Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument

Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument is a national monument run by the National Park Service in Colorado.

In the park service’s words

Beneath a grassy mountain valley in central Colorado lies one of the richest and most diverse fossil deposits in the world. Petrified redwood stumps up to 14 feet wide and thousands of detailed fossils of insects and plants reveal the story of a very different, prehistoric Colorado.

From the National Park Service (public domain).

Things to do

• Hiking the Petrified Forest Loop (30 to 60 Minutes): Take a self-guided, one mile hike and see some of the biggest petrified tree stumps in the world.
• Hiking the Ponderosa Loop Trail (10 to 30 Minutes): Take a stroll on a short, easy trail through a peaceful Ponderosa pine forest and learn about the area's natural history. The highlight of the trail is a modern Ponderosa pine tree growing out of a petrified redwood tree stump.
• Hiking the Geologic Trail (30 to 60 Minutes): This 1.2 mile trail highlights over a billion years of geologic history of the Florissant valley.

Fees and hours

Entrance fee: $10 per person. The America the Beautiful pass covers it.

Hours: Daily, 9:00AM - 4:30PM. The Visitor Center is closed Mondays and Tuesdays during the winter season beginning September 14, 2026. Check the Visitor Center hours section for more information. The Visitor Center parking lot gate is locked daily at 4:30 pm. Be sure to park at the Hornbek Homestead if you think your hike may run late - this lot is open 24 hours a day as a designated Dark Sky viewing area.

Getting there

Visitors traveling north/south on I-25: Exit at US 24 West, travel 35 miles to town of Florissant, then follow signs two miles south on Teller County Road 1 to the Visitor Center. Visitors traveling from town of Cripple Creek: Follow Teller County Road 1 north for 16 miles.

Drive times run from the airport to Zion Canyon Visitor Center, estimated with OSRM routing on OpenStreetMap roads at normal speeds; allow extra for traffic, stops and construction.

Miles are straight-line distances.

Visitor centers

• [Florissant Fossil Beds Visitor Center](): Daily, 9:00AM - 4:30PM. When the visitor center is closed, visitors may access the foyer with restrooms and water fountains and basic information. The front desk, museum, and RMC store will be closed.

Weather

Winter months - average high 40 degrees F; average low 5 degrees F; Summer months - average high 75 degrees F; average low 40 degrees F;

From the National Park Service (public domain).

Know before you go

Drones are banned at almost every park site, and you may not take rocks, plants or artifacts. Pets must be on a leash no longer than 6 feet where they are allowed. Bring no firewood from home.

Nearby

The nearest national park is Great Sand Dunes, about 83 miles away in a straight line.

Sources

• National Park Service Data API: Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument (public domain)
• Official website

Last checked 1 November 2026.