If you are a geology enthusiast Zion National Park totally rocks! Most of the rocks in Utah’s first National Park are sedimentary consisting of bits and pieces of older rocks that have been weathered, eroded, and deposited in layers of the eons and are fun and easy to identify if you know what to look for.
Zion’s rock layers contain stories of ancient environments and inhabitants very different from those found in modern day Zion today as the entire area was near sea level in the distant past and was even in a different place on the globe (close to the equator).
The rock layers found in Zion today were deposited between approximately 110 –270 million years ago and only in recent geologic time have they been uplifted and eroded to form the awe inspiring scenery of Zion National Park.
Zion has incredible online resources for identifying rock layers and this simple infographic is a great place to start.
If you plan on visiting Zion National Park this summer make sure you brush up on your local geology to enhance your experience:
Zion’s rock layers (youngest to oldest):
“In Zion, you will see rock layers ranging from 120 to 270 million years old, and they all tell a story about the past – talk about classic rock!
Zion is located on the southwestern edge of the Colorado Plateau: a massive area that was uplifted, and contains areas like Arches, Canyonlands, Bryce Canyon, and Capitol Reef National Parks, which is why you may see similar features and rock formations across the parks. You may have also heard of the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument managed by the BLM which is located nearby Zion and Bryce Canyon.
Within the Colorado Plateau there is a geologic region known as the Grand Staircase. Zion sits in the middle of the stratigraphy (rock column), making the top layer of rock in Zion the bottom layer of rock in Bryce Canyon! The bottom rock layer of Zion is the top layer at the Grand Canyon.
Following the Grand Staircase, you get to see some of the greatest hits of the Colorado Plateau as the landscape is always changing as the rivers carve canyons and rocks fall to make canyons and cliffs we see today.”
