By: Judith Kohler, Associated Press
COLORADO NATIONAL MONUMENT, CO (AP).- Just off Interstate 70 in western Colorado is a 32-square-mile collection of towering red-stone monoliths, deep canyons and a road that cuts through nearly 2 billion years of geology. Colorado National Monument might not get the attention of its better-known neighbors in Utah’s canyon lands. But it’s increasingly popular with cyclists, runners, rock climbers and cross-country skiers, and there’s growing interest in getting Congress to declare the monument a national park as it approaches its 100th anniversary. It was proclaimed a national monument May 24, 1911. The centennial-year celebration kicks off New Year’s Eve in the park with fireworks, and U.S. Sen. Mark Udall, D-Colo., has begun soliciting public comment on the national park idea. “Our name has been a challenge,” says Michelle Wheatley, chief of interpretation and visitor services. “Because i