Last updated: January 8, 2024
Place
Deciphering Nature's Palette wayside
NPS
Quick Facts
Location:
Sunset Point
Amenities
1 listed
Historical/Interpretive Information/Exhibits
The colorful Claron Formation was formed 50 to 60 million years ago in a system of lakes that stretched across central Utah. Separated into an upper white member and lower pink member, both are composed primarily of limestone mixed with varying amounts of silt and clay. Intermittent layers of mudstone and sandstone were deposited as the lake levels rose or fell and rivers flowed across the basin.
Around 20 million years ago, this region was shifted by tectonic forces, lifting it from sea level to its present-day elevations. Exposed before you at 8,000 feet (2,438 m), the fragile pink cliffs of the Claron Formation are sculpted by ice and rain into rock spires called "hoodoos."
Around 20 million years ago, this region was shifted by tectonic forces, lifting it from sea level to its present-day elevations. Exposed before you at 8,000 feet (2,438 m), the fragile pink cliffs of the Claron Formation are sculpted by ice and rain into rock spires called "hoodoos."