The following information and more can be found in our Foundation Document (9.28 MB PDF). For regulations related to visiting the monument, review the Superintendent's Compendium of Regulations.
Purpose Statement
The purpose of Colorado National Monument is to provide for the preservation, understanding, and enjoyment of its natural and cultural resources as showcased by its extraordinary erosional, geological, and historical landscapes reflective of the northern Colorado Plateau and of great scientific interest.
Significance Statements
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Colorado National Monument exposes and preserves three different groups of rock and sediment—the first is the Early to Middle Proterozoic gneiss and schist; then the horizontally bedded Mesozoic sedimentary rocks; and the youngest being the various types of Quaternary deposits such as alluvium, colluvium, and dunes reflecting two billion years of Earth history. Wind and water erosion continues to form and reveal spectacular land forms and viewsheds of canyons, plateaus, and towering monoliths at the northeastern gateway of the Colorado Plateau.
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Colorado National Monument preserves and protects representative examples of intact high desert ecosystems of the Colorado Plateau, providing opportunities for scientific studies.
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Colorado National Monument preserves and protects cultural, physical, paleontological, biological, and geological resources and values for education, interpretation, and enjoyment within a growing urban community.
Enabling Legislation
What is "enabling legislation"?
A natural, historical, or recreational area becomes a unit of the National Park System by a Congressional Act or by Presidential Proclamation under the 1906 Antiquities Act. These instruments are often refered to as the System unit's "enabling legislation." The enabling legislation establishes the purpose, boundaries, and operating conditions that may apply to the specific unit. As part of a System unit's statement of purpose, certain uses may be identified, such as the continuation of pre-existing uses. As provided in the 1916 Act to establish a National Park Service, and for other purposes (also called the "Organic Act") and through subsequent amendments, the National Park Service must manage each System unit in accordance with its enabling legislation.
Colorado National Monument was established by Presidential Proclamation No. 1126, on May 24, 1911, 37 Stat. 1681 by President William Howard Taft.
BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,
A PROCLAMATION.
WHEREAS, in Mesa County, Colorado, the extraordinary examples of erosion are of great scientific interest, and it appears that the public interest would be promoted by reserving these natural formations as a National Monument, together with as much public land as may be necessary for the proper protection thereof;
Now, therefore, I, William H. Taft, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the power in me vested by Section Two of the Act of Congress entitled, "An Act for the Preservation of American Antiquities", approved June 8, 1906, do proclaim that there are hereby reserved from all forms of appropriation, under the public land laws, subject to prior, valid, adverse claims, and set apart as the Colorado National Monument, all the tracts of land in the State of Colorado shown upon the diagram hereto attached and made a part hereof, and more particularly described as follows, to wit:
[description of area boundaries]
Warning is hereby expressly given to all unauthorized persons not to appropriate, injure or destroy any of the objects hereby reserved and declared to be a National Monument, or to locate or settle upon any of the lands reserved and made a part of said Monument by this proclamation.
In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and caused the seal of the United States to be affixed.
Done at the city of Washington this 24th day of May, in the year of our Lord one thousand nine hundred and eleven, and of the Independence of the United States the one hundred and thirty-fifth.
Wm H Taft
By the President:
P C Knox
Secretary of State.
The boundary included 13,833.06 acres. Land was added to the boundary by Presidential Proclamation No. 2037, March 3, 1933, 47 Stat. 2563 by President Herbert Hoover.
COLORADO NATIONAL MONUMENT-COLORADO
BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
A PROCLAMATION
WHEREAS it appears that the public interest would be promoted by adding to the Colorado National Monument, Colo., certain adjoining lands for the purpose of including within said monument additional lands on which there are located features of historical and scientific interest and for the protection of the Rim Road and for administration purposes;
Now, THEREFORE, I, HERBERT HOOVER, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the power in me vested by section 2 of the act of Congress entitled "AN ACT For the preservation of American antiquities," approved June 8, 1906 (34 Stat. 225), do proclaim that, subject to all valid existing rights, such additional lands in Colorado be, and the same are hereby, added to and made a part of the Colorado National Monument, and that the boundaries of the said monument as hereby changed are described as follows:
[description of area boundaries]
Warning is hereby expressly given to all unauthorized persons not to appropriate, injure, destroy, or remove any feature of this monument and not to locate or settle upon any of the lands thereof.
The Director of the National Park Service, under the direction of the Secretary of the Interior, shall have the supervision, management, and control of this monument, as provided in the act of Congress entitled "AN ACT To establish a National Park Service, and for other purposes," approved August 25, 1916 (39 Stat. 535-536), and acts additional thereto or amendatory thereof.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and caused the seal of the United States to be affixed.
DONE at the City of Washington this 3d day of March, in the year of our Lord nineteen hundred and thirty-three, and of the Independence of the United States of America the one hundred and fifty-seventh.
HERBERT HOOVER
By the President:
Henry L Stimson
Secretary of State.
The boundary was changed again by Presidential Proclamation No. 3307, August 7, 1959, by President Dwight D. Eisenhower, this time to exclude lands. The excluded lands remained within the Department of Interior (eventually BLM); however, two tracts excluded from the boundary remained in NPS ownership.
EXCLUDING CERTAIN LANDS FROM AND ADDING CERTAIN LANDS TO THE COLORADO NATIONAL MONUMENT
BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
A PROCLAMATION
WHEREAS it appears that it would be in the public interest to exclude from the Colorado National Monument, in Colorado, certain lands which are not necessary for the proper care, management, and protection of the objects of scientific interest situated on the lands within the monument; and
WHEREAS it appears that it would also be in the public interest to add to such monument certain adjoining public lands and lands donated to the United States which are needed for administrative purposes and for the proper care, management, and protection of the objects of scientific interest situated on lands now within the monument:
NOW, THEREFORE, I, DWIGHT D. EISENHOWER, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by section 2 of the act of June 8, 1906, 34 Stat. 225 (16 U.S.C. 431), do proclaim as follows:
The following-described lands in the State of Colorado are hereby excluded from the Colorado National Monument:
[description of area boundaries]
The lands hereby excluded from the monument shall not be subject to application, location, settlement, entry, or other forms of appropriation under the public-land laws or disposal under other laws until further order of an authorized officer of the Department of the Interior.
Subject to valid existing rights, the following-described lands in the State of Colorado are hereby added to and reserved as parts of the Colorado National Monument and shall be subject to all laws, rules, and regulations applicable to that monument:
[description of area boundaries]
The Executive order of January 27, 1913, creating Power Site Reserve No. 335, is hereby revoked to the extent that it affects any of the above-described lands added to the monument.
As affected by the exclusions and additions made by this proclamation, the boundaries of the Colorado National Monument are as follows:
[description of area boundaries]
Warning is hereby expressly given to all unauthorized persons not to appropriate, injure, destroy, or remove any feature of this monument and not to locate or settle upon any of the lands thereof.
Proclamation No. 1126 of May 24, 1911, establishing the Colorado National Monument, as revised by Proclamation No. 2037 of March 3, 1933, is amended accordingly.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and caused the Seal of the United States of America to be affixed.
DONE at the City of Washington this seventh day of August in the year of our Lord nineteen hundred and fifty-nine, and of the Independence of the United States of America the one hundred and eighty-fourth.
DWIGHT D. EISENHOWER
By the President:
Christian A. Herter,
Secretary of State.
Congress expanded the boundaries on October 21, 1976, in Section 302 of Public Law 94-578. It authorized Colorado National Monument to acquire areas of scenic, historic, and geologic significance in No Thoroughfare Canyon and Red Canyon, not to exceed 2,800 acres.
PUBLIC LAW 94-578—OCT. 21, 1976
Sec. 302 (a) The Secretary of the Interior is authorized to designate by publication of a map or other boundary description in the Federal Register certain areas of scenic, historic, and geological significance including portions of No Thoroughfare Canyon and Red Canyon, but not to exceed two thousand eight hundred acres, for addition to Colorado National Monument, Colorado. Within the areas so designated the Secretary may acquire lands and interests therein by donation, purchase with donated or appropriated funds, or exchange. Property so acquired and any Federal property so designated shall thereupon become part of the Colorado National Monument, subject to the laws and regulations applicable to the monument.
