Roxborough State Park is a

state park State parks are parks or other protected areas managed at the sub-national level within those nations which use "state" as a political subdivision. State parks are typically established by a state to preserve a location on account of its natural ...

Colorado Colorado (, other variants) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It encompasses most of the Southern Rocky Mountains, as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the ...

, United States, known for dramatic red sandstone formations. Located in Douglas County south of

Denver, Colorado Denver () is a consolidated city and county, the capital, and most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Its population was 715,522 at the 2020 census, a 19.22% increase since 2010. It is the 19th-most populous city in the Unit ...

, the park was established in 1975. In 1980 it was recognized as a

National Natural Landmark The National Natural Landmarks (NNL) Program recognizes and encourages the conservation of outstanding examples of the natural history of the United States. It is the only national natural areas program that identifies and recognizes the best ...

Geography

Roxborough State Park, a

Colorado State Park The system of state parks in Colorado integrates outdoor recreation with tourism. There are currently forty-two parks open to the public, and there is one in development. Colorado State Parks host over eleven million visitors each year. Colorado ...

, is known for dramatic red sandstone formations. Located in Douglas County south of

. In 1980 it was recognized as a

because of the number of ecological systems and geological formations. It is also a State Historic Site and National Cultural District because of the number of archaeological sites.

Climate

According to the

Köppen Climate Classification The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by German-Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen (1846–1940) in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen, nota ...

system, Roxborough State Park has an

oceanic climate An oceanic climate, also known as a marine climate, is the humid temperate climate sub-type in Köppen classification ''Cfb'', typical of west coasts in higher middle latitudes of continents, generally featuring cool summers and mild winters ...

, abbreviated "Cfb" on climate maps. The hottest temperature recorded in Roxborough State Park was on July 17, 1997, and July 21, 1997, while the coldest temperature recorded was on February 2, 2011.

Geology

Roxborough State Park is a designated Colorado Natural Area and

for its 300-million-year-old red sandstone

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 United States, along the east side of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains, and a ...

s that tilt at a 60 degree angle. The park includes great examples of exposed Precambrian to Late Mesozoic hogback, monolithic and spire formations from the

Permian The Permian ( ) is a geologic period and stratigraphic system which spans 47 million years from the end of the Carboniferous Period million years ago (Mya), to the beginning of the Triassic Period 251.9 Mya. It is the last period of the Paleo ...

, Pennsylvanian and

Cretaceous The Cretaceous ( ) is a geological period that lasted from about 145 to 66 million years ago (Mya). It is the third and final period of the Mesozoic Era, as well as the longest. At around 79 million years, it is the longest geological period of ...

age. Carpenter Peak's exposed monzonite is from the

Precambrian The Precambrian (or Pre-Cambrian, sometimes abbreviated pꞒ, or Cryptozoic) is the earliest part of Earth's history, set before the current Phanerozoic Eon. The Precambrian is so named because it preceded the Cambrian, the first period of th ...

era.''Roxborough State Park: Geology.''
Colorado State Parks. Retrieved 9-28-2011.

Flora and fauna

The park consists of forests of ponderosa pine and Douglas fir, prairie land, and woodlands that support many forms of wildlife. There are 145 bird, over 50 butterfly and moth, and 11 amphibian and reptile species. Mammals commonly found in the park include black bear, coyote, deer, elk, fox, mountain lion, prairie dog, and rabbit. Sources of water include Little Willow Creek, Willow Creek and Mill Gulch. Elevations range from .

Visitors

The park has visitors center with exhibits, a bookstore, and restrooms. There are six hiking trails in Roxborough State Park, a network of easy to moderate trails that also connect to Douglas County trail system, Pike National Forest and

Waterton Canyon The Platte Canyon is a deep, narrow, scenic gorge on the South Platte River in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado. The canyon is southwest of Denver on the border between Jefferson and Douglas counties. The canyon is at the entrance to the mountai ...

trails.''Roxborough State Park Trails.''
Colorado State Parks. Retrieved 9-28-2011.

References

External links

Roxborough State Park
{{authority control State parks of Colorado Fountain Formation National Natural Landmarks in Colorado Protected areas of Douglas County, Colorado Protected areas established in 1975 Rock formations of Colorado Landforms of Douglas County, Colorado