1: Are pets allowed into the park?
Answer: Pets are prohibited from every part of the Monument except for the parking lot and pet exercise area. Pets in the parking lot or exercise area must be on a leash.
2: What kinds of fossils are here and where can I see them?
Answer: The ony fossils you will see outside our museum are giant petrified stumps of redwood trees. Inside the visitor center museum is the best place to see fragile fossils of insects, plants, spiders, fish, cones, and seeds.
3: What can I do here?
Answer: During the summer you can attend a variety of ranger-led programs such as talks and walks. Self-guided tours, an outdoor exhibit area, and the visitor center and bookstore are available year-round. There are 15 miles of hiking trails.
4: Are there dinosaur fossils here?
Answer: No, there are no dinosaur fossils in the park. The fossils found at Florissant are about 30 million years more recent than the dinosaurs.
5: Can I collect fossils in the Monument? Where can I collect fossils?
Answer: Digging for and collection of any natural or cultural feature is strictly prohibited. Fossils, rocks, flowers, pine cones, artifacts, etc. must remain in the Monument. There is a small, privately owned quarry outside the Monument where you can pay a fee and collect fossils.
6: Why is this a national park area? When and why was it set aside?
Answer: Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument was created in 1969. It was created to protect world-class paleontological resources (fossils). It is one of the richest fossil deposits in the world.
7: Are "they" still "digging" and looking for fossils?
Answer: Actual excavations are conducted on a limited basis, only for research purposes. The Monument has a full-time paleontologist who coordinates an active science program. Most of the research conducted about the paleontological and geological resources is not excavation based.
8: Can I camp here?
Answer: There is no camping within the national monument. There are many public camping sites nearby including Mueller State Park, Eleven Mile State Park, Eleven Mile Canyon, and the Pike National Forest.
