Welcome to Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument
A beautiful mountain valley just west of Pikes Peak holds spectacular
remnants of the earth's prehistoric life. Huge petrified redwoods and
incredibly detailed fossils of ancient insects and plants reveal a very
different Colorado of long ago. Almost 35 million years ago, enormous
volcanic eruptions buried the then-lush valley and petrified the redwood
trees that grew there. A lake formed in the valley and the fine-grained
sediments at its bottom became the final resting-place for thousands of
insects and plants. These sediments compacted into layers of shale and
preserved the delicate details of these organisms as fossils. The Florissant
Fossil Beds are world-renowned, and in 1969 were set aside as a part of
our National Park System; Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument.
Operating Hours &
Seasons
Daily, 9:00 a.m.
to 5:00 p.m.
Closed Thanksgiving, Christmas Day, and New Years Day
Communities
Surrounding Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument
Note: The times listed below are approximate driving times to the park.
A beautiful mountain valley just west of Pikes Peak holds spectacular
remnants of the earth's prehistoric life. Huge petrified redwoods and
incredibly detailed fossils of ancient insects and plants reveal a very
different Colorado of long ago. Almost 35 million years ago, enormous
volcanic eruptions buried the then-lush valley and petrified the redwood
trees that grew there. A lake formed in the valley and the fine-grained
sediments at its bottom became the final resting-place for thousands of
insects and plants. These sediments compacted into layers of shale and
preserved the delicate details of these organisms as fossils. The Florissant
Fossil Beds are world-renowned, and in 1969 were set aside as a part of
our National Park System; Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument.