On Saturday, May 28, Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument will extend its hours to 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM daily. These hours will last through the Labor Day weekend. In addition, the Monument will also begin offering its daily ranger guided programs. These daily, and sometimes weekly programs, will last throughout the summer.
Ranger Guided Programs: Daily, 10:00 AM, Ranger Talk Redwoods in Colorado? Was there really a volcano nearby? And Tse Tse flies too? Join a ranger for a 20 – 30 minute presentation and get a basic orientation to the history and prehistory of the area. Meet in the amphitheater behind the visitor center.
Daily, 11:00 AM, Ranger-Guided Hike Are you ready to meet the “Big Stump” Join a ranger for a 1 mile, 1.5 hour hike on the Petrified Forest Loop Trail. Meet behind the visitor center for an interpretive hike on the Petrified Forest Loop.
Daily, 1:00 PM – 3:00 PM, Fossil Learning Lab (Yurt) Get “up-close and personal” with fossils! Join us for ranger-led demonstrations, and hands-on searches for fossils. Meet in the yurt located in the picnic area near the visitor center.
Every Wednesday, 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM, Demonstration Excavation Site Meet geologist, Dr. Bob Carnein at the demonstration excavation site and see the fossil beds in situ and learn about how excavations are conducted. This site is located off the Petrified Forest Loop approximately 1 mile round trip from the visitor center.
Every Sunday, 9:00AM – 11:00 AM, Wildflower Walks What’s blooming this week? Join Ranger Shawn on a weekly flower walk to find out. This program will take place on a variety of the Monument’s trails depending on where the flowers are blooming. Easy 1-2 miles. Meet at the visitor center.
In addition to the regularly schedule programs, Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument offers 14 miles of beautiful, yet lesser known, hiking trails to explore, a free Junior Ranger Program, a park video and museum exhibits, and bookstore.
For additional information, please call (719) 748-3253 or visit our website: www.nps.gov/flfo or on Facebook at /FlorissantNPS