Discover the Wonders: Top 14 Fun Facts About the Colorado Plateau You Never Knew

1. Elevation: A Never-Ending Uphill Adventure

You may think it's just showing off, but the Colorado Plateau has been on a slow and steady quest for height, akin to a hiker trying to conquer Mount Everest without realizing it's a treadmill: In the past 6 million years, heat from the rising mantle rock has gradually uplifted the plateau thousands of feet, resulting in its breathtaking vertical topography, like the Grand Canyon - but contrary to some claims, it hasn't come close to reaching an elevation of 10,000 feet in the past 65 million years.
Source => nps.gov

2. Rusty Rocks: Nature's Permanent Paint Job

Feeling a little rusty? That's just the Colorado Plateau showing its true colors: The gorgeous red hue in its sedimentary rocks is actually a result of oxidized iron (aka rust), showing they were formed in a hot, arid environment with sparse vegetation during the Permian period, when the region was near the equator and famous for sand dunes, ultimately producing the stunning sandstone landscapes we see today at places like Natural Bridges National Monument and Sedona, Arizona.
Source => geology.teacherfriendlyguide.org

Did you know the first Europeans to witness the Grand Canyon compared its rocks to the great tower of Seville? Discover more fascinating facts about this natural wonder!

=> Fun Facts about The-Grand-Canyon

3. Fossil Paradise: Jurassic Park Meets Little Mermaid

If Jurassic Park and The Little Mermaid had a baby, it would undoubtedly be the Colorado Plateau: This fascinating region is home to a treasure trove of fossils, from prehistoric marine invertebrates and early terrestrial plants to a smorgasbord of freshwater and terrestrial animals, making it a paleontologist's dream come true!
Source => earthathome.org

4. Coconino Sandstone: Geological Detective Novel

If the Colorado Plateau's Coconino Sandstone were an eccentric detective novel, it would be brimming with minuscule clues and hidden structures that leave geologists utterly captivated: This enchanting geological formation boasts one-of-a-kind, small-scale structures that continue to fascinate and educate researchers about the region's mysterious and intricate geological processes.
Source => web.uri.edu

5. Park-Palooza: A National Park Extravaganza!

Hey there, geography fans and park-aholics! Have you ever yearned for a Nature-palooza, a beautiful land where national parks and monuments run wild like a pack of happy golden retrievers? Well, look no further than the marvelous and monument-rich Colorado Plateau: Home to the largest concentration of U.S. National Park Service units outside of the Washington, DC area, it touts eight national parks, 18 national monuments, and protected areas such as Bears Ears, Rainbow Bridge, and Chaco Culture National Historical Park. Step right up for a heaping helping of park-tastic adventure!
Source => en.wikipedia.org

6. Hoodoos: The Colorado Plateau's Rockstars

If hoodoos could talk, they'd brag about their towering heights and spectacular place of residence: The Colorado Plateau, home to the world's tallest hoodoos that reach up to 200 feet, is nature's stage showcasing these geological rockstars, shaped to fame by flash floods, frost, and intermittent rain, especially in breathtaking spots like Bryce Canyon.
Source => geology.teacherfriendlyguide.org

7. Grand Circle: The Ultimate Scenic Road Trip

Surely, Mother Nature was a seasoned road tripper when she planned the ultimate six-pack of stunning outdoor vistas: You'll get an eyeful while embarking on the Grand Circle Road Trip, featuring Zion, Bryce Canyon, Arches, Canyonlands, Capitol Reef, and Grand Canyon National Parks. This is the crème de la crème of expeditions for natural beauty aficionados, showcasing magnificent canyons, soaring spires, impressive buttes, striking arches, and enigmatic hoodoos that make it a top contender in the USA's surreally scenic road trip line-up.
Source => us-parks.com

8. Two-Billion-Year-Old Bod: Canyons, Mesas & Mountains

If the Colorado Plateau were a dating app profile, it'd boast of having "a great sense of humor and rocking a 2-billion-year-old bod": This geological wonderland proudly displays the Grand Canyon, spanning nearly 18 miles wide, along with the impressive canyons of the Green and Colorado rivers in Canyonlands National Park, and the North Fork of the Virgin River in Zion National Park, while flaunting dazzling mesas, buttes, and isolated mountain ranges like the La Sal, Henry, Abajo, Navajo, and Carrizo Mountains.
Source => traveltips.usatoday.com

9. Tribal Art Gallery: From Pottery to Skateboards

Who knew that the Colorado Plateau's newest art curator was Tony Hawk's ancient ancestor? Well, not exactly, but the Museum of Northern Arizona has an ethnology exhibition featuring over 350 tribal artifacts from the area, including a pièce de résistance – a skateboard: The extensive collection showcases the rich history and culture of the ten tribes native to the plateau, including the Acoma, Dilzhe’e Apache, Diné (Navajo), Havasupai, Hopi, Hualapai, Southern Paiute, Southern Ute, Yavapai, and Zuni, all curated in collaboration with members of the respective tribes to ensure authenticity and respect for their traditions.
Source => musnaz.org

10. Earth's Tetris: Endless Geologic Playground

Behold the Colorado Plateau, where the great Earth's crust decided to play a game of Tetris with rivers and rock formations: This geological wonderland features not just the awe-inspiring Grand Canyon, but an array of other breathtaking canyons and valleys sculpted by the tireless Colorado River over millions of years, making it a beloved playground for geologists and rock climbers alike.
Source => nps.gov

11. Silver Screen Wonder: Hollywood's Natural Star

Step aside, Hollywood Walk of Fame – it's time to saddle up and ride into the sunset at the real star of Tinseltown: the Colorado Plateau! This striking landscape of red spires and mesas has graced the silver screen like a seasoned thespian for over 80 years, stealing scenes in iconic films such as Stagecoach, Easy Rider, Thelma & Louise, and even playing sidekick to Indiana Jones in The Last Crusade. No autographs, please – this natural wonder prefers to let its geological formations do the talking.
Source => roadandtrack.com

12. Rainy Knock-Knock Jokes: Colorado's Dry Humor

Why did the Colorado Plateau cross the road? To get to the drier side! On the Southern Colorado Plateau, rain can't stick around long enough to tell a decent knock-knock joke: With a unique bi-modal precipitation pattern that sees most rainfall during summer monsoons and winter months, much of the moisture simply evaporates due to high noontime solar radiation, clear skies, and the dry, thin, high-elevation air. So, while basking in 1,788 annual hours of sunshine – that's around 150 more than the average American spot – just remember to drink your H2O and enjoy the "dry" humor of this fascinating region.
Source => nps.gov

13. From Stromatolites to Trilobites: Prehistoric Party

Before the dinosaurs even said "Hello, world," the Colorado Plateau was already a fossil frenzy, hosting a prehistoric party with stromatolites and trilobites (the ancestors of spring break!): This geological hotspot is home to some of Earth's oldest rocks and fossils such as 1.2-billion-year-old stromatolites and 740-million-year-old microfossils from the late Proterozoic Chuar Group, showcasing a diverse and ancient natural history with remnants of ferns, corals, and other land-dwelling organisms.
Source => geology.teacherfriendlyguide.org

14. Flora & Fauna Fiesta: Where Nature's Diversity Thrives

Where pine, tortoise, and condor collide to form a Ponderosa party: The Colorado Plateau hosts a fabulous array of flora and fauna like the Ponderosa pine, the desert tortoise, and the California condor, which have made a comeback through successful conservation efforts.
Source => smithsonianassociates.org