Colorado National Monument
near the city of Grand Junction
Mesa County, Colorado
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A semi-desert environment high on the Colorado Plateau, the area hosts a wide range of wildlife, including pinyon pines, juniper trees, ravens, jays, Desert Bighorn Sheep, and coyotes.
The park became more well known in the 1980s partly due to its inclusion as a stage of the major international bicycle race, the Coors Classic. The race through the park became known as "The Tour of the Moon", due to the spectacular landscapes the race passed through on Rim Rock Drive.
Colorado National Monument Categories
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The area was established as Colorado National Monument on May 24, 1911. To ensure protection of the canyons, President William Howard Taft used the the Antiquities Act and a presidential proclamation to declare the canyons as a national monument.
