Where - 2018 map

View a map of the Colorado Plateau.

Where - 4 corners states (title)

Our work in the Four Corners region
Image
Ed Moss

Where - CO plateau geology

Geologically speaking

Think of the Colorado Plateau as a layer cake of rock — sandstones stacked on shales, stacked on mudstones, stacked on sandstones. As geologic forces thrust these rock layers thousands of feet above sea level, they remained relatively unbroken. Then over millions of years, erosion sculpted the landscape into a maze of canyons, mesas, buttes, and a few isolated mountains.

Where - fun facts (header)

Fun Facts about the Colorado Plateau

Where - Fun facts about CP

Mt. Ellen, Henry Mountains

Last to be mapped

The Escalante River and the Henry Mountains, both on the plateau, were the last river and mountain range to be mapped in the lower 48. 

Ponderosa Pine, north rim Grand Canyon

So many ponderosas

The Colorado Plateau contains the largest ponderosa pine forest in the world. We're helping restore it. Learn more about the Four Forests Restoration Initiative ›

Pando Clone, Fishlake National Forest, Utah

Largest organism on Earth

Weighing in at nearly 13 million pounds, the Pando aspen clone is the largest living organism on Earth, and it's located on the plateau. Find out what we're doing to protect it ›

where - Fun Facts CP (2)

Uinta Mountains, Utah

Desert to alpine climates

Elevations on the Colorado Plateau range from 1,100 feet at Lake Mead to over 13,500 feet in the Uinta Mountains. Learn about our on-the-ground restoration efforts ›

Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument

Volcanic landscape

The largest volcanic field in the continental U.S. is found on the Colorado Plateau, with more than 600 volcanoes, cinder cones, and vents near Flagstaff, Arizona.

Grand Canyon, photo by Ed Moss

Parks and monuments

The Colorado Plateau has the greatest concentration of national parks and monuments in the country. Plan your next adventure ›

Image

Where - CPE

What's the Colorado Plateau all about?

Find out on foot! The best way to learn about the Colorado Plateau is to spend time in its canyons, mountains, and desert lands. So take a hike, go camping, plan a road trip, and experience the landscapes we work so hard to protect. Get out there ›

Where - explore our work

Find out what we're doing to protect and restore the Colorado Plateau

ON THE BLOG

03/13/24

The new Grand Canyon national monument allows traditional uses like hunting and ranching to continue.

Read More
03/5/24

Beneath the bathtub ring at Lake Powell, native plants are flourishing, cultural sites are resurfacing, and whitewater rapids are returning.

Read More
02/27/24

A pair of lawsuits signals a political attack on the popular new Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni National Monument.

Read More
Copyright © 2024 Grand Canyon Trust