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Independence Monument
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When John Otto, an expert trail builder and the first caretaker of Colorado National Monument, boldly scrambled up Independence Monument on July 4, 1911, he launched a patriotic tradition that continues to this day. The Grand Junction Daily News reported Otto’s ambitious climb this way: "Inch by inch, foot by foot, daring intrepid John Otto, creeping up the giant sides of Independence Monument, the highest and most noble eminence of rock in all Monument Canyon… It is a perilous piece of work he is doing and he should receive great recognition for his feat when he reaches the summit."
Independence Monument is all that remains of a continuous ridge that once formed a wall between Monument and Wedding Canyons. A cap of durable Kayenta rock has protected this picturesque 450 feet (137 meters) high monolith from the relentless erosion that carried away the surrounding rock.
Source: National Park Service
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