I drove up to Grand Junction from Montrose, Colorado. I had visited the Black Canyon of the Gunnison earlier in the day and wanted to see Colorado National Monument while I was over on the western slope. This was to be my first time to see it. I have been to Grand Junction several times but never took the time to make this discovery. Now I am glad that I have.
The national monument is a relatively small park. It is also one of the prime examples of the grand sculptor of the Colorado Plateau. Either singly or with the aid of a partner the Colorado River has produced some of the most interesting geologic formations of the western United States, perhaps even the world. An example of a partner is the Green River. Examples of other areas produced are the Arches National Park, Canyonlands National Park, Grand Canyon National Park and Bryce Canyon.
The Colorado Plateau is roughly the same size as the state of Montana. Parts of it are in Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona and New Mexico. The landscape is diverse semi desert that is mostly above 5000 feet (1524 m) in elevation. Most of the plateau is public land administered by a variety of governmental agencies including the National Park Service and the BLM (Bureau of Land Management).
The link on the left will provide more information of Colorado National Monument. Being on of the premier travel sites one will also be able to find lodging and a host of other information on a number of destinations through out the world.
