![]() ![]() ![]() Human occupation of the Red Rocks site dates back thousands of years, to the Paleo-Indian period. In the late nineteenth century, bones of dinosaurs that roamed the area in the Cretaceous period were found at Dinosaur Ridge, just northeast of Red Rocks. Weathering released oxidizing minerals such as iron, giving the rocks its reddish hue. ![]() This event lifted and tilted the Fountain Formation, exposing the rocks to erosion, producing the iconic slabs of Red Rocks. For about 15 million years at the end of the Cretaceous Period (145–65 million years ago), the Fountain Formation underwent a major tectonic event called the Laramide Orogeny, which also created the Rocky Mountains. These three land structures are part of what geologists call the Fountain Formation. Similar formations surfaced across Colorado, including Garden of the Gods near Colorado Springs and the Flatirons near Boulder. The two largest walls, “Ship Rock” and “Creation Rock,” lie on the north and south sides of the amphitheater, towering over the rest of Red Rocks Park. The monolithic, 300-foot sandstone walls of Red Rocks rose up from a prehistoric ocean floor millions of years ago. Part of the extensive Denver Mountain Parks system, Red Rocks Park and Amphitheatre has a rich history filled with many important figures and events that contributed to its rise as one of the Denver area’s most iconic cultural and natural landmarks. The park’s amphitheater opened to the public in June 1941 and has hosted concerts, graduations, festivals, and other events ever since. The 868-acre park stands 6,450 feet above sea level between the Great Plains and the Rocky Mountains. Located just west of Denver near the town of Morrison, Red Rocks Park and Amphitheatre combines awe-inspiring natural scenery with natural acoustic splendor. ![]()
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