De Beque Canyon is a narrow fifteen-mile passage of the Colorado River in western Colorado, running downstream from the town of De Beque along the western end of the Grand Mesa before opening into the Grand Valley near Palisade, east of Grand Junction. Beyond its role as a natural gateway, it is an important geologic corridor. Its stairstep walls are formed from Mesaverde Group sediments laid down as shoreline sands during the Cretaceous, including several low-sulfur coal seams. Near the Cameo Mine, these seams reach substantial thickness, and their soft bituminous character reflects relatively limited burial. Interstate 70 now follows the river through the canyon as a major transportation route.