Geology

Fifty-five million years ago, this place was a tropical hardwood forest. The forest and ancient soils were later covered by white sandstone from uplifted and later eroded Pikes Peak Granite, known as the Dawson Arkose Formation. Wind and rain weathered its stone and clay layers into badlands, breaks, gullies, and hoodoos, the fanciful stone and clay spires seen here. This unusual geology, possibly one of only four such areas in Colorado, has drawn visitors for thousands of years to collect stone for tools, mine clay for pottery and bricks, and simply enjoy the area.

Colorado · United States