Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument

According to Western legend, an early fur trapper visiting the Florissant area in the mountains of central Colorado talked of a "petrified forest of petrified trees, full of petrified birds singing petrified songs." Today, Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument is internationally known for its collection of petrified insects. Even such delicate creatures as butterflies, trapped in rock for millions of years, are almost perfectly preserved, complete with antennae, legs, hairs, and wing patterns. The area also features petrified trees and plant fossils, revealing in stone a picture of life long ago.

Some 35 million years ago, the land was covered by a lake stretching 15 miles. Giant redwoods and other trees bordered the lake, while ferns and shrubs grew thick under the canopy of trees. In this warm, humid environment, many thousands of insects thrived.

©National Park Service The Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument, located in central Colorado, is internationally known for its collection of petrified insects.

A nearby volcano erupted periodically, showering the area with tons of ash, which trapped plants, animals, and insects at the bottom of the lake. As the ash compacted, it transformed into shale and eventually turned the buried plant and animal life into fossils.

Since the area was discovered in the late 1800s, more than 1,100 species of dragonflies, beetles, ants, and other insects have been identified here, including all of the known New World butterflies. The fossils indicate that insects 35 million years ago were much like those today. Fossils of some of the insects and plants found at the monument are on display inside the visitor center.

A highlight of the nearly 6,000-acre monument is the Petrified Forest Loop Trail, which leads to "Big Stump," the remains of a giant sequoia 74 feet in circumference. If the tree were alive today, it would be nearly 300 feet tall.

Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument Information

Address: U.S. Hwy 24 and Teller County Road 1
Telephone: 719/748-3253
Hours of Operation: Open daily, 9 a.m. - 5 p.m; closed Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's Day
Admission: adults, $3; children under 16, free

Learn about these other national monuments:

­Agate Fossil Beds National Monument	Colorado National Monument	George Washington Birthplace National Monument	Natural Bridges National Monument	Scotts Bluff National Monument
Alibates Flint Quarries National Monument	Devils Postpile National Monument	George Washington Carver National Monument	Ocmulgee National Monument	Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument
Aniakchak National Monument and Preserve	Dinosaur National Monument	Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument	Oregon Caves National Monument	Timpanogos Cave National Monument
Booker T. Washington National Monument	Effigy Mounds National Monument	Grand Portage National Monument	Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument	Tonto National Monument
Buck Island Reef National Monument	El Malpais National Monument	Hohokam Pima National Monument	Petroglyph National Monument	Tuzigoot National Monument
Cape Krusenstern National Monument	El Morro National Monument	Homestead National Monument	Pinnacles National Monument	Walnut Canyon National Monument
Capulin Volcano National Monument	Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument	Hovenweep National Monument	Pipe Spring National Monument	Wupatki National Monument
Casa Grande Ruins National Monument	Fort Frederica National Monument	Jewel Cave National Monument	Pipestone National Monument
Castle Clinton National Monument	Fort Matanzas National Monument	John Day Fossil Beds National Monument	Poverty Point National Monument
Cedar Breaks National Monument	Fort Stanwix National Monument	Lava Beds National Monument	Rainbow Bridge National Monument
Chiricahua National Monument	Fossil Butte National Monument	Montezuma Castle National Monument	Russell Cave National Monument

To learn more about national national monuments, memorials, and historic sites, and other travel destinations in North America, visit:

• National Monuments: Learn more about America's national monuments.
• National Memorials: Discover national memorials in the U.S.
• National Historic Sites: Read about American national historic sites.
• Colorado State Guide: Learn about Mobil Travel Guide-rated hotels and restaurants in Colorado as well as other recreational activities.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Eric Peterson is a Denver-based freelance writer who has contributed to numerous guidebooks about the Western United States.