa championship golf course is one of the finest in Western Colorado. Hiking, biking and jogging trails run throughout the community and the 53,000 sq. ft. activity center includes an Olympic-sized pool, hot tub, sauna, fitness center, basketball, volleyball and racquetball courts. Dedicated open space of 767 acres attracts elk, deer, and eagles and provides endless unobstructed views. This master planned community is divided into many neighborhoods offering a wide array of housing for all ages. Early settlers are rumored to have named the area for the rock formation overlooking the town. They though it resembled the upper walls of medieval castles.
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