About this event
Florissant Fossil Beds Tour
Join us on Saturday, October 2, 2021 for a picturesque drive to discover numerous fossils in the ridges and high mountain valleys of central Colorado. We will visit two such locations including Skyline Drive in Cañon City and the Florissant Fossil Beds National Park nestled in beautiful Teller County, Colorado.
First is a thrilling but slow ascent up Skyline Drive, a hogback ridge composed of upturned Dakota sandstone. Along the left side of Skyline Drive is a dinosaur trackway that showcases fossilized Ankylosaurs footprints. This breathtaking roadway, built by prison inmates in the early 1900s, boasts a single-lane, one-way road that rises about 800 feet above the surrounding terrain. Not for the faint of heart or those with fear of heights, there are no guardrails despite sharp drop-offs on either side of the road. Don’t worry, we will drive it nice and easy. A scenic overlook at its peak allows a photo opportunity for navigators before we descend into historic downtown Cañon City.
Next, we will visit Florissant Fossil Beds National Park containing some of the richest and diverse fossil deposits in the world, and where you can explore outdoor exhibits on multiple self-guided .5-mile and 1-mile hikes.
Other local sites and interests in the area include the Rocky Mountain Dinosaur Resource Center in Woodland Park and Cripple Creek, a former gold mining camp that is home to numerous casinos and historic sites.
The tour will end with an authentic German lunch at The Swiss Chalet Restaurant in Woodland Park with individual checks. Lunch will be limited to 50 people so please register for the tour early and make sure to indicate if you choose to pass on the lunch.
We will depart at 9:00 AM from Porsche of Colorado Springs at 917 Motor City Drive in Colorado Springs. Plan to arrive at the dealership by 8:00 AM for breakfast snacks, registration and a mandatory driver’s meeting.
Due to limited restaurant capacity, this tour will be limited to 25 cars. Registration fee is $10 per car. Registration closes at midnight on Thursday, September 30, 2021. Please use the following link to register or get detailed information: https://msreg.com/amrfossilbeds2021.
IMPORTANT: In compliance with State of Colorado guidelines and in order to ensure our members' safety, participants and volunteers should stay at home if they are at higher risk for severe illness, or if they are sick or experiencing COVID-19 symptoms such as fever, cough or shortness of breath, must stay home.