Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Victor, a few miles to the southeast, can be reached via Rte. 67. Back in the area's hey-
day, the two towns were rivals, and at one time Victor, not to be outdone by Cripple Creek,
had streets that were literally paved with gold—ore that was deemed too low-grade to ship
out.
After a period of decline, the twin towns thrive once again as centers for tourism.
Star Route
Forthrillseekerswillingtoleavetheeaseofhighwaytravelbehindinordertoexplore
the untamed Colorado countryside via an unpaved backcountry byway, Shelf Road is
the route of choice. The challenging, white-knuckle drive leads from Cripple Creek to
Cañon City, passing numerous geological marvels, Window Rock among them, then
comes to ''the Shelf,'' where the road is just a ledge sliced into the wall of Fourmile
Canyon. At Red Canon Park 100-foot spires cast their lengthy shadows, and the site
offossilexcavations awaits atthebroadmountain valley that encircles GardenPark,a
prime locale for spotting wild turkeys.
5.
Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument
The rumblings of ancient volcanoes—massive mountains that erupted repeatedly—are re-
sponsible for the fossils here. Mudflows dammed a stream, and the backed-up waters par-
tially inundated the surrounding forest. Then thick rains of ash and pumice buried the re-
gion, thereby preserving the area's plants and animals as fossils.
The climate was much different then, a time when sequoia, cedar, hickory, beech, and
even avocado trees thrived in a warm, humid realm. Conditions were perfect for insects,
and they are among the most frequently found fossils—from butterflies to the tsetse fly, a
species that today occurs naturally only in Africa. Mammals, too, were captured in stone
and now form a prehistoric menagerie that includes a large rhinolike creature about 14 feet
in length. Two short trails, A Walk Through Time and the Petrified Forest Loop, guide
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