Garden Park Fossil Area, Paleontological site in Fremont County, United States.
The Garden Park Fossil Area spans 3,209 acres of federal land containing extensive fossil deposits from the Late Jurassic period near Canon City, Colorado.
The site gained scientific recognition in the 1870s when paleontologists discovered numerous dinosaur specimens, including the first Diplodocus and Ceratosaurus remains ever found.
Major museums across the United States, including the Smithsonian Institution and Denver Museum of Natural History, display fossil collections from this location.
Visitors can access the fossil area via Shelf Road from Canon City, with two interpretive pull-outs providing educational information about the geological formations.
The location yielded the three most complete Stegosaurus skeletons discovered worldwide, contributing substantially to dinosaur research and understanding.
Location: Fremont County
GPS coordinates: 38.53287,-105.21915
Latest update: March 3, 2025 05:32
Colorado features natural areas and historical sites away from common routes. The locations range from sand formations at Paint Mines Park to Zapata waterfalls. Bishop Castle displays hand-built stone architecture in the forest, while Devil's Causeway presents narrow rock bridges in the wilderness. Fossil discoveries, dinosaur tracks, and abandoned mining towns document the state's history.
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