Colorado National monument, located southwest of Grand Junction Colorado, is thirty-two miles of semi-desert plateau and canyon country. It is a fascinating landscape where natural rock sculptures have been carved out of the canyon by water, wind and ice erosion. In 1907 John Otto wrote “I came here last year and found these canyons, and they felt like the heart of the world to me. I’m going to stay and promote this place because it should be a national park.”People thought he was crazy to live alone in such a wild and desolate place but he loved the land and he built miles of trails through the canyons so others could enjoy the beauty he had found here. He urged the residents of Grand Junction to send letters and petitions to the politicians in Washington, DC. So in1911 the Colorado National Monument was established. John was named the park’s caretaker and held that job until 1927. Balanced Rock is a 600-ton boulder that was part of the canyon wall that has been eroded away and now it is left balanced precariously on a pedestal. |
