Walk With a Geologist at Dinosaur Ridge

Have you ever wondered about the geology behind the discoveries and fossils at Dinosaur Ridge?

Join a professional geologist for a tour of Dinosaur Ridge–a 2½-hour walk and discussion of the geology and changes of the Denver area through time. This walk begins at the Dinosaur Ridge Main Visitor Center, 16831 W. Alameda Parkway. Walkers are transported by a small bus to the west side of Dinosaur Ridge for a 1½-mile walk back. This tour is designed for participants aged 16 and up. Masks are required on the shuttle bus (ages 3+). The first quarter-mile of the walk gains approximately 100 feet of elevation. The remaining 1¼ miles of the walk is downhill. These exclusive tours offer you private access to scientists who can give you insider secrets about all of the sites at Dinosaur Ridge.

Your tour leader will explain:

• the Precambrian–Fountain Formation unconformity located across the valley in Red Rocks Park;
• the missing rocks and life in between the Precambrian and the Pennsylvanian time;
• the dinosaur fossils and environment of formation of the Jurassic Morrison Formation;
• the volcanic ash bed in the Cretaceous Dakota Formation;
• why there are oil and gas deposits in the Denver Basin;
• the dinosaur track site that developed along a swamp section of the Cretaceous beach;
• the tidal channel and associated life along other stretches of that same beach;
• and finally, the Cretaceous interior seaway that extended across Colorado from the Arctic Ocean to the Gulf of Mexico

Your leader will use maps that show how North America and Colorado fit into a global pattern of movements with the assembly of the supercontinent Pangea that allowed world-wide migration of dinosaurs to our continental dispersal of today.

Tour Dates & Times:

Tour Specifics:

• $15 (ages 16+)
• Minimum of 2 and maximum of 13 participants
• Length: 2.5 hours
• Admission to the exhibit hall, Trek Through Time, is included with ticket
• Masks are required on the shuttle bus
• Tour is suggested for ages 16+
• Tour may be called off for active precipitation, temps below 32 degrees, or lack of registrations.
• Appropriate attire: comfortable shoes, sun hats, sunglasses, removable clothing (windbreakers, fleeces, etc…)
• Bring water

Tour Guides:

Larry Lens is a retired oil and gas geologist with 32 years at Amoco and BP. He has also been working with PetroSkills and continues to do contract teaching. Larry started volunteering with Dinosaur Ridge in 2020 and enjoys inspiring young people to be scientists by leading public tours, school programs and greeting our visitors every Wednesday in the exhibit hall as a docent.

Bob Mason is also retired from the petroleum industry where he worked for 42 years as an exploration geologist and has studied geology all over western US from Alaska to New Mexico, with emphasis on sedimentary rocks. Bob has been leading tours with us since 2019 and says that he “thoroughly enjoys teaching anyone of any age about the geology/paleontology of Dino-Ridge”.

Kermit Shields received his geology degrees and spent his professional career with Mobil Oil in a variety of production and exploration jobs in both domestic and international offices. After retiring, he became an active volunteer at both the Denver Museum of Nature and Science and at Dinosaur Ridge. Kermit was an active Board Director with Friends of Dinosaur Ridge from 2006-2021

Bill Stone received bachelor and master of science degrees in geology and spent a career in the petroleum industry, exploring for and developing oil and gas reserves in the U.S. Bill began guiding tours at Dinosaur Ridge in 2018 and loves sharing its geological wonders with everyone.