Last updated: December 3, 2021
Place
Big Stump
Quick Facts
Location:
Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument
Significance:
Large petrified redwood stump
Amenities
1 listed
Information Kiosk/Bulletin Board
This is one of the largest fossils at Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument, a petrified redwood stump 12 feet in diameter. The BIg Stump is all that remains of a redwood tree that may have been more than 230 feet tall and 500 to 1,000 years old when a lahar (volcanic mudflow) buried its base.
In the late 1800s, local residents excavated the Big Stump and it became an attraction, drawing tourists to the area. In 1893, a failed attempt was made to saw the Big Stump into pieces that could be transported to display at the Chicago World’s Fair. Rusty broken saw blades still embedded in the top of the stump.
In the late 1800s, local residents excavated the Big Stump and it became an attraction, drawing tourists to the area. In 1893, a failed attempt was made to saw the Big Stump into pieces that could be transported to display at the Chicago World’s Fair. Rusty broken saw blades still embedded in the top of the stump.