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Garden Park Fossil Area Natural Landmark – Cañon City

Garden Park Fossil Area in the Royal Gorge. Photo: gardenparkdinos.com

Located on BLM lands, dinosaurs bones were discovered here in the 1870s, 1880s and 1950s. It’s situated in Cañon City on Colorado’s southern front range.

The 3,209-acre federally-owned land was designated in 1973 and open to public use. Free activities include camping, hiking, picnicking, scenic drives and wildlife viewing. The Cleveland Quarry as it’s known, permits primitive camping on site.

National Natural Landmark in Fremont Co.

Garden Park Fossil Area Marsh-Felch Quarry
Marsh-Felch Quarry 1, where Marshall P. Felch excavated numerous dinosaurs for O.C. Marsh during the late 1800s.

What makes this a special national natural landmark is its one of the best Late Jurassic age archeological sites in the Western Hemisphere. Important and diverse discoveries were made here in the late 1800s, spawning international attention in dinosaurs during the nineteenth century.

The three most complete Stegosaurus skeletons ever discovered anywhere were found here. The Garden Park Fossil Area was the first archeological area with skeletal remains of Diplodocus, Ceratosaurus and Camarasaurus, with 23 type specimens.

Garden Park Fossil Area Cope Quarry
Cope Quarry in 1877, where camarasaurus supremus (#1) bones being exvataed by Oramel Lucas for Edward Drinker Copegardenparkdinos.com

Details

Address: Cañon City, CO

County: Fremont

Designated: 1973

Acres: 3,209

Ownership: Federal

Website: handsontheland.org/garden-park

 

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