Last updated: July 30, 2022
Place
Sound of Silence Trail Stop 1
NPS Photo/Conrad Provan
Quick Facts
Amenities
1 listed
Scenic View/Photo Spot
Dinosaur National Monument is best known for its dinosaur fossils, but it protects so much more. 23 geologic layers are exposed in the monument, spanning more than one billion years of Earth's history. Sparse vegetation reveals these layers that tell us about the distant past.
Look to the west and view geologic layers through time. Frontier Formation and Mowry Shale to the south (on your left) are younger rock layers, dating to the late Cretaceous, approximately 98 million years ago. The Nugget Sandstone to the north (on your right) is much older, extending back to the Triassic, 200 million years ago. In front of you is over 100 million years of climatic and environmental change.
Change can be continuous and slow or incredibly quick in a desert environment like this. Soon you will encounter an intermittent stream bed (referred to as a wash). It is often dry, but water roaring downhill after intense thunderstorms can rapidly reshape the landscape.
Look to the west and view geologic layers through time. Frontier Formation and Mowry Shale to the south (on your left) are younger rock layers, dating to the late Cretaceous, approximately 98 million years ago. The Nugget Sandstone to the north (on your right) is much older, extending back to the Triassic, 200 million years ago. In front of you is over 100 million years of climatic and environmental change.
Change can be continuous and slow or incredibly quick in a desert environment like this. Soon you will encounter an intermittent stream bed (referred to as a wash). It is often dry, but water roaring downhill after intense thunderstorms can rapidly reshape the landscape.