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Colorado's East Coast
100 million years ago (Cretaceous)


Find the clickable hot spots for details and evidence, or follow the links below. (Click to see larger image)

Description: Along the shore of a wide, salty sea, low tide has exposed a broad-rippled sandy surface. Mighty rivers flowing from mountains far to the west bring sand and gravel down to the coast. Along the shoreline is a dank coastal forest containing herbaceous ferns (Astralopteris and Matonidium), broad-leaved trees (Sapindopsis, Liriophyllym, and Protophyllum) and strange conifers. A few Iguanodon dinosaurs wander down the beach, leaving their footprints on the rippled surface.

Formation: Dakota Sandstone

Artist: Jan Vriesen

Best Viewing Spots:

  • Dinosaur Ridge
  • Roxborough State Park
  • Garden of the Gods Park and Visitor Center
  • I-70 roadcut at the Morrison exit
  • Deer Creek Canyon Park

Dinosaur Ridge
Dinosaur Ridge Visitor Center


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