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Colorado National Monument’s Wedding Canyon recalls the 1911 marriage of Beatrice Farnham and John Otto, the National Park’s champion and first custodian. The unconventional union lasted a short time, but the dramatic beauty of the canyon remains a favorite with park visitors. With expansive views of the canyon, generations of brides and grooms have repeated their vows at Book Cliffs Overlook.
A sandstone wall once separated Monument and Wedding canyons. Relentless erosion wore away the ridge until only a 450-foot-tall monolith remains – Independence Monument. The route up Independence Monument laid out by John Otto remains a popular rock-climbing challenge. Otto started a tradition of raising the U.S. flag atop the tower on the Fourth of July, a traditional that continues today as an annual fund-raiser for the Mesa County Search and Rescue Team. Climbers pay a fee to make the ascent and raise the flag atop Independence Monument. Rim Rock Drive, Grand View and Independence Monument View also offer visitors great photographic vistas. |
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