Colorado National Monument - Independence Monument

Independence Monument is a famous landmark in Colorado National Monument. This view is from Otto's Trail. A small Utah Juniper is in the foreground. In the early 20th Century, John Otto lived in the area andlead a campaign with the citizens of Grand Junction to convince the government to establish the park. He served as the park's custodian starting when it became a national monument in 1911, and served until 1927 (NPS, 2010).