Some Unique Natural Features of Colorado

Black Canyon of the Gunnison - 15 miles NE of Montrose
Nearly one-half mile deep, this is one of the deepest and narrowest canyons in North America. Sunlight seldom reaches the walls of dark grey gneiss and schist the canyon is named for. The Gunnison River took 2 million years to form the chasm. Painted Wall, the highest cliff in the state at 2,700 feet, is here.

Box Canyon Falls - Ouray City Park
Canyon Creek eroded a fault through which water appears to emerge from the center of solid rock to fall 285 feet into a box canyon below.

Bridal Veil Falls - Telluride
Highest falls in the state at over 350 feet.

Cave of the Winds - Manitou Springs
Named for the near constant sound of blowing wind, this limestone cave dates from the Ice Ages. Impressive stalactites and stalagmites.

Chimney Rock Archeological Area - San Juan National Forest (see photo at top of this page)
1200 foot twin sandstone pinnacles, sacred to prehistoric Native Americans. Excavated settlement ruins, National Historic Site.

Colorado National Monument - Fruita
Weird formations, towering monoliths, sheer-walled canyons, dinosaur fossils and remains of prehistoric Native American cultures. Balanced Rock, Independence Monument, Window Rock.

Continental Divide - Monarch Pass
Almost 700 miles of the imaginary line dividing the Atlantic and Pacific watersheds in Colorado. Grays Peak (14,270 feet) is the highest point on the Divide. Continental Divide National Scenic Trail is currently under construction.

Curecanti Needle - Curecanti National Recreation Area
This pyramid shaped rock rises dramatically from the narrowness of the Black Canyon to a height of 800 feet. Several overlooks.

Devil's Causeway - Routt National Forest
Quarter-mile-long rock bridge, only inches wide, with thousand-foot sheer dropoffs on both sides.

Dinosaur National Monument - Dinosaur
Semidesert climate and associated flora and fauna work with the sandstone canyon countryside to hide the remains of many dinosaurs. Gates of Lodore, Echo Park, Split Mountain, Whirlpool Canyon. Dinosaur Quarry, 7 miles north of Jensen, Utah, is the only place to view dinosaur bones.

Dolores Canyon - Gateway
Variegated layers of rock showcase the area's rich geologic history. Part of the Colorado Plateau. Hanging Flume, several overlooks.

Eldorado Springs Canyon - Eldorado Canyon State Park
850 foot vertical sandstone cliffs internationally known for technical rock climbing.

Flatiron Rock Formation - Boulder
These steeply uptilted rock slabs consist of eroded sediments from the Ancestral Rockies shifted upward by the formation of the present Rockies.

Florissant Fossil Beds - Florissant
Fossilized by 500,000 years of volcanic activity and resultant mudflows, this ancient lakebed has now been exposed by erosion. Fossilized insects, plants, fish and mammals.

Garden of the Gods - Colorado Springs
Spectacular variety of erosion-carved hogbacks and ridges as old as 300 million years. Cathedral Spires and Balanced Rock are among the fantastic shapes in this City Park, Registered Natural Landmark.

Gates of Lodore - Dinosaur National Monument
The Green River began carving Douglas Mountain here. The “Gates” are isolated rock formations at the mouth of the Canyon of Lodore. The Canyon walls quickly reach of a height/depth of 3300 feet.

Glenwood Canyon - Glenwood Springs
A very scenic 15 mile long, 1800 foot deep gorge carved by the Colorado River. Sections of the exposed rock are Precambrian and estimated to be 600 million years old.

Glenwood Hot Springs Vapor Caves - Glenwood Springs
These caves disovered by the Ute Indians became a holy site due to the reputed healing powers of the vapors emitted by mineral springs flowing through cracks in the rock.

Gothic Natural Area - Gunnison National Forest
High altitude flora and fauna in a primitive wilderness study area at the site of an old mining town. Maintained by Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory.

Grand Lake - Rocky Mountain National Park
400 feet deep, 1.5 miles long, 1 mile wide, the largest glacial lake in Colorado. Adjacent to Arapaho National Recreation Area, headwaters of the Colorado River.

Grand Mesa - Grand Mesa National Forest
At 10,000 feet high and over 50 square miles, this is one of the largest plateaus in the US. Protected from erosion by a top layer of volcanic rock, Grand Mesa suggests the original elevation of the area before erosion washed the surrounding areas away. Over 200 alpine lakes are scattered across the mesa surface.

Great Dikes of the Spanish Peaks - La Veta
With the West Spanish Peak at the center, hundreds of intrusive igneous rock walls radiate like spokes of a wheel across the countryside, some reaching 100 feet high and up to 14 miles long.

Great Sand Dunes - 30 m. NE of Alamosa
At over 700 feet, these are the tallest sand dunes in North America. They were formed by the wind blowing across the San Luis Valley toward the Sangre de Cristo Mountains.

Hanging Lake - White River National Forest
Lake contained in a rock bowl on the canyon wall. The original lakebed was located on the fault and dropped into the valley below.

Lizard Head Peak - Lizard Head Wilderness
400 foot volcanic promontory atop Lizard Head Mountain. Difficult climb.

Longs Peak - Rocky Mountain National Park
14,225 foot peak, northernmost 14er in the Rockies, visible from 100 miles. The 2000 foot sheer granite face is the result of Ice Age glaciation.

Marble Quarry - Marble
One of the largest and finest quality marble deposits in the world. Although heavily quarried in the early 1900's, much marble remains in its natural state and the site is presently inactive.

Maroon Bells - Maroon Bells - Snowmass Wilderness Area
In a state full of granitic mountains, these are rare sedimentary peaks. However, because of the relatively unstable composition, these peaks are very difficult to climb. Maroon Bells with Maroon Lake in the foreground may be the most photographed spot in Colorado.

McPhee Park - San Juan National Forest
Virgin stand of of yellow bark Ponderosa pine set aside for protection in 1925.

Mt. Elbert - San Isabel National Forest
14,433 feet, tallest peak in the state. Mt. Elbert is classed as a “walk-up” with several trails starting in heavily wooded terrain, continuing through the alpine tundra and into the high snowfields.

Mt. Garfield - Palisade
Easternmost peak of the Little Book Cliffs. While the mesa top is composed of sandstone, the slopes are composed of Mancos Shale, a soft, grey sedimentary rock which crumbles easily. The landscape is evocative of mesa country with its barren, desolate appearance.

Mt. Goliath Natural Area - Arapaho National Forest
Located along the Mt. Evans Highway, the Mt. Goliath Trail winds through alpine and subalpine regions including a stand of bristlecone pines more than 1500 years old at elevations around 12,000 feet.

Nokhu Crags - Colorado State Forest
Northernmost peaks of the Never Summer Range, scenic overlooks, dramatic rock projections.

Ouray Hot Springs - Ouray
Because of its stunning scenery, Ouray is known as “the Switzerland of America”. The majority of hot springs in the area are highly mineralized and radioactive although there are some good springs in town.

Pawnee Buttes - Pawnee National Grassland
250-foot-high twin buttes projecting abruptly from a flat plain. The unusual sedimentary composition of the buttes has protected them from the elements. Vertebrate fossils.

Pikes Peak - Pike National Forest
This highly visited peak is only the 31st highest in the state at 14,110 feet. Notable because of its dramatic lone presence on the edge of the Eastern Plains. National Historic Landmark.

Rainbow/Wolf Creek Pass Hot Spring - Weminuche Wilderness
One of the last undeveloped hot springs in Colorado. With a water temperature slightly over 100 degrees, the spring is located at 10,000 feet on the banks of the West Fork of the San Juan River.

Rattlesnake Canyon - Fruita
Second largest group of natural stone arches in the world. Remote site.

Red Rocks - Denver
400 foot high, 65 million year old sandstone monoliths. This one-time prehistoric ocean bed was tipped vertical by the uplift of the Rocky Mountains. Natural rock amphitheater.

Rifle Falls - Rifle Falls State Park
This triple waterfall feeds an uncommonly lush environment in an otherwise arid area. There are many small limestone caves in the area for the novice explorer.

Royal Gorge - Canon City
1,200 foot deep rock canyon with nearly vertical walls. Suspension bridge, aerial tramway, incline railway, city park.

Slumgullion Earthflow - Gunnison National Forest
700 years ago unstable volcanic rock and mud began to flow into the nearby valley, caused by considerable rainfall and high temperatures. Lake San Cristobal formed when the earthflow blocked the Lake Branch of the Gunnison River. Trees standing at irregular angles show that the earthflow is still moving at the rate of about 20 feet per year.

Spanish Peaks - La Veta
7,000 foot high remnants of a 25 million year old would-be volcano. Primarily igneous composition with intruded layers of sedimentary rock. Guiding landmark for travelers on the Mountain Branch of the Santa Fe Trail.

St. Mary's Glacier - 12 m. NW of Idaho Springs
10 acre permanent snowfield at 11,000 feet offers year-round skiing, hiking, camping. St. Mary's Lake, several trails.

Steamboat Hot Springs - Steamboat Springs
This area was originally called “Yampa” (Big Medecine) by the Ute Undians but was renamed for the sound emitted from the blowhole of one spring. Over 150 springs have been counted in the extended area, most near to the Yampa River.

Wheeler Geologic Area - Rio Grande National Forest
Former National Monument (abandoned for financial reasons) composed of weird rock formations of light grey volcanic tuff, eroded over thousands of years into domes, pinnacles, canyons, and arches. Accessible by foot trail only.

Windy Ridge Bristlecone Pines - Pike National Forest
Ancient stand of wind-gnarled bristlecone pines. One tree in Nevada is estimated to be more than 4500 years old, making it the world's oldest living organism.

Zapata Falls - BLM recreation area near Rio Grande National Forest just south of the Great Sand Dunes
Zapata Creek has cut a watercourse through an ancient glacial dike resulting in a waterfall that is quite often completely frozen - blue ice. The falls is hidden way inside a cave and you approach it by walking on the ice.

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