Historical Markers in Colorado National Monument, Colorado
Grand Junction is the county seat for Mesa County
Colorado National Monument is in Mesa County
Mesa County(26) ► ADJACENT TO MESA COUNTY Delta County(19) ► Garfield County(32) ► Gunnison County(33) ► Montrose County(36) ► Pitkin County(14) ► Grand County, Utah(27) ► San Juan County, Utah(47) ►
Touch name on this list to highlight map location. Touch blue arrow, or on map, to go there.
The rocks that make up this landscape formed in environments that are very similar to ones we can observe on the earth's surface today as well as ones that occur beneath the surface where tectonic plates collide to form mountain ranges.
Kayenta . . . — — Map (db m159711) HM
While this might look like a glacial U-shaped valley, it is not. It is a canyon formed by flowing water. The story is one of different rocks responding to erosion in different ways.
Hanging Canyon
Notice how the profile of this canyon . . . — — Map (db m159762) HM
[Left side historical photo captions read]
With his climbing partner Rae Kennedy, and photographer Whipple Chester, John Otto became the first person to summit Independence Monument.
Otto had been in the area five years by then. When he arrived . . . — — Map (db m159662) HM
He laid the foundation of the National Park Service defining and establishing the policies under which its areas shall be developed and conserved unimpaired for future generations. There will never come an end to the good that he has done. — — Map (db m159637) HM
Take the short stroll to a spectacular and unique viewpoint to discover more about the Monument's geology and high flying birds.
Bird Habitat
The airspace above the protected canyons is the domain for a diverse variety of birds.
The Oldest . . . — — Map (db m159709) HM
Does the shape of Independence Monument help tell the park's erosional story? It depends on your viewpoint. From here the monolith appears to be shaped like a tower, but the sideview shows that it is the remaining piece of a rock wall between . . . — — Map (db m159647) HM
Erosion produces unusual shapes on the landscape. As the protective Kayenta Formation layers erode from the ridge before you, the softer Wingate Formation beneath it is exposed and responds in a unique way. Early visitors throught these shapes . . . — — Map (db m159759) HM
Twenty-three mile Rim Rock Drive was built almost entirely by using picks, shovels, and sheer muscle to remove massive rock and debris. The engineering skill of the workers can be seen today in the tunnels and stonework. With construction came a . . . — — Map (db m159715) HM
On Rim Rock Drive, on the left when traveling west.
With around 20 switchbacks, this old road was once called the "crookedest road in the world." In 1961, the Serpents Trail was converted to a hiking trail, quickly becoming a local favorite. The scenic path curves back and forth through Wingate . . . — — Map (db m159612) HM
