![]() NPS/SIP Mariah Slovacek Valley TodayLooking west from a hill across the valley, it is possible to imagine the lake that once filled it and left behind the fossil-rich shale deposits. Today, the only water running through the valley is Grape Creek, a northward-flowing waterway. In the distant past, water within the valley flowed southward, but as the area was tilted through mountain building processes, the direction of waterflow changed. ![]() NPS/Mosaics Kelly Hattori Eocene LakeDuring the Eocene, 34.07 million years ago, the valley was much warmer than today. A stratovolcano towered on the horizon 18 miles southwest of the valley. Now mostly lost to erosion, this volcano once had a major impact on the geologic history of the valley and the formation of Florissant's fossils. ![]() NPS/GIP Mariah Slovacek ![]() Stop 14: Remnants of Powerful Forces
Click here to go to Stop 14. ![]() Virtual Tour Homepage
Explanation of the virtual tour and links to all stops. ![]() Stop 16: Conserving Stump P-47
The final stop of the virtual tour. |
Last updated: December 31, 2021