Water helped create the spectacular red rock formations at Garden of the Gods in Colorado Springs. But the story goes back hundreds of millions of years.
The towering sandstone formations began as layers of sediment deposited in ancient environments, including rivers, streams, and sand dunes.
Over millions of years, those sediments were compacted and cemented into rock. Then, roughly 70 million years ago, tectonic forces associated with the uplift of the Rocky Mountains tilted the layers, eventually pushing some into nearly vertical positions.
Water continued to play a role as rain, runoff, and freeze-thaw cycles gradually weathered and eroded the rock, helping shape the dramatic formations visible today.
Some of the park’s sandstone layers date back approximately 300 million years, making this an extraordinary place to see the combined forces of sedimentation, tectonics, and erosion.
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