Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument
Beneath a grassy mountain valley in central Colorado lies one of the richest and most diverse fossil deposits in the world. Petrified redwood stumps up to 14 feet wide and thousands of detailed fossils of insects and plants reveal the story of a very different, prehistoric Colorado.
About under an hour from Denver by car.
Alerts
- InformationNPS ↗Winter Hours Begin September 14
Winter Operating Hours in effect September 14, 2026: the visitor center is open five days a week, Wednesday through Sunday, closed on Monday and Tuesday.
- InformationFlorissant Fossil Beds has moved to cashless fee collection
Entrance fees and pass purchases must be made with a credit/debit card or payment app on a mobile device. Electronic payment reduces transaction times, saves money, and improves accountability.
Fire nearby
- PrescribedO'Brien 2 Broadcast Rx
8 mi from the park's reference point · 267 acres
- PrescribedRoad Gulch 2 Rx
8 mi from the park's reference point
- PrescribedRainbow Gulch Rx
16 mi from the park's reference point · 912 acres
- PrescribedHarris Park Broadcast Rx
44 mi from the park's reference point · 390 acres
Within 50 miles, as of 2026-10-14. Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge. Check the park's alerts and the managing office before you drive.
Fees & passes
| Type | Cost | |
|---|---|---|
| Per Person$10 per adult (age 16 or older). Admission is good for 7 days. Children ages 15 or under are admitted free. Fee covers entrance to all areas of the park including visitor center exhibits, film, outdoor exhibit area, hiking trails, picnic areas, Hornbek Homestead, self-guided tours, and ranger programs. Pay ahead of your visit at https://www.recreation.gov/sitepass/2683. | $10 | |
| Passes | ||
| Annual Entrance - ParkValid for one year. Covers entrance fees for card-holder and up to 3 other adults in your party. Children ages 15 or under are admitted free. Accepted only at Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument. | $35 | |
Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument charges an entrance fee for each individual age 16 and up. Children ages 15 or under are admitted free. Fee covers entrance to all areas of the Monument including visitor center exhibits, film, outdoor exhibit area, hiking trails, picnic areas, Hornbek Homestead, self-guided tours, and ranger programs.
Hours
| Hours | Daily · 9:00AM - 4:30PM |
Hours by date. Standard hours apply on every date not listed.
| Dates | Hours |
|---|---|
| Standard hoursNow | 9:00AM - 4:30PM |
| Nov 26, 2026Thanksgiving Day | Hours not published |
| Dec 25, 2026Christmas Day | Hours not published |
| Jan 1, 2027New Year's Day | Hours not published |
| Jan 18, 2027Birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr. | Hours not published |
| Jan 18, 2027Birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr. | Hours not published |
When to go
June draws the most visits here and January the fewest, averaged over 2021 to 2025.
Visitor centers
- Florissant Fossil Beds Visitor CenterPassport stamp
The Visitor Center is where you should start your visit to Florissant Fossil Beds. Please meet our Rangers in the Visitor Center to show your pass, if you have one, and/or purchase passes. We also have trail maps and information to plan your visit and Jr. Ranger activity books available.
Explore
Trails and hikes
These are the walks the Park Service lists for Florissant Fossil Beds. Each one opens on the Park Service site.
- Hiking the Petrified Forest Loop30-60 Minutes
Take a self-guided, one mile hike and see some of the biggest petrified tree stumps in the world.
- Hiking the Ponderosa Loop Trail10-30 Minutes
Take a stroll on a short, easy trail through a peaceful Ponderosa pine forest and learn about the area's natural history. The highlight of the trail is a modern Ponderosa pine tree growing out of a petrified redwood tree stump.
- Hiking the Geologic Trail30-60 Minutes
This 1.2 mile trail highlights over a billion years of geologic history of the Florissant valley.
These are named Forest Service trails on National Forest land within 15 miles of Florissant Fossil Beds. Each one opens on Trailhead Atlas.
Distance is measured to the nearer end of the trail. Every named Forest Service trail on Trailhead Atlas.
Films
National Park Service productions, public domain.
Webcams
Camera images load live from the National Park Service and partner agencies
News
- Florissant Fossil Beds Eases Fire Restrictions ↗2026-09-15
Florissant Fossil Beds will return to Stage 1 fire restrictions at 12:01 a.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 16, 2026.
- Florissant Fossil Beds Implements Stage 2 Fire Restrictions ↗2026-07-01
Florissant Fossil Beds will move to Stage 2 fire restrictions at 12:01 AM on Wednesday, July 1, 2026. The restrictions are in alignment with multiple state and federal partners to reduce the risk of fire in the region.
- 2026 Summer Night Sky Events ↗2026-05-22
The National Park Service and the Colorado Springs Astronomical Society are excited to offer a series of night sky events at Florissant Fossil Beds this year.
Map
Interactive map by the National Park Service
On the National Register nearby
- Hornbek HouseBuilding · Florissant · 1 mi
- Florissant SchoolBuilding · Florissant · 2.6 mi
- South Platte River BridgeStructure · Lake George · 6.8 mi
- Crystola BridgeStructure · Crystola · 13.8 mi
Public land nearby
Distances are approximate. Wilderness Atlas publishes a center point and an acreage for each area rather than a boundary, so each area is treated here as a circle of the same size and the figure is the gap to that circle.
Guidebooks for Colorado's national parks
We earn a small commission if you buy through these links. It does not change what we list.
Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject.
Reference
Wildlife
Seen this monthBighorn Sheep 3× · Yellow-bellied Marmot 3× · Dusky Grouse 1× · Golden Eagle 1× · Bald Eagle 1× · Great Horned Owl 1× · Coyote 1× · Osprey 1×Research-grade observations within 25 km, last 30 days, via iNaturalist
Full checklist: 154 birds, 37 mammalsHide
Raptors & owlsAmerican Kestrel · Cooper's Hawk · Ferruginous Hawk · Flammulated Owl · Golden Eagle · Great Horned Owl · Long-eared Owl · Merlin · Northern Harrier · Northern Pygmy-Owl · Northern Saw-whet Owl · Osprey · Peregrine Falcon · Prairie Falcon · Red-tailed Hawk · Rough-legged Hawk · Sharp-shinned Hawk · Short-eared Owl · Swainson's Hawk · Turkey Vulture
Waterfowl & wadersAmerican Coot · American Wigeon · Blue-winged Teal · Bufflehead · Canada Goose · Cinnamon Teal · Common Goldeneye · Common Merganser · Great Blue Heron · Green-winged Teal · Lesser Scaup · Northern Pintail · Pied-billed Grebe · Ring-necked Duck · Ruddy Duck
Shorebirds & seabirdsCalifornia Gull · Franklin's Gull · Killdeer · Ring-billed Gull · Spotted Sandpiper · Wilson's Snipe
Gamebirds & dovesBand-tailed Pigeon · Blue Grouse · Mourning Dove · Rock Pigeon · Wild Turkey
WoodpeckersAmerican Three-toed Woodpecker · Downy Woodpecker · Hairy Woodpecker · Lewis's Woodpecker · Northern Flicker · Red-naped Sapsucker · Williamson's Sapsucker
Hummingbirds & swiftsBroad-tailed Hummingbird · Calliope Hummingbird · Rufous Hummingbird · White-throated Swift
Also on the checklistAmerican Crow · American Dipper · American Goldfinch · American Pipit · American Robin · American Tree Sparrow · Barn Swallow · Belted Kingfisher · Black Rosy-Finch · Black-billed Magpie · Black-capped Chickadee · Black-headed Grosbeak · Blue Jay · Brewer's Blackbird · Brewer's Sparrow · Brown Creeper · Brown-capped Rosy-Finch · Brown-headed Cowbird · Bullock's Oriole · Cassin's Finch · Chipping Sparrow · Clark's Nutcracker · Cliff Swallow · Common Grackle · Common Nighthawk · Common Poorwill · Common Raven · Common Redpoll · Cordilleran Flycatcher · Dark-eyed Junco · Dusky Flycatcher · European Starling · Evening Grosbeak · Fox Sparrow · Gadwall · Golden-crowned Kinglet · Gray Jay · Gray-crowned Rosy-Finch · Green-tailed Towhee · Hammond's Flycatcher · Hermit Thrush · Horned Lark · House Finch · House Sparrow · House Wren · Lark Bunting · Lark Sparrow · Lesser Goldfinch · Lincoln's Sparrow · Loggerhead Shrike · MacGillivray's Warbler · Mallard · Mountain Bluebird · Mountain Chickadee · Northern Goshawk · Northern Mockingbird · Northern Rough-winged Swallow · Northern Shoveler · Northern Shrike · Olive-sided Flycatcher · Orange-crowned Warbler · Pine Grosbeak · Pine Siskin · Plumbeous Vireo · Pygmy Nuthatch · Red Crossbill · Red-breasted Nuthatch · Red-winged Blackbird · Redhead · Rock Wren · Ruby-crowned Kinglet · Sage Thrasher · Savannah Sparrow · Say's Phoebe · Song Sparrow · Spotted Towhee · Steller's Jay · Swainson's Thrush · Townsend's Solitaire · Townsend's Warbler · Tree Swallow · Veery · Vesper Sparrow · Violet-green Swallow · Warbling Vireo · Western Bluebird · Western Kingbird · Western Meadowlark · Western Tanager · Western Wood-Pewee · White-breasted Nuthatch · White-crowned Sparrow · Willow Flycatcher · Wilson's Warbler · Yellow Warbler · Yellow-headed Blackbird · Yellow-rumped Warbler
Small mammalsAbert's squirrel · American beaver · Bushy-tailed woodrat · Common muskrat · Deer mouse · Eastern fox squirrel · Golden-mantled ground squirrel · Gunnison's prairie dog · Least chipmunk · Masked shrew · Meadow vole · Merriam's shrew · Mountain cottontail · North American porcupine · Northern pocket gopher · Red squirrel · Richardson's ground squirrel · Thirteen-lined ground squirrel
PredatorsAmerican badger · Black bear · Bobcat · Common raccoon · Coyote · Long-tailed weasel · Mountain lion · Red fox · Striped skunk
Hoofed mammalsElk · Mule deer
BatsBig brown bat · Hoary bat · Little brown myotis · Long-eared myotis · Long-legged myotis · Silver-haired bat · Townsend's big-eared bat · Western small-footed myotis
Activities
Activity guides for this park Hiking in the national parks · Horseback riding in the national parks · Stargazing in the national parks
All 15 activitiesHide
Weather & climate
Winter months - average high 40 degrees F; average low 5 degrees F; Summer months - average high 75 degrees F; average low 40 degrees F;
Questions people ask
How much does it cost to enter Florissant Fossil Beds?
Entrance is $10 per person on foot or bike. $10 per adult (age 16 or older).
Source: National Park Service
Which passes work at Florissant Fossil Beds?
The $80 America the Beautiful pass covers the entrance fee here, and a Florissant Fossil Beds-only annual pass is $35.
Source: Is the pass worth it
Can I pay the entrance fee in cash?
No. Florissant Fossil Beds takes cards only at the entrance.
Source: National Park Service
When is entrance to Florissant Fossil Beds free?
Next on October 27, Theodore Roosevelt's birthday. 2 fee-free days are left this year, for US residents only.
Source: Free entrance days
Do I need a reservation to enter Florissant Fossil Beds?
No. There is no timed-entry or entrance reservation at Florissant Fossil Beds. Camping and some tours have their own reservations.
Source: National Park Service
What are the hours at Florissant Fossil Beds?
Standard hours are 9:00AM - 4:30PM, every day. Dated exceptions are listed under Hours.
Source: National Park Service
Can I camp in Florissant Fossil Beds?
The Park Service lists no campgrounds inside Florissant Fossil Beds.
Source: National Park Service
Is anything closed at Florissant Fossil Beds right now?
2 active alerts as of October 14, 2026: Winter Hours Begin September 14; Florissant Fossil Beds has moved to cashless fee collection.
Source: Alerts
How busy is Florissant Fossil Beds?
63,680 recreation visits in 2025, number 247 of 387 units that report visitation.
Source: Most visited parks
Is there cell service at Florissant Fossil Beds?
At the park's reference point, FCC coverage maps show Verizon 4G LTE and AT&T 5G. No reported coverage for T-Mobile. Coverage inside the park varies by location.
Source: FCC Broadband Map
Is Florissant Fossil Beds good for stargazing?
Yes. Florissant Fossil Beds is a certified International Dark Sky Park.
Source: Dark sky parks
When was Florissant Fossil Beds established?
1969. It covers about 9.4 square miles.
Source: Wikipedia
Follow this park
- Alerts feed (RSS)
- Every active Park Service alert for this unit, one item each, rebuilt with the nightly data refresh.
- Add dates to your calendar (.ics file)
- Fee-free entrance days that apply here and each published hours exception, as all-day events.
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