"Scenic view from atop Twin Rock" by U.S. National Park Service , public domain
![]() | Florissant Fossil BedsJunior Explorer - Geology of the Gold Belt Byway |
featured in
![]() | National Parks Pocket Maps | ![]() |
![]() | Colorado Pocket Maps | ![]() |
covered parks
This publication was produced by a collaboration between the
Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Royal Gorge Field Office,
the National Park Service (NPS) at Florissant Fossil Beds National
Monument, the Gold Belt Byway Association and the Geocorps
America program of the Geological Society of America. The activities
and content address Colorado Academic Standards (CAS) in
Earth and Life Science.
Written by Michael R. Johnson
Illustrated by Paige A. Latendresse
Updated by Andrew Smith
Public Lands Belong to You!
The BLM is a federal government agency that takes care
of more than 245 million acres of land. Most of these lands
are in the western part of the United States. These lands are
America’s public lands, and they belong to all Americans.
These public lands are almost equal in area to all the land in
the states of Texas and California put together.
The BLM manages public lands for many uses. The lands
supply natural resources, such as coal, oil, natural gas and
other minerals. The lands provide habitats for plants and
animals. People enjoy the big open spaces on public lands.
BLM lands also contain evidence of our country’s past,
ranging from fossils to Indian artifacts to ghost towns. On BLM
lands, fossil bones, teeth, turtle shells and other vertebrate
fossils must be left where they are, but clams, snails
and other invertebrates may be collected.
When in doubt, leave it be!
Junior Explorers
The BLM’s Junior Explorer program helps
introduce young explorers like you to the
lands and resources the BLM manages. This
guide to the Gold Belt Tour National Scenic
Byway will help you to understand what rocks
and fossils tell us about Earth’s past. You will
also visit several spectacular locations, and
learn where to find even more.
Earning Your Junior Explorer Badge
You can work through the activities with an older sibling, parent, or an adult you know. If you are 9-12 years old,
you can try them on your own. Each explorer should complete the number of activities that match their age (for
example, 10 year olds complete 10 activities).
At least one activity should be a special Onsite Activity (at Florissant or Skyline Drive). When you complete the activities,
check them against the Answer Key in the back of the booklet. Then say the Junior Explorer pledge on page 28 and sign
the certificate. You can take the certificate to the Visitor Center at Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument, or bring it or
mail it to: BLM Royal Gorge Field Office | 3028 E Main St., Cañon City, CO 81212 | phone: 719-269-8500.
2
Be a Scientist!
Rocks and fossils are a record of the
past. Geologists are scientists who
know how to read rocks like a book to
learn about the ancient surface of the
Earth. Paleontologists are scientists
who find fossils, and learn about life
on Earth long ago. In this guide, you
will learn how to read the rocks and
study fossils just like those scientists,
and then you can tell the story of how
Colorado has changed through time!
Maps can show
not just where
to go, but also
what you’ll find
there. Each site
in this book has
a certain color
that matches the
age of the rocks
at that site. Color
each site with its
special color
as you read
about it.
*Adults!
Detailed directions to each
location can
be found in
the back of this
book.
3
7
Gold Belt Byway
You will visit seven different places
in this book that you can also see in
person. These sites are part of the
Gold Belt Tour National Scenic Byway,
which is named for Colorado’s rich
mining history. But these rocks have
more than just gold to offer!
Visiting
BLM Lands
Many of these locations are on
public lands managed by the BLM.
You are welcome to visit, but please
remember that these lands belong
to all of us! As you read this book,
you will learn that there are rules for
collecting fossils on public lands. Be
sure to follow those rules so others
can enjoy the land too!
Fun Facts
Each of the seven places in this book has its own story to tell.
Florissant National Monument
The Florissant Fossil Beds were
discovered in the 1860s, but only
became a National Monument
in 1969 after a campaign led by
scientists and environmentalists
like Estella Leopold, Beatrice
Willard, and Vim Wright.
Shelf Road
The narrow, winding, Shelf Road
was the first road connecting
Cripple Creek to the Arkansas
River Valley. Imagine traveling that
road with just a horse and wagon!
Royal Gorge
Royal Gorge was discovered in
1806 by Lt. Zebulon Pike, who
thought the gorge was completely
impassable. Today the gorge can
be crossed by bridge, train, cable
car, or zipline.
Garden Park Area
Cripple Creek and Victor
When first mined in the late 19
to early 20th Centuries, the mines
near Cripple Creek produced 22
million ounces of gold. That’s more
than 100 elephants, and it would
take 28 semi-trucks to move all
that gold! Mining for gold continues
in the area today!
th
The Marsh-Felch Quarry and the
Cope Quarries were discovered
in the late 19th Century as part of
the “Bone Wars,” a race between
Othniel Charles Marsh and Edward
Drinker Cope to find the most
dinosaurs.
Indian Springs
The trace fossils at Indian Springs
are the best in North America!
Because they are so unique, the
site was made a National Natural
Landmark in 1979.
Skyline Drive
The rocks at the top of Skyline
Drive were formed on an ancient
beach. If you looked to the east in
the Cretaceous Period (150 to 65
million years ago), you would be
looking across a sea!
4
Activity - Public and Private Lands
This book takes you to lands owned by many different agencies and people. There are different
rules and laws for collecting fossils on public lands (BLM), national parks (NPS), city property and
private land. Read the chart to learn the different rules, and look at the colors on the map to see
who owns what land. Then, match each location in this book to its owner and rules.
OWNERSHIP
RULES
LOCATIONS
BLM
You must have a permit from the
BLM to collect fossil bones and
teeth, but you may collect fossil ___________________________________
shells and plants.
NPS
You may not collect fossils or
even rocks.
___________________________________
City of
Cañon City
You must have a permit from the
city to collect fossil bones and
teeth, but you may collect fossil ___________________________________
shells and plants.
Private
You must ask the landowner’s
permission.
___________________________________
Florissant
BLM
NPS
City
Private
Cripple Creek
Victor
Shelf Road
This map is a simple picture of land
ownership for the places in this
book. Check an official map if you
want to visit other places.
Red Canyon Park
Indian Springs
Garden Park
Royal Gorge
5
Skyline Drive
Era
Cenozoic
Eon
Period
Today
Quaternary
Neogene
Paleogene
65 Ma
Mesozoic
Cretaceous
Jurassic
Triassic
251 Ma
Permian
Pennsylvanian
Paleozoic
When a geologist studies a rock, it is like
reading one chapter in a very long book.
Usually, a geologist can only read one or two
chapters at a time. How do they figure out
what order the chapters go in? They use the
Geologic Time Scale! The Geologic Time Scale
is like a table of contents that allows geologists
to figure out which rocks are older and which
rocks are younger. Each location that you visit
in this book has its own Geologic Age that you
can use to put them in order.
ologists
ale – How ge
c
S
e
im
T
ic
g
into
Geolo
vast history
order Earth’s f time. It acts like a
ds o
smaller perio
r.
time
huge calenda
lar period of
u
c
ti
r
a
p
A
–
e
. Each
Geologic Ag
gic Time Scale
on the Geolo
n special
e has its ow
g
A
ic
g
lo
o
e
G
color.
eans “billions
iation that m
v
re
b
b
a
n
A
Ga –
.”
of years ago
illions
that means “m
n
o
ti
ia
v
re
b
b
Ma – An a
.”
of years ago
Phanerozoic
Geologic Time
ow
Words to Kn
Mississippian
Devonian
Silurian
Ordovician
Cambrian
542 Ma
Precambrian
4.6 Ga
6
Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument
Paleogene
Paleogene (34 Ma)
Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument is famous for its fossils. These fossils belong to
a smaller geologic age in the Paleogene called the Eocene Epoch. Some of the fossils you
can find include spiders, wasps, birds, and even giant petrified tree stumps. Fossils are very
difficult to make. An animal or plant has to be buried before anything comes along to eat it
or step on it, and then survive millions of years of weathering and erosion. Even then, we
usually only find the “hard parts:” bones, teeth and shells. The Florissant Fossil Beds are a
very special kind of fossil discovery called a
lagerstätten (LAH-ger-SHTAH-ten). This means they contain many
Words to Know
g
in
f a liv
fossils that are very well-preserved, and even include fragile insect
ains or signs o
to
Fossil – The rem
ed
rn
been tu
wings, leaf impressions and feathers!
thing that have
stone.
ed to stone.
. May
Petrified – Turn
ng apart a rock
ki
ea
Br
–
g
in
er
Weath
g and shatterin
ck
a
cr
y
b
en
p
hap
dissolving it.
ing the rock, or
ent by
ying away sedim
rr
a
C
–
n
o
si
o
Er
ice.
wind, water, or
f very
A rich deposit o
Lagerstätten –
fossils.
well-preserved
ONSITE
Activity 1 – Visiting the Visitor Center
The Visitor Center can show you a lot of fossils, and explain what they tell us about the past.
As you explore the center, answer these questions about Florissant:
How old are the Florissant Fossil Beds?
What are “diatoms?”
How was the climate of Lake Florissant different from today?
What clues do paleontologists use to figure out past climate?
What is a “regurgitalite”?
What kinds of rocks preserve the fossils at Florissant?
7
How Do You Make a Fossil?
The fish dies and sinks to the
bottom of the lake.
Its flesh rots away, but the
bones stay behind.
The bones are buried,
and turn to stone over a very
long time.
The bones are later exposed
by wind and rain, and can be
discovered by paleontologists. �
ONSITE
Activity 2 – Amazing Fossils
Usually, big, tough bones become fossils
more easily than small, delicate bones. But
at Florissant we find incredible fossils of
fragile things like plant leaves and insects
that leave paleontologists in awe. Which
Florissant fossil is your favorite? Draw it
to the right!
Activity 3 – Going Back in Time
The mix of insects, leaves and trees tells paleontologists that there was once a
tall forest here, and the climate was warmer than today. The thin layers of rock
tell geologists that there was a lake next to the forest with a volcano
very nearby. Look at the pictures below, and cross out what doesn’t belong
in a picture of ancient Florissant.
8
Paleogene (33 Ma)
Cripple Creek and Victor are famous for their gold mines. Some of the historic mines
went as deep as 3,350 feet below the surface. You can see the historic mining
structures throughout the area, many of them accessible by hiking trails. To learn more
about mining history of the area visit the Victor Lowell Thomas Museum or go to the
Independence Mill Site to walk multiple
interpretive trails and see historic
buildings.
ow
Words to Kn
s
ck that form
ro
f
o
e
p
ty
A
nd.
Granite –
ls undergrou
o
o
c
a
m
g
a
m
when
with
ink and white
p
lly
a
u
s
u
is
It
spots.
smaller black
s when
ck that form
ro
f
o
e
p
ty
A
ated
Gneiss –
eezed and he
u
q
s
re
a
s
e
it
gran
usually
round. They
deep underg
.
black stripes
have pink and
e
d
d ep
en rock foun
lt
o
m
t,
o
H
he
–
Magma
it comes to t
If
.
d
n
u
ro
rg
e
und
called lava.
surface, it is
ck
dimentary ro
e
s
f
o
e
p
y
t
ck
Breccia – A
pieces of ro
rp
a
h
s
,
ig
b
f
d
made o
squeezed an
n
e
e
b
e
v
a
h
t
tha
.
her.
fused toget
es up
ion that com
s
ru
t
in
f
o
e
p
all.
Dike – A ty
sheet like a w l like
in a narrow
luable meta
ow line of va
rr
a
n
A
–
in
Ve
gold.
u think
Where do yo
!
ld
o
G
l’s
o
Pyrite – Fo
ickname?
it gets this n
Fool’s Gold
How Did the Gold Get There?
The rocks here come from two different times in Earth history.
The oldest rocks are pink, black and stripey rocks called granite
and gneiss (pronounced “nice”) from the Precambrian (1.7 Ga).
The youngest rocks, called breccia, come from violent, explosive
volcanoes in the Paleogene (33 Ma).
Granite and gneiss form deep
underground.
Eruptions blast the granite and
gneiss into small, sharp fragments.
These volcanoes also
produced a mineral that
geologists call pyrite.
Miners called it “Fool’s
Gold.”
Real Gold
In the mining district take care and stay on the trails!
Historic mining openings can be dangerous!
9
Paleogene
g
Cripple Creek and Victor
Hot magma dikes force their Hot water seeps into these cracks,
way into the cracks left by the and deposits gold in veins.
eruption.
Activity 1 – Geologic Word Search
Geologists and paleontologists use a lot of special words to describe rocks, fossils and minerals.
Find some of these words here. Do you know what each of these words mean?
BRECCIA
CONGLOMERATE
DIKE
FORMATION
GNEISS
GOLD
GRANITE
LAGERSTATTEN
MUDSTONE
PYRITE
SANDSTONE
SHALE
TRACE FOSSIL
VOLCANO
LIMESTONE
L
C
S
A
N
D
S
T
O
N
E
M
A
O
J
J
B
B
O
C
I
C
U
W
G
N
E
I
S
S
R
Q
X
D
W
H
E
G
R
A
N
I
T
E
S
V
S
F
R
L
D
D
M
G
A
T
C
H
S
O
S
O
S
V
H
E
O
S
A
C
E
R
T
M
D
H
F
N
N
L
N
O
I
M
A
E
J
D
E
S
E
O
D
D
H
A
T
R
A
C
E
F
O
S
S
I
L
T
T
A
P
Y
R
I
T
E
O
K
I
I
E
T
V
O
L
C
A
N
O
E
D
O
N
E
L
I
M
E
S
T
O
N
E
N
Activity 2 – Nobody’s Fool
Miners can use geology to help them
find gold, but they still need
a bit of luck. Enter the mine
from the top to find a gold
vein, but don’t waste time by
digging for Fool’s Gold!
10
Red Canyon and Shelf Road
Ordovician to Pennsylvanian (450 to 300 Ma)
Red Canyon Park gets its name from the bright red sedimentary rocks of the Fountain
Formation. Sedimentary rocks can be made up of bits of older rocks that were broken
up by weathering, or made from the remains of ancient life. The Fountain Formation
was made by breaking down the Ancestral Rocky Mountains, a chain of mountains that
grew and were eroded away long before the mountains you can see today!
Pennsylvanian
Ordovician
The Shelf Road Climbing Area has even older dolostone rocks from the Ordovician
Period. These rocks are the remains of an ancient coral reef. In fact, you can even see
the corals still in the rock! Fossil corals look like honeycombs or beehives in the rock.
In the picture below, some of the corals have been colored in. Can you see the rest?
Where do you find coral reefs today? What does that mean for ancient Colorado?
Fossil Coral
ow
Words to Kn
at forms
k – A rock th
c
ro
ry
ta
n
e
ed and
Sedim
nt is deposit
e
im
d
e
s
n
e
h
no
w
her until it is
t
e
g
to
d
e
z
e
sque
.
ll,
longer loose
f rock or she
o
s
it
b
n
e
k
ro
Sediment – B
vel and mud.
red
like sand, gra
hick layer of
t
A
–
n
io
t
a
Fountain Form gravel that was formed
ced
sand and
. It can be tra
rs
e
v
ri
t
n
ie
c
by an
lorado!
all across Co
hat
pe of rock t
ty
A
–
e
n
o
.
st
Dolo
cient oceans
formed in an
layers
yer or set of wed
la
A
–
n
io
t
a
Form
can be follo
of rock that
nces.
for long dista
11
Red Canyon Park
Shelf Road
Activity 1 – What is a Formation?
Geologists divide rocks into groups called formations that can be followed over long distances.
You can follow the Fountain Formation to many other famous places in Colorado. Unscramble these
other locations!
Word bank: FLATIRONS, GARDEN OF THE GODS, RED ROCKS PARK, ROXBOROUGH STATE PARK
DRE ORCSK RPAK _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
ROTINSLAF _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
BOOXORRGUH ETATS AKPR _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
DRANGE FO HET ODSG _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
12
Activity 2 – Being a Good Steward
Being a good steward means helping to keep the land preserved so that the people who come after
you can have the same experience that you had. Stewardship means planning carefully for your
trip, and then following the hiker’s motto: Take only pictures, leave only footprints. Make choices on
the hike below to be the best possible steward! The rangers will let you know if you need to make
different choices.
Water, jacket, boots,
map, snack
Packing
Hike on the trail
Finding a Fossil
Hiking
Toys, video games,
sports gear
Hike off the trail
Dig it out
Take a picture
Tell a ranger
Meeting a
Wild Animal
Pet it
Feed it
Take a picture
You should go back and
make a different choice.
Leave trash
at your site
Camping
Leave fire
unattended
Pitch a tent
Good job! You know
how to be a responsible
steward of public land!
13
Garden Park Area
Jurassic (150 Ma)
The Garden Park Area has produced a lot of dinosaur fossils from the Jurassic Period.
You might say this is the real Jurassic Park©! The Marsh-Felch Quarry and the Cope
Quarries were discovered at aboutthe same time by two rival paleontologists, Othniel
Charles Marsh and Edward Drinker Cope, during the "Bone Wars." They competed to
see who could find the most dinosaurs, and fought each other with words,
ideas and money. Although they made great contributions to science with
all the fossils they found ( 136 new species of dinosaurs!), they weren't
very good stewards; they destroyed many fossils that they couldn't collect
just so no one else could find them.
0. C. Marsh
E. D. Cope
~ ed \ayer5 ot rock.
~~~ ~~•
OotcroP - Expo5
1·
te water
The \and. c irna .
En\/\~_-. tking5
in a particular
11
andhv1n9
place.
Activitf-) l - Dinosaurs of Garden Park
Paleontologists know where to dig for fossils because the!:J can usuall!:J see bones sticking out of
the rock face or ootcrop. Circle the skeletons of some of Garden Park's most famoos dinosaors
hidden in the ootcrop on the next page! Once !:JOU Bnd all the dinosaurs. !:JOU can color the outcrop.
Camarasaurus
(cam-AIR-ah-SORE-us)
Diplodocus
( dip-LAH-doe-kuss)
Allosaurus
(AL-oh-SORE-us)
Campto~
( CAMP-toe-SORE-us)
Brachiosaurus
(BRAK-ee-oh-SORE-us)
Ceratosaurus
(sir-AH-toe-SORE-us)
.. ' '
-
.
... . ~
-
/
\
14
15
Activity 2 – Written in the Rocks
When a geologist looks at an outcrop, she sees a story set in stone. Different types of rock tell of
different environments in Earth’s history. Look at the chart below to learn what each type of rock
means. Then, read what the geologist has to say about the Garden Park Area on the next page,
and tell the story that is written in the rocks!
ROCK NAME
Conglomerate
WHAT A GEOLOGIST OBSERVESS
“Pebbles are pretty heavy
and hard to move.”
THE STORY IN THE STONE
“There was probably a strong
river here!”
Mudstone
Coal
“Mud gets left behind by floods,
but then cracks as it dries.”
“This spot used to be a floodplain!”
“This rock is soft, black, sometimes shiny, and burns very
easily. I’d better keep it AWAY
from flames.”
“Coal forms from buried plants, so I bet
I am looking at a swamp!”
“This rock feels like a mudstone,
but it has thin layers.”
“Those layers mean the water was
calm and deep, far from shore. This is
the ocean!”
“Limestone and dolostone
form big, blocky rock walls.
Sometimes I can see corals
or shells in the rock.”
“Coral reefs today are found in quiet
ocean waters far from shore. That
means that limestone and dolostone
are the remains of ancient oceans!”
“I can easily see sand grains,
but this is tricky. Beaches are
made of sand, but so are
river beds.”
“I might be on an ancient beach, or in
an ancient river. I should look at some
of the other rocks for more clues.”
“This might look like mud or
sand, but look at these chunks
of other rocks stuck in it!”
“This rock is a sure sign of a volcano!”
“This rock has big pink
and black crystals in it.”
“It used to be hot melted rock like lava,
but because it was underground we call
it ‘magma.’ The big crystals grew as the
magma cooled slowly.”
Shale
Limestone and
Dolostone
Sandstone
Ash
Granite
16
Activity 2 – Written in the Rocks continued . . .
Here’s what the geologist observes about the rocks and fossils at Garden Park.
“The dinosaur bones in the Garden Park Area are usually found in sandstone. But there are also a
lot of very colorful mudstones.”
Mudstone
Sandstone
What did Garden Park look like in the Jurassic? Tell the story with words or by drawing a picture.
17
Ordovician (450 Ma)
Fossils like those from Florissant and Garden Park are called body fossils because they
are a part or the whole of an animal’s body. Living things can leave other signs behind
for paleontologists to discover, like footprints or burrows. These marks are called trace
fossils, and Indian Springs has some truly remarkable examples. The trace fossils here
were made by jawless fish, and arthropods like sea scorpions, horseshoe crabs or the
famous trilobites.
Ordovician
Indian Springs Trace-Fossil Site
Sea scorpion
Trilobite
Horseshoe crab �
18
Activity 1 – They Went That Way!
Different types of animals leave different marks in the sand or mud that can eventually become
trace fossils. Match these tracks to the animals that made them! Look at the pictures on the
previous page for hints.
ow
a
Words to Kn
t represents
a
h
t
il
s
s
o
f
A
hell,
Body fossil –
thing, like a s
g
in
liv
a
f
o
rt
pa
bone or leaf.
ts a
hat represen
t
il
s
s
fo
A
–
il
like a
Trace foss
g thing’s life,
sign of a livin
burrow.
footprint or
had not
arly fish that
e
ry
e
V
–
h
s
fi
by
Jawless
ws. They ate
yet evolved ja
od.
sucking in fo
shell and
animal with a
y
n
A
–
d
o
p
ers
Arthro
e insects, spid
lik
,
s
g
le
d
te
join
or crabs.
hropod
An extinct art
–
n
io
rp
o
c
n, but
s
Sea
like a scorpio
d
e
k
o
lo
t
a
h
t
were
stinger. Some
didn’t have a
rson!
full grown pe
a
n
a
h
t
r
e
g
big
out 251 Ma.
They all died
at
rthropod th
a
n
A
–
b
ra
c
and a
Horseshoe
haped head
-s
e
m
o
d
a
s
a
ous
h
t not poison
u
b
–
ty
in
o
p
long,
day!
re still alive to
a
y
e
h
T
il.
ll
ta
–
hat came in a
t
d
o
p
ro
h
rt
a
m,
Trilobite – An
es. Some swa
iz
s
d
n
a
s
e
p
sha
e ate
nts, and som
some ate pla
ut
hey all died o
T
.
ls
a
im
n
a
r
othe
251 Ma.
A
1
B
2
C
3
Activity 2 – Fossils Are Signs of Life
From trace fossils, paleontologists can learn things
that body fossils can’t teach. Trace fossils can show
how an animal moved, where it made its home, and even
what it ate. Look at these fossils, and circle the trace
fossils.
Footprint
Leaf
19
Trilobite
Burrows
Snail shell
Precambrian (1.7 Ga)
The Royal Gorge was carved by the Arkansas River beginning about five million years
ago. The river now cuts as deep as 1,200 feet into the rock! The walls of the gorge
are made of granite and gneiss, just like some of
the rocks from Cripple Creek and Victor. These
are the only rocks you will
see at Royal Gorge today
because the Arkansas
River completely eroded
What does
all the layers that used to
erosion mean
be on top.
again?
Precambrian
Royal Gorge
see page 7
ow
Words to Kn
in rock.
Fold – A bend
reak and
rock layers b
n
e
h
W
–
lt
u
Fa
move.
ws
ure that sho
t
ic
p
A
–
n
io
as
Cross-sect
om the inside
fr
g
in
h
t
e
m
lf.
o
s
n sliced in ha
e
e
b
s
a
h
it
h
thoug
ed its
The strong forces that raised the Rocky Mountains also jumbled
hat has forc
t
a
m
g
a
M
–
Intrusion
ther rock.
way into ano
up the rock layers by folding and faulting them. Wind and water
Activity 1 – Folds, Faults and Erosion
have also removed parts of some rock layers by eroding them.
It is not always easy to read the story in the rocks when they have been damaged in these ways.
Fortunately, geologists have a set of rules to help them sort things out.
4
3
5
2
1.
The oldest rocks are on the bottom.
2.
Sedimentary rocks always form in flat, wide layers.
3.
Intrusions and faults are younger than the layers they cut.
These drawings show several rock formations in cross-section. If we
could slice into the Earth and look at it like layers in a cake, this is what
1
we would see. The numbers show the order in which the rocks formed,
from oldest (1) to youngest (5). Only after they form can the layers be
folded or cut by an intrusion or fault.
20
Activity 1 – Folds, Faults, and Erosion continued . . .
In this diagram, the layers are all tilted and folded. Since rocks usually form in flat, wide layers
(rule 2), the folding must have happened last.
8
7
6
3
5
2
4
1
Practice reading the rocks by ordering the layers in these next drawings from youngest
to oldest.
Block 1
Youngest
_____
A
_____
B
_____
E
Block 3
G
H
_____
D
I
E
_____
C
F
D
Oldest
C
Block 2
E
F
F
G
I
F
G
G
I
D
C
B
H
A
D
Youngest
_____
_____
_____
_____
_____
_____
_____
_____
_____
Oldest
21
A
E
D
B
C
B
Youngest
_____
_____
_____
_____
_____
_____
_____
_____
_____
Oldest
Skyline Drive
Precambrian to Paleogene (1.7 Ga to 60 Ma)
Skyline Drive wraps around a narrow ridge of rock called a hogback. At the top of this
hogback you can look west at mountains made of Precambrian rock, or east across
the Cañon City Basin. There are two smaller hogbacks in the basin that are made of
limestone. Limestone rocks form underwater, which means Cañon City (the red dot
in the map below) used to be in the middle of an ocean! Geologists call this ocean the
Western Interior Seaway because it covered the middle of North America during the
Cretaceous Period.
ow
f
Words to Kn
rrow ridge o
a
n
h
ig
h
A
–
Hogback
rock.
can
ere sediment
h
w
a
re
a
w
by
Basin – A lo
surrounded
collect, often
mountains.
rm,
away – A wa
Se
r
o
ri
te
In
d the
Western
that covere
shallow sea
a in
North Americ
f
o
rt
a
p
le
d
mid
0 to
us Period (10
the Cretaceo
75 Ma).
Cretaceous
Jurassic
Pennsylvanian
Ordovician
Precambrian
22
Activity 1 – The Story of Colorado
STORIES
Geologists can put an order to the story told by rocks by
looking at big stacks of rock formations. When you look at all
the layers exposed at Skyline Drive, you are looking at exactly
_____
such a stack. Use the stack of rocks to help the geologists
put their stories in order. Look back at the chart on page 16
if you need a hint.
1)“These rocks tell me there was strong
river here, carrying some pretty big pebbles
downstream.”
_____
2)“Ooh, I wish I could have been here in the
past. I would have been floating in a nice
warm ocean. And look at these neat corals!”
3)“I think I’m in the sea, too! But this rock has
a lot of muddy layers in it.”
_____
4)“I’m on dry land here. See these cracks in
the mud? Oh, there might have been a river
nearby, too!”
5)“It’s a good thing I packed sunscreen,
because I’m on a nice sandy beach! I can tell
because some of these other rocks are from
deeper water.”
_____
_____
6)“Even though this rock is on the surface
now, it formed deep underground. I’m glad it
isn’t still melted. Ouch!”
_____
23
ROCKS
In the rocks at the top of the hogback you can see some very exciting trace fossils: dinosaur footprints! The dinosaurs left their prints on an ancient muddy beach just like you might do walking along the
shore or a riverbank. You can also find tracks and burrows from worms, arthropods and clams nearby.
Remember you are on the road. WATCH OUT for cars!
ONSITE
Activity 2 – Following in Their Footsteps
Footprints may not be as unique as fingerprints, but paleontologists can still tell a lot about the
animal that made them. We can count its toes, look at the shape of its foot, and even tell how
heavy it was by how deep its print is. Draw the dinosaur that made the footprints at
Skyline Drive.
ONSITE
Activity 3 – More Than Meets the Eye
Geologists and paleontologists will spend hours and even days
studying a single outcrop. There are a lot of clues they might
1
2
3
4
miss if they aren’t careful about their observations. Make
these special observations at the top of Skyline Drive! Be
sure you observe any CARS COMING UP THE ROAD!
1.____A dinosaur footprint
2.____A dinosaur handprint (Hint: The hand is smaller, and shaped
like a crescent moon.)
3.____A dinosaur that stepped in another dinosaur’s footprint
4.____A track that wasn’t made by a dinosaur at all
5
5.____A conglomerate (Pebbly rock - Remember what a geologist
observes?)
24
Activity - Geologic Time in the Gold Belt Byway
We have now finished our trip along the Gold Belt Tour National Scenic Byway, and seen rocks
from many – but not all – geologic ages. What do you think happened to the rocks from
those missing ages? Put the sites in order by matching their colors to the Geologic Time Scale
on the left. Flip back to each site in the book if you need a hint. Which site has the youngest
rock? Which site has the oldest rock? How do you know?
Era
Period
Cenozoic
Eon
Paleogene
Indian Springs
Garden Park Area
Mesozoic
Jurassic
The Royal Gorge
Florissant
Fossil Beds
Pennsylvanian
Paleozoic
Phanerozoic
Cretaceous
Cripple Creek Area
Red Canyon Park
Ordovician
Skyline Drive Trackway
Precambrian
25
Career Profile: Herb Meyer
Paleontologist, Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument
What does a paleontologist do? �
As a paleontologist, I study fossils to learn more about ancient life on Earth and what it tells about
climate change and evolution. Paleontologists excavate fossils to make new discoveries, and we
try to find new ways to protect the fossils so they won’t fall apart. �
What are some of your favorite parts of your job? �
I like writing about fossils, and one of my books is called The Fossils of Florissant. I also like
working with paleontologists in other parts of the world, and working with university student
interns, even though my job is not at a university. And of course it’s always exciting to split a rock
to expose a fossil that has been hidden for the past 34 million years. �
Why did you become a paleontologist? �
I became interested in collecting rocks and minerals when I was in grade school, and knew I
wanted to be a geologist. Paleontology is a part of geology, and by the time I was in high school, I
was working on a project to study fossil leaves.
What did you do in school? �
The most important classes for a career in paleontology are geology and biology. I earned
three degrees from the Paleontology Department at the University of California at Berkeley: a
bachelor’s, master’s, and Ph.D., all in the field of paleontology. �
What skills are important for your career? �
I think that writing and photography are two of the most important skills. These are needed so
that the information we learn can be written and illustrated for scientific papers and books.
What advice do you have for Junior Explorers? �
I started by joining a rock and mineral club for kids. Our club was sponsored by adults who took
us on field trips to collect fossils. You can also visit museums and sites such as national parks and
monuments where fossils are found. There are also summer camps that teach paleontology,
geology and biology. �
What do you like to do when you aren’t at work?
I’ve always like to go on camping trips, and when you’re out camping you’re often close to the
places where fossils are found. I also like to travel to places all over the world.
What other careers are there in paleontology?
Other places where paleontologists work are for universities, museums and different government agencies. Paleontologists also work for oil companies, where they use fossils to help
discover oil, and for consulting companies, where they help determine whether activities such as
digging pipelines will affect fossil resources.
26
Career Profile:
Geologists from
the Newmont
Cripple Creek
Gold Mine
From left to right: Scott McAnally, David Greene, Dale Hernandez, Saru Siebenater, Andi Dillard,
Paige Cybulski, Dominic Pyanoe, Erik Munroe, Jeremy McComas and Jake Brown
What does an (Exploration Geologist, Geotechnical Geologist, Ore Control Geologist, and Geology Managers) do?
Exploration Geologists look for new resources that can be mined. Geotechnical geologists study the characteristics of the rocks to make sure miners
are working in safe areas. Ore Control Geologists define and map what areas of the mine contain enough metal to be worth mining. Geology
Managers make sure the mine has the right geologists, with the right training, in the right jobs to accomplish the work that needs to be done while
also proposing and managing budgets
What are some of your favorite parts of your job?
Geology is challenging and t