Rock Cut Overlook

Rock Cut Overlook is located along Trail Ridge Road. In the foreground are Precambrian metamorphic rocks (schist) above the Silver Plume Granite that intruded and uplifted them. These rocks were previously sedimentary rocks that were subjected to regional metamorphism about 1.7 billion years ago. The modern Rocky Mountains were formed during the Laramide Orogeny (mountain-building event), 45 million to 70 million years ago.

Print No. A01NW-43-1

Lava Cliffs

The Lava Cliffs are also located along Trail Ridge Road, just east of its highest point. The Lava Cliffs are composed of 26-28 million year old (Upper Oligocene) rhyolite welded tuff. This erosional remnant, which lies on top of the metamorphic roof pendant, used to be part of a continuous volcanic deposit originating in the Never Summer Mountains, about 8 miles (12 Km) to the west.

Print No. A01NW-41-11

Nymph Lake and Hallett Peak

Partially covered with lily pads, Nymph Lake is located along Bear Lake Trail. Although it is one of a string of lakes along the Trail, it is isolated from the other lakes in terms of surface drainage. Hallett Peak is the shear mountain on the left.

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Dream Lake and Hallett Peak

Dream Lake is another 0.6 miles (1.0 Km) further up Bear Lake Trail. Dream Lake and Emerald Lake (below) are connected by Tyndall Creek, which originates at Tyndall Glacier, hidden just out of view on the north side (to the right) of Hallett Peak. This glacier was much more extensive during the Pleistocene ice ages. The u-shaped valley the glacier carved can be seen to the right of the peak.

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Emerald Lake and Hallett Peak

Bear Lake Trail ends at Emerald Lake, another 0.7 miles (1.1 Km) beyond Dream Lake. Emerald Lake lies at the foot of Hallett Peak. On the northeast face of the peak, lighter bands of the 1.4 billion year old (Precambrian) Silver Plume Granite cut across the older, darker biotite schist.

Print No. A01NW-43-12

Forest Canyon Overlook

This is the view from Forest Canyon Overlook on Trail Ridge Road, looking southwest. The high point in this view is Terra Tomah Mountain. You can see the darker-colored roof pendant overlying the lighter-colored Silver Plume Granite. In the foreground, scattered among the boulders of the granite, is an alpine tundra plant community above the tree line.

Print No. A01NW-44-2