Colorado National Monument
The Colorado National Monument is a protected area by the type of National Monuments in the West of the U.S. state of Colorado. It covers 83 km ² in a semi-desert area of the Uncompahgre Uplift, which in turn forms the northeast corner of the Colorado Plateau.
The attractiveness of the area was recognized in 1907 by a settler named John Otto, he convinced with the help of local authorities, President William H. Taft, the region be shown in 1911 as a National Monument. The reserve is managed by the National Park Service. In the west, the Black Ridge Canyons Wilderness, a Wilderness Area and is therefore a natural reserve of the strictest protection category of USA joins under the administration of the Bureau of Land Management. Because of the importance of birds of prey is designated as Important Bird Area at the national and state level, the National Monument since 2000.
Description
The multi-colored sandstone formations of the Colorado National Monument rise more than 2000 feet (610 m) above the valley of the Colorado River. Erosion by wind and water, heat and frost has formed deep terminations, steep cliffs and unique rock formations. The rock layers are between 1.5 billion and about 80 million years old; their color spectrum that ranges from orange to red and purple to brown, it owes the retention of iron and other minerals.
The 23 mile long Rim Rock Drive leads from the west entrance, which is about 4 km away from Fruita to 1430 meters ( 4690 feet) altitude is, in many turns and through tunnels steeply to the plateau up. There you have a look over the broad valley of the Colorado to the Book Cliffs on the other side, extending as pink and gray striped wall, as far as the eye can see. The Rim Rock Drive follows the rim of the canyon and from many vantage points you can see in the escarpments and on the sandstone formations that have received speaking of early visitors name as Balanced Rock, Window Rock, Sentinel Spire, Saddlehorn, Pipe Organ, Independence Monument, Kissing Couple, Cleopatra's couch, Coke Ovens, Squaw finger, falling rock and Devils Kitchen. The highest point reached the road near the Ute Canyon View 2024 meters ( 6640 feet). The east entrance, from which there are 6 km to Grand Junction, located at 1503 meters ( 4930 feet)
History
The northeast of the Colorado Plateau was sparsely populated in prehistoric times by Native Americans of the Basket Maker culture. The climate of the semi-desert on the plateau made the region unattractive, most findings of the region outside of the protected area near the river bank. In the Archaic period, the Fremont culture reached to Colorado. In historical times the present Monument to the hunting grounds of the Ute Indians belonged. The latter two left in reserve diverse petroglyphs and rock drawings.
The colonization of the region by whites began in 1881, after there had been sporadic expeditions through the area and in 1838 a trading post was set up businesses with the Ute. The Highlands and the canyons were considered inaccessible. For the settler John Otto, who saw this fascinating landscape in 1907 for the first time, she was "the heart of the world". He retired alone in the remote canyon and showered influential local politicians and the authorities in Washington with letters and requests to leave the area into a national park. At the same time he put on trails that led to the plateau and into the canyons, so other people could enjoy the scenery. He urged the residents of Grand Junctions, to assist him in his plan by more letters and petitions for the protection of that country. In 1911 he was successful: On May 24, 1911 President William H. Taft declared the country to the Colorado National Monument. Otto was the first Ranger of the protected area. For a token salary of $ 1 a month he practiced this activity until 1927.
During the Great Depression, President Franklin D. Roosevelt founded as part of the New Deal, 1933, the Civilian Conservation Corps in the young unemployed volunteers extensions of public infrastructure in the United States, under the guidance of Army officers. A camp of CCC played a significant role in the construction of the planned since 1929 Rim Rock Drive, the access road of the area with lookouts and picnic areas.
Ecosystems
The area has a variety of habitats for animals and plants. The semi-desert plateau, the bare rock walls and protected shaded areas in the canyons offer completely different environmental conditions. There is no year-round rivers or sources.
The plateau is part geoecologically to the eastern reaches of the desert of the Great Basin. Here is dotted with pinyon pine, the dominant plant families are cacti and succulents. Particularly the Opuntia fall to and including the Opuntia ficus- indica. On the plateau, the largest mammals of the area, mule deer and bighorn sheep live. In reptiles, there are nine species of snakes and lizards in the conservation area, which include the Halsbandleguan and the only venomous snake in the region, the midget faded rattlesnake, a subspecies of the Pacific rattlesnake on.
The cliffs are the habitat for nine species of prey, including peregrine falcon, golden eagle, red-tailed hawks and turkey vultures, and some birds like White-breasted sailor, mourning doves and ravens. Cracks and caves are inhabited by several species of bats. On foot and in columns are Pinynon - pine and juniper bushes.
On the soles of the canyon there is protected locations where ash trees grow. Here also live amphibians that you would not expect in the semi-desert environment. Among them are tree frogs and American spadefoot, the use for the rare rainfall within a short time temporary waters to reproduce. The majority of the lowlands is covered with loose vegetation of sagebrush and grasses. In spring and late summer they are shaped by a variety flowering plants. Here live cottontail rabbits, rock squirrels, and chipmunks Antilopenziesel. Other rodents such as kangaroo rats, bush rats and pinyon mice are rare or live mostly hidden. The most important species of the canyons are helmet quail, scrub jay and Nacktschnabelhäher, canyon wrens, rock wrens, Meadowlark and Grauvireos.
Throughout the area stripe gray foxes, cougars, coyotes and bobcats, Katzenfrette ( ringtails ) and porcupines ( porcupines ) inhabit the dense wooded shares.
The National Monument
In the visitor center, which is located approximately 4 miles from the west entrance, you can learn about the history and development of the park, on the geology and the animal and plant world based on books, films and maps. Rangers offer lectures and guided walks. In the north of the park is a simple campsite. For multi-day hikes with overnight stay in the backcountry a permit is required.
The principal activity of visitors is hiking. The curvy and sometimes steep road parking is also seen as challenging bike ride, there add up the slopes at about 37 kilometers distance to just over 700 meters. In the tradition of John Otto climbers climb annually to the Independence Day on July 4, the 150 m high rock formation Independence Monument and hoist the Stars and Stripes.
The park suffers from directly approaching forming its limits development through the doubled between the 1970s and 2000s the population in the Grand Valley. The built in the 1930s for the leisure traffic, winding Rim Rock Drive is used by residents of the region on the daily commute. The strong growth in recent years, settlement Glade Park can only be reached through the reserve.