North and Middle Parks


Town of Parshall, Colorado

The conglomeratic Middle Park Formation preserves a remarkably diverse array of fossil leafs and wood despite the large size of the volcanic grains and clasts found in the formation. Ages estimated by the plant material point to an early Paleocene age (Brown, 1962). Radiometric dates for the basal conglomerates are 63 mya, ~3 mya (Larsen & Drexler, 1988).

Brown, R.W. (1962) Paleocene Flora of the Rocky Mountains and Great Plains. Geological Survey Professional Paper 375. p. 25
Larson, E.E. and Drexler, J.W. (1988). Early Laramide mafic to intermediate volcanism, Front Range, Colorado in Drexler, J.W. and Larson, E.E. eds. Cenozoic volcanism in the Southern Rocky Mountains revisited; a tribute to Rudy C. Epis; Part 3. Colorado School of Mines Quarterly, vol.83, no.2, pp.41-52, 1988
Picture from http://www.rkymtnhi.com