12 facts Colorado National Monument
- The area, where Colorado National Monument is established was initially explored by John Otto in early 20th century.
- The Colorado National Monument was established on May 24, 1911.
- The monument records an annual average of less than 12 inches of rain.
- The Monument comprises of as many as 14 hiking trails with varying lengths and difficulties to favor different kind of tastes.
- The monument spreads over an area of 20,500 acres (32 square miles).
- Its main attraction is Monument Canyon, which runs across the width of the park and includes rock formations such as Independence Monument, the Kissing Couple, and Coke Ovens.
- The main canyons of the Monument are No Thoroughfare Canyon, Red Canyon, Ute Canyon, and Monument Canyon.
- The canyons were single-handedly explored by John Otto, who built many miles of trails through the area.
- The Independence Monument is yet another fascinating structure, which is an isolated 450 foot tower of sandstone at the junction of two canyons.
- Coyotes, mountain lions, bobcats, desert bighorns, foxes, desert cottontails, squirrels, rattlesnakes, red-tailed hawks and golden eagles, ravens, desert bighorn sheep, red-spotted toad, chipmunks, antelope squirrels, Collared lizard etc are various other creatures one would find in Colorado Monument.
- The Colorado National Monument is governed by Colorado National Monument Association (CNMA), a non-profit organization, in association with the US National Park Service.
- Colorado is home to as many as 54 breeding songbird species and 9 breeding species of raptors. Many other migratory birds also make it their home mainly during winters and during migration.
