John Otto Climbs Independence Monument

Colorado National Monument

Independence Monument and Wedding Canyon form the floor of the sky at Colorado National Monument.

Photo © Stewart M. Green

The Colorado River drifts through the Grand Valley in western Colorado, meandering past cottonwood-lined banks, peach orchards, and the towns of Palisade, Grand Junction, and Fruita. Cliffs and mountains hem the river into the broad valley—the Book Cliffs across the north; Grand Mesa, the world’s largest flat-topped mountain, rises to the east; and the Uncompahgre Plateau looms to the south. Along the plateau’s northern edge, abrupt cliff-lined canyons dip north toward the river. These canyons and their precipitous rims, carved from sandstone strata draped over the plateau, are protected in 32-square-mile Colorado National Monument.

Index: John Otto Climbs Independence Monument

1. Colorado National Monument
2. The Monument's Geology
3. John Otto: Father of Colorado National Monument
4. John Otto Loved the American Flag
5. John Otto's Ladder of Pipes
6. The Grand Junction Daily News Reports on Otto's Feat
7. John Otto Unfurls Old Glory Atop Independence Monument
8. Climbing Otto's Route Today