The Friends of the Florissant Fossil Beds

Posted By The Friends of the Florissant Fossil Beds, Inc. on April 4, 2007

While I was driving to the Monument the other morning I saw a coyote cross the road in front of my car, intent on its business. This might not be exciting for many people, but it was the first time I had seen a coyote in the wild. Like its smaller cousin the fox, the coyote is an amazingly adaptable animal.

Although the plants are still brown in the Florissant valley, spring is a great time to visit the Monument. Cool, sunny weather is perfect for hiking, and many animals are emerging from winter rest, including the Richardson’s ground squirrel (which looks like a small prairie dog) and the black, tassel-eared Abert’s squirrel. Rodents venturing aboveground also means increased raptor activity. Red-tailed hawks are the most common raptor at the park, but as summer approaches you might see golden eagles as well.

American elk (wapiti) are still around, particularly at the south end of the park. To improve your chances of sighting elk, drive along Lower Twin Rock Road (the first left after you pass the visitor center turnoff driving south) at dawn or dusk. Elk often feed in the fields next to the road.

The Monument offers over 14 miles of trails of varying difficulty. You can download a map from the park’s hiking webpage. The Ponderosa Loop, opened last fall, is a short self-guided loop trail through an open ponderosa pine forest, passing several fossil redwood stumps. Ponderosa Loop is accessible for regular wheelchairs and walkers and trail wheelchairs for adults and children are available at the visitor center for use on some of the main trails. Ask at the visitor center desk for more information about self-guided trails and hiking in the Monument.

-Melissa Barton

Photo Credits: NPS (coyote), PDPhoto.org/Jon Sullivan (elk at Yellowstone). Neither photo taken at Florissant. Click for larger images.

Categories: Biology, Ecology, Wildlife
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