The Colorado Plateau is a high, flat tableland carved into soaring mesas, great cliffs, chasms, and canyons. It includes much of northern Arizona, eastern Utah, western Colorado, and northwestern New Mexico. The entire length of the Colorado-Utah state line lies within the region, and in Colorado the region extends upstream along the lower basins of the Yampa, White, Colorado, Gunnison, Dolores, and San Juan rivers to the Southern Rocky Mountain region to the east and the Wyoming Basin to the north. The Basin and Range region borders the Colorado Plateau at the continental divide in northwestern New Mexico and takes in much of central New Mexico, extending northward into Colorado to include Raton Mesa, Mesa de Maya, and the San Luis Valley.

In Colorado, elevations of the mesa tops range from 1500-2800 m (4,921-9,186 ft) and some 900 m (2,953 ft). The area takes in 34,213 km² (13,210 mi² ) of Colorado. Within Colorado, the Colorado Plateau contains a high proportion of publicly owned lands, with the Bureau of Land Management being the area's largest landowner. The National Park Service manages a national park and five national monuments in western Colorado. The parks and monuments are devoted to geologic phenomena, especially canyons, and to the archeological remains of ancient cultures. Most of the highest elevations fall within the domain of the U.S. Forest Service, and three national forests lie partially within the region. The Southern Ute Indian Reservation lies along the New Mexico-Colorado border. The largest portion of private lands are farm and ranch lands. These, along with the area's rather limited urban development, are primarily located along the lowland riparian zones.

Historically, the most extensive land use on public and private lands on the Colorado Plateau has been livestock grazing. There has also been extensive mineral, oil, and gas development as well. Aspen, ponderosa pine, and spruce-fir forests at higher elevations are logged. The region is popular for outdoor recreation, and many miles of primitive roads and trails support extensive off-road vehicles use.