Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument, National monument in Florissant, Colorado, United States
Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument is a protected fossil site in a high mountain valley in Florissant, Colorado. It holds ancient lake shale beds with thousands of detailed insect and plant fossils, along with several large petrified redwood stumps.
About 34 million years ago, volcanic mudflows buried a forest of redwood trees near a lake. The wood slowly turned to stone, and the lake sediments preserved insects and leaves in fine detail.
Families often gather around the outdoor fossil displays and the old homestead buildings to imagine daily life in this valley. The Junior Ranger program gives children a hands-on way to connect with the fossil beds through drawing and simple observation tasks.
Start at the visitor center to get oriented before walking the short loop trails. The surface is high-altitude and exposed, so wear sturdy shoes and bring water, a hat, and sun protection.
Many visitors miss the wall of cut and polished petrified stumps displayed near the visitor center. Touching the smooth stone surface reveals growth rings that are as clear as a modern tree slice.
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