Land's End Observatory is a ranger observatory on the rim of

Grand Mesa The Grand Mesa is a large mesa in western Colorado in the United States. It is the largest flat-topped mountain in the world. It has an area of about and stretches for about east of Grand Junction between the Colorado River and the Gunnison ...

Colorado Colorado is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States. It is one of the Mountain states, sharing the Four Corners region with Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah. It is also bordered by Wyoming to the north, Nebraska to the northeast, Kansas ...

. It is accessible from the

Grand Mesa Scenic and Historic Byway The Grand Mesa National Scenic Byway is a National Scenic Byway, National Forest Scenic Byway, and Colorado Scenic and Historic Byway located in Delta and Mesa counties, Colorado, USA. The byway traverses Grand Mesa, the most extensive flat ...

via Land's End Road, which is about half paved and half gravel. The observatory is about 10 miles west of

Colorado State Highway 65 State Highway 65 (SH 65) is a state highway in Colorado that crosses the Grand Mesa. The highway along with a road to Lands End Overlook were designated as the Grand Mesa National Scenic Byway in 1996. SH 65's southern terminus is at ...

. Land's End Road descends as an all-gravel road from the observatory down to

U.S. Route 50 U.S. Route 50 or U.S. Highway 50 (US 50) is a major east–west route of the U.S. Highway system, stretching from Interstate 80 (I-80) in West Sacramento, California, to Maryland Route 528 (MD 528) in Ocean City, Maryland, on the Atlantic ...

, and the observatory can be accessed from that direction as well. The observatory was built by the

United States Forest Service The United States Forest Service (USFS) is an agency within the United States Department of Agriculture, U.S. Department of Agriculture. It administers the nation's 154 United States National Forest, national forests and 20 United States Natio ...

and the

Works Progress Administration The Works Progress Administration (WPA; from 1935 to 1939, then known as the Work Projects Administration from 1939 to 1943) was an American New Deal agency that employed millions of jobseekers (mostly men who were not formally educated) to car ...

in 1936-37, with some assistance from two

Civilian Conservation Corps The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) was a voluntary government unemployment, work relief program that ran from 1933 to 1942 in the United States for unemployed, unmarried men ages 18–25 and eventually expanded to ages 17–28. The CCC was ...

(CCC) side camps. A large viewing area outside the building provides a panoramic view of western Colorado and eastern Utah. As of 2022, the observatory building itself is closed and boarded up. From the U. S. Forest Service sign outside the building:

You have reached Land's End Observatory on Colorado's highest mesa, the Grand Mesa, 10,500 feet above sea level. Built in 1936-37 by the United States Forest Service and the Works Progress Administration (WPA), the observatory reflects the rustic style of architecture found in public buildings throughout the national parks and forests. It is marked by simplicity and craftsmanship, appearing to grow out of the earth rather than intrude upon it. Basalt stones were selected from the mesa and carefully fitted together to form the walls and terrace. Wood shingles were hand- sawn. The original, handcrafted woodwork can still be found inside. Most of the WPA workers who toiled here during the Great Depression are unknown, the observatory remains their legacy.

Land's End Road was once known as the Veterans' Road. When the Great Depression left many World War I veterans unemployed, President Roosevelt responded by opening the already created Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) to include them. Thus, between June 1933 and May 1934, the 200 veterans who were brought to Land's End camp completed 9.2 miles of road. They were paid a dollar a day for their work. Ranging in age from thirty-three to fifty-five, the veterans were hailed as "a remarkable group of men, skilled in almost every imaginable trade." They lived in army tents roughly eleven miles below the mesa rim while clearing the brush for the road. The toughest part of the Land's Ends Road, from the Wild Road Picnic Area to the rim, was completed over the next two summers by Civil Service machine operators and a few civilian workers hired by the United States Forest Service. "Built the whole road," said the project engineer, "blasting and all, without injuries."

References

External links

Grand Mesa National Forest
- official site with visiting information * - extensive detail on the building * {{National Register of Historic Places Government buildings on the National Register of Historic Places in Colorado Buildings and structures in Mesa County, Colorado Tourist attractions in Mesa County, Colorado Rustic architecture in Colorado Civilian Conservation Corps in Colorado Works Progress Administration in Colorado National Register of Historic Places in Mesa County, Colorado 1937 establishments in Colorado