Garden of the Gods
"Those who dwell among the beauties and mysteries of the earth are never alone or weary of life." ~Rachel Carson
This unique land in Colorado has drawn people from all over the world to experience its natural beauty. Garden of the Gods has formally been a public park since 1909. The Ute Indians were natives of the mountains in Colorado and Utah, including the Garden of the Gods area. As the Europeans spread further west, other Indian tribes came to live in and hunt in the region, including the Apache, Comanche, Cheyenne and Arapaho.
The Garden of the Gods is made up of sedimentary rocks. The softer shale has been eroded, leaving conglomerate and sandstone. Over 300 million years ago, as the Ancestral Rocky Mountains eroded, sediments were deposited and created conglomerate rock. Ancient deserts 245-270 million years ago are the source of the sandstone (seen in the photo above). During the Cretaceous Period, 70-135 million years ago, the area was covered (at times) by a sea. Shale was formed from this environment, and many aquatic fossils have been found here. Many dinosaur fossils have also been found within the Garden of the Gods, including a unique dinosaur, called Theiophytalia kerri, discovered in 1886.
These rock formations, called fins, are composed of "Dakota Sandstone" hundreds of millions of years old. It was pushed upward into vertical positions by the granite beneath it; the granite which formed the "front ranges" of the Rocky Mountains, including Pike's Peak, some 65 million years ago. The photo above is the most interesting rock formation at the Garden of the Gods, in my opinion. Notice how the space between the rock goes back several feet. It's hard to believe that this was once horizontal sedimentary rock!
I have fond memories of trying to climb the enomous rocks as a child. For me, it was the best part of our visit to Colorado. It was great to bring my own children here this summer. The rocks haven't changed much, but there is a state-of-the-art visitor's center offering educational opportunities, shopping, and a cafe. You could spend the day among the different rock formations and looking for wildlife. We saw a deer only a few feet from our car; it was definitely used to visitors. Several picnic tables and grills are available as well as fifteen miles of trails throughout the park.
"We had so much fun at the Garden of the Gods! Geology is fun!"
Garden of the Gods Visitors Center
Pikes Peak Country Attractions
Back to Geology
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