Originally named by John Wesley Powell, the Colorado Plateau comprises a series of tablelands (plateaus or mesas) located within an immense basin surrounded by highlands. Stream valleys that are typically narrow and widely spaced dissect the region, as do larger valleys, including the most spectacular – the Grand Canyon.

The Grand Canyon is the largest stream valley dissecting the tablelands of the Colorado Plateau The Grand Canyon is the largest stream valley dissecting the tablelands of the Colorado Plateau

NPS / Kristen M. Caldon