Red Rocks Park
Encyclopedia
Red Rocks Park is a mountain park in Jefferson County, Colorado
, owned and maintained by the city of Denver as part of the Denver Mountain Parks
system. The park is known for its very large red sandstone outcrops. Many of these rock formations
within the park have names, from the mushroom-shaped Seat of Pluto to the inclined Cave of the Seven Ladders. The most visited rocks, around the amphitheatre, are Creation Rock to the north, Ship Rock to the south, and Stage Rock to the east.
The red sandstone found throughout Red Rocks Park is geologically identified as belonging to the Fountain Formation
. Other Colorado
examples of Fountain Formation geology include nearby Roxborough State Park
, Garden of the Gods
near Colorado Springs, and the Flatirons
near Boulder
. The rocks were formed about 290-296 million years ago when the Ancestral Rocky Mountains were eroded during the Pennsylvanian epoch
. Later, uplift during the Laramide orogeny
tilted the rocks to the angle at which they sit today.
The park was in times far past a favored campsite of the Ute
tribe. Its earliest known name was the Garden of the Angels, reputedly given to it on July 4, 1870, by Martin Van Buren Luther, a pioneer Colorado judge. It was renamed Garden of the Titans in 1906 by famed editor John Brisben Walker
when he purchased the place with proceeds from his sale of Cosmopolitan Magazine. Known however by the folk name of Red Rocks since the area was settled, it was formally given that name when Denver acquired it in 1928.
Within the park boundaries is the Red Rocks Amphitheatre
, a world famous venue used since 1941, which hosts many concerts and other events. Red Rocks Park was also the site of the Start and Finish line of The Amazing Race 9
which aired in the spring of 2006.
Jefferson County, Colorado
Jefferson County , whose slogan is the "Gateway to the Rocky Mountains", is the fourth most populous of the 64 counties of the State of Colorado of the United States. Located along the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains, Jefferson County is adjacent to the west side of the state capital, Denver....
, owned and maintained by the city of Denver as part of the Denver Mountain Parks
Denver Mountain Parks
The Denver Mountain Parks system contains more than 14,000 acres of parklands in the mountains and foothills of Jefferson, Clear Creek, Douglas,and Grand counties in Colorado, west and south of Denver....
system. The park is known for its very large red sandstone outcrops. Many of these rock formations
Rock formations in the United States
The following is a partial list of rock formations in the United States, by state:-Arizona:*Canyon de Chelly National Monument**Spider Rock*Chiricahua National Monument**Duck on a Rock**Organ Pipe**Mushroom Rock**Sea Captain*Monument Valley...
within the park have names, from the mushroom-shaped Seat of Pluto to the inclined Cave of the Seven Ladders. The most visited rocks, around the amphitheatre, are Creation Rock to the north, Ship Rock to the south, and Stage Rock to the east.
The red sandstone found throughout Red Rocks Park is geologically identified as belonging to the Fountain Formation
Fountain Formation
The Fountain Formation is a Pennsylvanian bedrock unit consisting primarily of conglomerate, sandstone, or arkose, in the states of Colorado and Wyoming in the USA, along the east side of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains, and along the west edge of the Denver Basin.-Origin of name:The...
. Other Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
examples of Fountain Formation geology include nearby Roxborough State Park
Roxborough State Park
Roxborough State Park is a Colorado State Park known for dramatic red sandstone formations. Located in Douglas County south of Denver, Colorado, the park was established in 1975. In 1980 it was recognized as a National Natural Landmark.-Geography:...
, Garden of the Gods
Garden of the Gods
Garden of the Gods is a public park located in Colorado Springs, Colorado, USA.-Genesis of the park:Entrance to the park is free according to the wish of Charles Elliott Perkins, whose children donated the land to the city of Colorado Springs in 1909....
near Colorado Springs, and the Flatirons
Flatirons
The Flatirons are rock formations near Boulder, Colorado consisting of flatirons. There are five large, numbered Flatirons ranging from north to south along the east slope of Green Mountain, and the term "The Flatirons" sometimes refers to these five alone...
near Boulder
Boulder, Colorado
Boulder is the county seat and most populous city of Boulder County and the 11th most populous city in the U.S. state of Colorado. Boulder is located at the base of the foothills of the Rocky Mountains at an elevation of...
. The rocks were formed about 290-296 million years ago when the Ancestral Rocky Mountains were eroded during the Pennsylvanian epoch
Pennsylvanian
The Pennsylvanian is, in the ICS geologic timescale, the younger of two subperiods of the Carboniferous Period. It lasted from roughly . As with most other geochronologic units, the rock beds that define the Pennsylvanian are well identified, but the exact date of the start and end are uncertain...
. Later, uplift during the Laramide orogeny
Laramide orogeny
The Laramide orogeny was a period of mountain building in western North America, which started in the Late Cretaceous, 70 to 80 million years ago, and ended 35 to 55 million years ago. The exact duration and ages of beginning and end of the orogeny are in dispute, as is the cause. The Laramide...
tilted the rocks to the angle at which they sit today.
The park was in times far past a favored campsite of the Ute
Ute Tribe
The Ute are an American Indian people now living primarily in Utah and Colorado. There are three Ute tribal reservations: Uintah-Ouray in northeastern Utah ; Southern Ute in Colorado ; and Ute Mountain which primarily lies in Colorado, but extends to Utah and New Mexico . The name of the state of...
tribe. Its earliest known name was the Garden of the Angels, reputedly given to it on July 4, 1870, by Martin Van Buren Luther, a pioneer Colorado judge. It was renamed Garden of the Titans in 1906 by famed editor John Brisben Walker
John Brisben Walker
John Brisben Walker was a United States magazine publisher and automobile entrepreneur, in later years a resident of Jefferson County, Colorado.-Biography:...
when he purchased the place with proceeds from his sale of Cosmopolitan Magazine. Known however by the folk name of Red Rocks since the area was settled, it was formally given that name when Denver acquired it in 1928.
Within the park boundaries is the Red Rocks Amphitheatre
Red Rocks Amphitheatre
Red Rocks Amphitheatre is a rock structure near Morrison, Colorado, where concerts are given in the open-air amphitheatre. There is a large, tilted, disc-shaped rock behind the stage, a huge vertical rock angled outwards from stage right, several large outcrops angled outwards from stage left and a...
, a world famous venue used since 1941, which hosts many concerts and other events. Red Rocks Park was also the site of the Start and Finish line of The Amazing Race 9
The Amazing Race 9
The Amazing Race 9 is the ninth installment of the American reality television show The Amazing Race. This season featured eleven teams of two with a pre-existing relationship in a race around the world to win one million dollars. The show premiered on Tuesday, February 28, 2006 and concluded on...
which aired in the spring of 2006.
See also
- Willowbrook AmphitheatreWillowbrook AmphitheatreWillowbrook Amphitheatre is a cave-like structure composed of Paleozoic Age Fountain Formation sandstone. The top is open to the sky. Willowbrook Amphitheatre is located near Morrison, Colorado, 4.21 Miles south of Red Rocks Park and Red Rocks Amphitheatre. Located on Private Land, it is used...
- List of contemporary amphitheatres
- Live at Red Rocks (disambiguation)
- Roxborough State ParkRoxborough State ParkRoxborough State Park is a Colorado State Park known for dramatic red sandstone formations. Located in Douglas County south of Denver, Colorado, the park was established in 1975. In 1980 it was recognized as a National Natural Landmark.-Geography:...
and its Archaeological DistrictRoxborough State Park Archaeological DistrictRoxborough State Park Archaeological District is located in Douglas County, Colorado near the town of Waterton. Roxborough State Park, south of Denver, Colorado, is a Colorado State Park day park...