Big Horn Sheep Canyon Geology Tour: “Up the River” from Cañon City to Salida with a stop at the Overlook Deck of the Royal Gorge Bridge & Park. Saturday, October 15, 2016; 8AM – 5PM
Tour Description: The Arkansas River flows in the Rio Grande Rift, a Graben or downfaulted block, from Leadville to Salida where it turns east and flows through the right Horst, or upfaulted block, and other geologic structures through the Royal Gorge and onto the Colorado Piedmont unit of the Great Plains. This tour will explain the complex geology visible from US-50 in the Big Horn Sheep Canyon of the Arkansas River. Parts of US-50 were once the 1874stagecoach road from Cañon City to Leadville.It was replaced in 1915 by “The Rainbow Route” which was later renamed US-50.
Tour Leader:Bob Hickey is a Geologist and volunteer with the Colorado Parks & Wildlife (CPW) Department and the Arkansas Headwaters Recreation Area (AHRA). Among his areas of expertise are the geology of the Rio Grande Rift and Arkansas River. He has 40-years of experience in field Geology in Arizona and Colorado, has led many hikes and tours of the area and presented to geology groups in Salida, Lake George and Cañon City. He is a knowledgeable and enthusiastic presenter.
Geology Guidebook: A 20-page Geology Guidebook will be provided for trip participants to bring along that describes the Rio Grande Rift, Salida area geology, detailed geology of Big Horn Sheep Canyon and the Royal Gorge as well as a glossary of relevant geological terms. Participants will also receive a Western Fremont County Self-Guided Heritage Tour describing the area’s history.
Itinerary: The tour will check-in at 7:45 AM and depart from the parking lot at the PCC-Fremont Campus at 8:00 AM on Saturday, October 15th, 2016 as an event of Fremont Fall Heritage Days. Dress warmly, in layers, with good shoes since we will get on and off the bus at several locations. A hat, cushion, walking stick and water may also be desired. A step and hand rail is provided to assist boarding. We will be riding a former School Bus with a public address system, but not much heat.Sponsored by the Fremont County Historical Society, the tour will also bring awareness to the Crossroads Through Time Heritage Park project at the PCC-Fremont Campus.
The tour will provide an Introduction to General Geology as the bus travels west to the Salida East Recreation Site at MP224 on US-50. After a presentation on Precambrian geology and the Great Unconformity visible there, the tour will depart east bound at about 9:30 AM, pausing at over a dozen locations to view geologic features.
Lunch: Available about 12:30 at Barry’s Den at Texas Creek with more geology and history talk. A menu and order form will be distributed when the bus loads in Cañon City so the order form can be dropped off at the restaurant as the bus goes upriver and the food will be ready when we return. Hamburgers, sandwiches, salads, etc. have an average cost of $6 – $10 with beverage, paid to the restaurant. Participants may bring their own sack lunch and beverage.
The bus will stop at the Royal Gorge Bridge & Park for a 30-minute view and presentation on the Gorge from the Visitor Center’s new observation deck. The bus will return to the PCC-Fremont parking lot at about 5:00 PM.
Tour Cost: $40.00 per person with checks payable to the Fremont County Historical Society (no credit cards for the tour). Raft Masters of Cañon City is providing transportation in support of the Historical Society.Further information and registration forms available at
Itinerary for the Big Horn Sheep Canyon Geology Bus Tour
Maxim number of participants: 43 with 1 narrator
Date: October 15, 2016 Time: Check in at 7:45 AM; Depart PCC-Fremont Campus west of Cañon City at 8 AM westbound on US-50. Arrive back: approximately 5 PM. Dress warmly, in layers, with good shoes. We will be getting on and off the former School Bus at several stops, assisted by an extra step and railing. The tour will drive West through Big Horn Sheep Canyon on US-50 to MP224 near Salida.
1. General Geology Introduction with question/answer period (on bus en-route)
2. Geology Discussion – Rifting (on bus en-route)
3. Arrive Salida East Rec Site (MP224) at 9:15 AM, (restroom break) Geology –Precambrian and Great Unconformity
Geology Tour east through Upper Big Horn Sheep Canyon
1. Depart for Cañon City at 9:30 AM eastbound on US-50 from Salida East Rec Site (MP224)
2. 10-minute pause at Wellsville Arch, Geology – Paleozoic Rocks, Kilns (MP226)
3. 10-minute pause at Wellsville, Geology – Folds and Upheaval (MP227)
4. 5-minute pause at Swissvale curve, Geology – Minturn Formation (MP229)
5. 5-minute pause at Redbeds Pullout, Geology – Rift’s East Horst Angles (MP230)
6. 15-minute pause at Rincon Rec Site, (restroom break) Geology – Penn./Permian Redbeds and Volcanic Activity (MP231)
7. 5-minute pause at Howard, Geology – Rift’s East Horst (MP233)
8. 5-minute pause at Howard Volcanic Deposits (en-route to Howard Cemetery)
9. 10-minute pause one mile past Cemetery on FC-45, Geology – East Horst uplift, Pleasant Valley Fault
10. 20-minute pause at Vallie Bridge Rec Site (restroom break), Geology – Rift and subsequent uplift
11. US -50 to FC-6, 5-minute pause, left back to US-50, History – Geology – Gypsum mining, Pleasant Valley
12. 5-minute pause, US-50 east to MP242 right onto FC-40, left onto FC-39, Geology – Front Range Uplift
13. US-50 to FC-12 Cotopaxi, 5-minute pause, Geology – Unusual Granite Coloration
14. 10-minute pause at Lone Pine Rec site (MP248), Geology – uplift faults, granite erosion
Lunch at Texas Creek at Barry’s Den (12:30 to 2:00 PM)
Geology – Meta-sediments west of Texas Creek), Texas Creek Fault
Geology Tour east through Lower Big Horn Sheep Canyon
1. 15-minute pause at Meta-Sediment Pullout (MP254), Geology – metasediments, layering
2. 10-minute pause at Echo Park Pullout, Geology – 5-Points Fault, 39-Mile Volcano Field
3. 30-minute pause at Five Points Rec Site (MP260), (restroom break) Geology- Metamorphic Rock
4. 30-minute pause at Parkdale (MP267), Geology – faults, Jurassic and Cenozoic Rocks
Geology Tour – Royal Gorge
1. 30-minute pause at Royal Gorge Bridge & Park with a view from the new Deck), Geology – Royal Gorge
2. Return to Cañon City