National Park officials are gearing up for a year-long celebration as Colorado National Monument approaches its 100th birthday in 2011.

The first-ever Serpents Trail Centennial Challenge is planned for Saturday, May 1, with registration fees going to the Colorado National Monument Association, and to support public events for the park's centennial.

Two events are planned for the day: The Serpents Tour, from 8 a.m. to noon, is an invitation to take a leisurely hike up and down the Serpents Trail, with kid-friendly activities along the way.

For more experienced or ambitious hikers, the Serpents Endurance Challenge will take place from 7 a.m. to noon. Hikers are challenged to do as many trips as they can up and down the steep three-and-a-half mile round-trip Serpent Trail.

At the Devils Kitchen Picnic Area where the trail begins, there will be live music and refreshments.

The trail will be open that day only to participants in the Serpents Trail Centennial Challenge.

Colorado National Monument was proclaimed a national monument by President Taft under authority of the Antiquities Act. National Parks are equally protected, but are created by an act of Congress.

Colorado National Monument was the 25th unit protected in the entire National Park system. Today there are 392 units in the park system. Mesa Verde National Park was the first one set aside in Colorado, in 1906, followed by CNM, and Rocky Mountain National Park in 1916.

“Our visitation was greater than Rocky Mountain National Park up until 1955,” said CNM superintendent Joan Anzelmo.

Other activities were held at the monument last week for District 51 third graders. Park ranger Michelle Wheatley supervised National Junior Ranger Days at Devils Canyon Picnic Area. Grants secured by the national monument paid for the bus transportation of the school kids.

“Last year when we did National Junior Ranger Day, we had children who had never hiked before, so we started incorporating a short hike on Serpents Trail,” Anzelmo said.

At the end of the day the students made a campfire and cooked s'mores. By the end of last week, nearly 1,000 kids spent a morning at the monument. For some it was their first visit, Anzelmo said.

Saturday's May 1 event is open to hikers of all ages and abilities. Registration fees are $25 for adults; $90 for a team of four; $10 for youth 12 and under. Entry fees include admission to Colorado National Monument, aid stations along the hike, educational stations for kids, T-shirts (with adult fees), prizes and live music. People may register by visiting coloradonma.org or calling 858-3617, ext. 360.

The monument will start celebrating big, starting New Year's Eve 2010, Anzelmo said.

“It will be an activity-packed year at the monument to acknowledge our 100th anniversary,” she said.