The canyons of the American Southwest are sure impressive and provide for magnificent grand views. It's not just the wide vistas though. In many ways, it's the details that stand as iconic for the desolate desert look.

Colorado National Monument is near Grand Junction, and Fruita, Colorado. It's history as part of the National Park Service goes back to 1907 and John Otto who explored the area and established first trails there.He also campaigned for the area becoming a national park, which has not happened to this day. However, in 1911 the 27th president William Howard Taft established the Colorado National Monument. In 1921 the first motorized route into the monument opened, called the Serpents Trail. The construction Rim Rock Drive started in 1931.

The Monument rises about 2,000 feet above the Grand Valley of the Colorado River. It is a part of the greater Colorado Plateau, the same plateau that is hosting the Grand Canyon, Bryce Canyon, and Arches national parks.

Resources:

- History and Culture of Colorado National Monument on nps.gov
- Colorado National Monument Map on nps.gov
- Colorado National Monument on Wikipedia
- William Howard Taft on Wikipedia

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