An NNL is a national natural landmark. They have a special program that not only identifies these landmarks but also advocates for them, ensuring they can be preserved and protected. The National Park Service supervises them, and in Colorado, there are 15 of these sites. Intrigued? Check out our list of these stunning sites you won’t take your eyes off.
Big Spring Creek
This NNL is located in the Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve. It covers over 400 acres of land and is a spring-fed creek that arises from groundwater. The groundwater originates from an unconfined aquifer, and the wetlands support a diverse array of rare species and plants. It makes the NNL list because of its hydrological nature.
West Bijou Site
The West Bijou Site is privately owned and spans over 7,500 acres. In November 2016, it was named an NNL due to its outstanding features. You’ll find wild pronghorns as well as Paleogene fossils, Cretaceous fossils, and iridium anomalies. The site also supports both common and rare wildlife and plants.
Lost Creek Scenic Area
You’ll find this site in the Lost Creek Wilderness, and it covers approximately 26 square miles, give or take. It was created in 1963 and received its designation as an NNL in 1966. It’s part of the Pike National Forest, and you’ll find that it offers a unique blend of ridges, narrow gorges, and spires.
Garden Park Fossil Area
The federal government owns this NNL, and it spans over 3,200 acres in size. It’s North America’s most vital and significant location for fossils from the Late Jurassic Age. The site gained worldwide interest in the late 1800s, and archaeologists found three Stegosaurus skeletons at the site. The astonishing part? They were complete.
Hanging Lake
In Glenwood Canyon, you’ll see this NNL that was formed by the deposition of travertine. It’s another site owned by the federal government, and the water is a unique turquoise that comes from carbonate minerals that have dissolved. It’s also known for supporting the largest community of hanging gardens and offers excellent hiking opportunities. The only issue is that so many visitors see it each year that there is a concern for ecological disruption.
Raton Mesa
The highest part covers an area of almost 4,200 acres and is located within Las Animas County. Private individuals and the state own it, and it has a thick lava cap that preserves the area. Natural gas and coal are produced in this region, and the location is resistant to erosion and weathering.
Morrison-Golden Fossil Areas
The bones of dinosaurs, crocodiles, and reptile tracks, along with plants and other fossils, are abundant here. Over the last couple of decades, the boundaries for this landmark have been expanded. At this site, you can visit Dinosaur Ridge, a world-renowned attraction. Private individuals and the county own this NNL.
Garden of the Gods
Covering almost 870 acres within the namesake park, it was named an NNL in 1971. The City of Colorado Springs, a home rule municipality, manages and owns the park. The site is well-known for sedimentary rocks, geological formations, and an uncommon honey ant species. These ants were discovered almost one hundred years before this was declared a national natural landmark.
Indian Springs Trace Fossil
Privately owned, it was declared an NNL in 1979. It covers a little over 100 acres and has a variety of 25 different trace fossil types. These fossils include horseshoe crabs and trilobites. Owners of the site conduct tours in certain areas, and the fossils have fascinated people because they show ancient Ordovician animal life movements.
Roxborough State Park
In 1975, the park was established as an NNL and covers almost 750 acres, and is owned by the state. The site is known for having fossil remains, fine exposures of hogbacks, and unusual patterns of erosion. It has fascinating ecological systems and geological formations, making it a State Historic Site as well as an NNL.
Sand Creek
There are great examples of topple blocks and cross-bedded sandstone here, and the stream flows between Albany County in Wyoming and Larimer County in Colorado. This site is interesting because both private and public entities, including the federal government and state entities, own it. It spans approximately 5,100 acres.
Spanish Peaks
Named Huajatolla by the Ute Indians, the Spanish Peaks are situated within the San Isabel National Forest, which spans nearly 60 square miles. It’s owned privately and federally and offers people the chance to see over 500 exposed igneous dikes. The site is beautiful to behold, and you can feel at one with nature.
Slumgullion Earthflow
Covering 800 acres and characterized by a geological process of mass wasting, this area was designated an NNL in 1965. Both the federal and private sectors own it, and almost a century ago, a landslide created a mass that was 2,000 feet wide and 4 miles in length. It made a look that can’t be replicated.
Russell Lakes
This NNL covers over 2,000 acres and is another site that is owned federally and privately. It’s considered a natural area due to the extensive bulrush marsh, as well as the area’s wide variety of fauna and flora. In addition to this, there is also a waterfowl breeding site.
Summit Lake
On the smaller side, at 160 acres, it serves as a habitat for rare alpine-arctic plants and has an elevation of over 1,200 feet. The smaller size doesn’t affect the beauty or natural wonder of this site at all. It’s usually referred to as the USA’s highest lake and was designated a national natural landmark in the mid-1960s.
Breathless Views
The views from each of these areas are stunning. They each have a unique history and offer the chance to learn, expand your mind, and see amazing sites that can’t be seen anywhere else. Each national landmark has something unique to see, so take the time and check them out!
