Happy birthday, Colorado National Monument. Today you celebrate being 111 years young.

Take a look at 111 years of awesomeness right out of Western Colorado.

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Happy 111th Birthday to the Colorado National Monument

Can you believe it was 111 years ago today, May 24, 1911, President William H. Taft used the Antiquities Act to create the Colorado National Monument?

How Will We Celebrate?

In lieu of cake and ice cream and paper party hats, Terri Ahern will present a special exhibit, "Then and Now," today (Tuesday, May 24, 2022)  from 2 to 4 pm in the Visitor Center.

Other Notable Events From The Year 1911

What was happening in the world at the time when the Colorado National Monument came into being? Wiliam H. Taft was President. James S. Sherman was Vice President. At the time, the population of the United States of America was 93,863,000 people. The population of planet Earth was 4.378 billion at that time. The cost of a first-class postage stamp was .02 cents.

According to Infoplease, some of the major events of 1911 included:

  • The first use of aircraft as an offensive weapon occurs in Turkish-Italian War. Italy defeats the Turks and annexes Libya.
  • Roald Amundsen becomes the first man to reach the South Pole.
  • U.S. explorer Hiram Bingham discovers Incan city of Machu Picchu.
    The first feature film is released when the two reels of D.W. Griffith's Enoch Arden are screened together.
  • British physicist Ernest Rutherford discovers the structure of an atom.
  • American geneticist Thomas Morgan shows that inherited factors are represented by genes placed at specific sites along a chromosome.

Other Interesting Facts of This Day In 1911

  • The day the Colorado National Monument was established, May 24, 1911, was a Wednesday.
  • The top three songs in the United States were:
    • Harry Tally - Come, Josephine, in My Flying Machine
    • Billy Murray - To the Strains of That Wedding March (It's a Long, Long Walk)
    • John Barnes Wells - The Story of the Rose
  • People were heading to the cinemas to see Dante's Inferno starring Salvatore Papa and Aurturo Pirovano.

The Colorado National Monument at 111 Years Old

According to irma.nps.gov, 3,000 people visited the Colorado National Monument back in 1919. By 1940 that grew to 39,316. By the year 2021, the Colorado National Monument was visited by 499,841. Since the date of its birth, May 24, 1911, excluding the number of people who've visited so far in 2022, the Colorado National Monument has seen a total of 25,313,064 visitors.

5 Fun Trails You Can Do in One Day at the Colorado National Monument

See some of the best features inside the National Monument by selecting these short to moderate trails that can all be done in one day or separately.

Photos: The Hike Into Beautiful Echo Canyon at the Colorado National Monument

Located just off the Devil's Kitchen trails system, you'll find the path to the incredible Echo Canyon. This beautiful trail sends you up and over several smooth rocks before descending down into a beautiful box canyon that sometimes hides a waterfall.

Horse Ranch Airbnb Sits On Top of the Colorado National Monument

Check out these rustic cabins available on top of the Colorado National Monument via Airbnb.com. This affordable overnight is just 30 minutes from Grand Junction and offers an amazing view of the Monument you may have never seen before.

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