Full Title: FT26CN409. Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument: Geoheritage, History, and Paleontology
Price: US$165 for non-members; US$140 for professional members; US$85 for student members; US$115 for early career professional members
Leader(s): Herbert Meyer; Thomas Casadevall; Gabriella Harris
Endorser(s): GSA History, Philosophy, and Geoheritage Division
CEUs: 1.20
Date(s): Sat., 10 Oct. 2026
Location: Colorado Convention Center, Denver, Colorado, USA
Start Time: 7 a.m.
End Time: 6:30 p.m.
Description: The Florissant Fossil Beds are world-renowned for their delicate plant and insect fossils and large petrified redwood stumps. This field trip to Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument will examine the remnants of a late Eocene landscape that includes an ash-flow tuff, lahars, and volcaniclastic lake sediments containing nearly 2,000 species of fossils.
The dynamic history of Florissant encompasses many aspects of geoheritage, ranging from Earth history to the generations of people who have used this landscape for subsistence, fossil collecting, education, commercial tourism, economic development, and preservation. Florissant serves as the sole North American case study in the 2025 international textbook Geoheritage: Assessment, Protection and Management. The integration of geology, paleontology, fossil conservation, land-use history, environmental activism, ongoing scientific research, and evolving preservation ethics provides a compelling model for how Earth science intersects with cultural values and public stewardship.
Discussions will explore the Monument’s geoheritage and history, from the early paleontologists of the Hayden Survey, to homesteaders who collected the first fossils for science, through decades of commercial “petrified forest” concessions, and culminating in the legal battle against development that led to the establishment of the national monument and set new precedents for protecting the nation’s geoheritage. The scientific significance of Florissant’s geology and paleontology will be emphasized to highlight research as a central component of the Monument’s mission. Highlights of the trip will include a tour of the paleontology collections and exhibits, a two-mile walk through the petrified forest and along the geologic trail, and fossil collecting at a privately owned quarry.
Considerations: There will be a 2.5-hour drive each way between the convention center in Denver and Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument, as well as a 2.5-hour trail walk, neither of which will have restroom access. The trail involves approximately 2 miles of walking, mostly along an improved gravel surface, but includes a short, steep section with exposed rocks. Trail conditions may include snow depending on weather, and outdoor temperatures may be below freezing. The elevation is approximately 8,700 feet and may pose acclimation challenges for some participants.
Cost includes ground transportation, lunch, snacks, water, and entry fees.
By purchasing this item, you are buying a seat for an in-person geological field trip. This field trip is in conjunction with GSA Connects 2026. Learn more here.
For member type discounts please contact fieldtrip@geosociety.org.
Students and Early Career Professionals can apply for funding here.
Field Trips offer Continuing Education Units (CEUs). One CEU equals 10 hours of participation in an organized continuing education experience under responsible sponsorship, capable direction, and qualified instruction.
Please review these Field Safety Documents. You will be contacted to provide your consent to these forms after purchasing a field trip.
For additional information, please contact fieldtrip@geosociety.org.
Product Code: FT26CN409
Product Category: FTRIP
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