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Why Is Rocky Mountain National Park so Extraordinary?

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Rocky Mountain National Park in October ©Huston 2022 Introduction In the 1800s people started noticing a piece of land found in Wyoming and the borders of Montana and Idaho that was unlike anything previously seen in the United States. This land was so indescribable that people in Washington D.C. did not believe it existed.  After an expedition took place, people brought proof back to President Grant and he established  Yellowstone National Park –the first National Park–in 1872.   While Grant set this aside originally, congress is the one who set aside the land for national parks now.  Since 1872 there have been 62 other National Parks established in the United States. Colorado is home to four national parks; Mesa Verde, Black Canyon of the Gunnison, Great Sand Dunes, and Rocky Mountai n National Park.  In an interview with Dr. Leslie Mikesell, she describes what a national park is. “Property and land that has been set aside by the people. Set aside for inspirational, educational, and
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Geology of Pikes Peak

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It's no secret that Pikes Peak in Colorado Springs, Colo. is a famous mountain with a history of the Gold Rush and "Pikes Peak or Bust" but there is already so much information about why people came to Pikes Peak.  I recently took a Geology of National Parks class which not only inspired this blog but also aided in some of the topics, and I learned some valuable things about Colorado's beloved Mountian. The material/rock Pikes Peak is made out of is a reddish pinkish granite.  Photo by James St. Johns on Flickr Granite is an intrusive igneous rock that forms when molten rock solidifies underneath the surface. It is important to understand that igneous rocks form from volcanic lava and magma.  Pikes Peak is a batholith which is the intrusive igneous rock that is exposed to the crust of the Earth's surface. In order to be considered a batholith the exposed area has to be at 100 square km or more.  The mountain range formed from two tectonic plates meeting and conver
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