Palisade Peaches

Palisade sits in the Grand Valley at around 1,400 metres, walled by the Book Cliffs and Grand Mesa, and the combination is unusual: high desert sun and heat by day, cold air draining off the mesa at night, and irrigation from the Colorado River in ground that would otherwise grow nothing. The temperature swing is what growers credit for the sugar concentration. Harvest runs from late July into early September, with different varieties coming in waves, and the fruit is sold from stands along the valley roads rather than shipped far. The same conditions carry most of Colorado's vineyards, and the wineries are interleaved with the orchards. A peach festival is held in August.

What you actually see

• Orchards at 1,400 metres - in high desert, irrigated from the Colorado.
• Hot days and cold nights - what growers credit for the sugar.
• Farm stands through the valley - varieties arriving in waves.
• Vineyards among the orchards - most of Colorado's wine.

When to go

Late July to early September. Half a day.

Honest expectations

The season is short and specific varieties come and go within days. A late frost can cut the crop badly, and has. Summer heat in the valley is severe. Festival weekend crowds the small town.

Nearby

Grand Junction is west; Grand Mesa rises south.