Travel Itineraries

Good Places To Find Fossils

Cripple Creek - Florissant

One Day Itinerary

Journey through millions of years of natural history on this remarkable one-day tour connecting Cripple Creek and Florissant. Visit Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument, where 34-million-year-old fossils preserve an ancient ecosystem of giant redwoods, insects, and mammals long before humans walked the earth.

This itinerary combines paleontology with pioneer history, offering hands-on fossil digging experiences and explorations of early Colorado homesteads. Perfect for families, science enthusiasts, and anyone fascinated by the incredible story of life on Earth preserved in the volcanic ash of ancient eruptions.

Fossil Discovery Day

8:00 am - 9:00 am	Breakfast in Cripple Creek Start your day in America's Greatest Gold Camp
9:00 am - 9:30 am	Scenic Drive to Florissant Travel down Teller One through beautiful mountain landscapes to Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument (719) 748-3253
9:30 am - 12:30 pm	Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument Monument Highlights Giant Redwood Stumps - See petrified tree trunks from 300-foot tall ancient redwoods Fossil Exhibits - View preserved insects, leaves, and plants from 34 million years ago Hiking Trails - Explore trails through the fossil beds with interpretive signage Ranger Programs - Join guided walks and talks about the site's geology and paleontology Visitor Center - Learn about volcanic eruptions that preserved this ancient ecosystem
12:30 pm - 1:30 pm	Lunch in Florissant Enjoy lunch at Costello's Street Coffee House, a local favorite
1:30 pm - 4:30 pm	Explore More Florissant Area Attractions Historical Society Museum Pikes Peak Historical Society Museum showcases pioneer life and local history (719) 748-8259 Nature's Wealth Fossil Dig Hands-on fossil digging experience where you keep what you find (719) 748-3805 Hornbek Homestead Tour one of the area's first homestead locations and experience pioneer life Choose Your Return: Overnight in Cripple Creek or travel down High Park Road to Cañon City

Did You Know?

The Florissant Fossil Beds preserve one of the most diverse assemblages of Oligocene fossils in the world. About 34 million years ago, this area was a warm temperate forest filled with giant redwood trees up to 300 feet tall. Volcanic eruptions created lahars (debris flows) that buried the forest and created a lake. Over time, insects, leaves, fish, and other organisms fell into the lake and were preserved in layers of volcanic ash, creating the remarkable fossil record we see today.

The site became a National Monument in 1969 after activists and scientists fought to save it from development, marking an important early victory for the environmental movement.

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The Busiest Narrow Gauge

The Florence and Cripple Creek Railroad was the busiest narrow gauge route in the American West during its heyday. The railroad paid for itself during its first year of operation by hauling gold ore to Florence's smelters and bringing supplies and tourists to the mining district.

Ancient Lake Florissant

About 34 million years ago, volcanic mudflows dammed a stream and created ancient Lake Florissant, which stretched 1.5 kilometers wide and 20 kilometers long. The lake existed for an estimated 2,500 to 5,000 years, accumulating the sediments that preserved thousands of fossils.

Good Places To Find Fossils

Cripple Creek - Florissant

One Day Itinerary

Fossil Discovery Day

Monument Highlights

Historical Society Museum

Nature's Wealth Fossil Dig

Hornbek Homestead

Did You Know?

Map & Directions

Thanks To Our Members & Sponsors