View down Glenwood Canyon at Hanging Lake Rest Area. Interstate 70 passes through tunnels along this section of the canyon. The Leadville Formation is visible in the upper left.

Glenwood Canyon is a rugged scenic 12.5 mile gorge on the Colorado River in western Colorado in the United States. It is the largest such canyon on the Upper Colorado. The canyon, which has historically provided the routes of railroads and highways through western Colorado, currently furnishes the route of Interstate 70 between Denver and Grand Junction. The canyon stretches from near Dotsero, where the Colorado receives the Eagle River, downstream to the WSW to just east of Glenwood Springs, on the mouth of the Roaring Fork. Most of the canyon is in Garfield County, with the upper portion near Dotsero lying in Eagle County. Colorado River in the Grand Canyon from Desert View The Colorado River is a river in the southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico, approximately 1,450 mi (2,333 km) long, draining a part of the arid regions on the western slope of the Rocky Mountains. ... This is the article on the state. ... This is the top-level page of WikiProject trains Rail tracks Rail transport refers to the land transport of passengers and goods along railways or railroads. ... Mitchell Freeway in Perth, Western Australia For other uses, see Highway (disambiguation). ... I-70 looking westbound near Mile 326, Wabaunsee County, Kansas Interstate 70 is a long interstate highway in the United States. ... Colorado State Capitol Building Denver is the largest city and capital of the state of Colorado, United States of America. ... Grand Junction is a city located in Mesa County, Colorado. ... The Eagle River, a tributary of the Colorado, is shown highlighted on a map of the western United States The Eagle River is a tributary of the Colorado River, approximately 70 mi (113 km) long, in west central Colorado in the United States. ... Glenwood Springs is a city located in Garfield County, Colorado. ... The Roaring Fork River, a tributary of the Colorado, is shown highlighted on a map of the western United States The Roaring Fork River is a tributary of the Colorado River, approximately 70 mi (113 km) long, in west central Colorado in the United States. ... Garfield County is a county located in the U.S. state of Colorado. ... Eagle County is a county located in the U.S. state of Colorado. ...

In 1906, the canyon provided the route of the Taylor State Road, a gravel road that was the first route for automobiles through the Colorado Rockies. The canyon also provided the route for the Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad in the early 20th century. Through acquisitions, the line is currently part of the Union Pacific system. The canyon is widely considered one of the most scenic natural features on the Interstate Highway System of the United States. Foot access to the canyon is available at four rest areas along Interstate 70 in the canyon. The Hanging Lake Rest Area (Exit 125) provides access to the canyon along a stretch were I-70 is concealed in tunnels. 1906 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... Denver & Rio Grande Railroad (D&RG or DRG) was founded in 1870 by general William J Palmer as a narrow gauge railway system with the intention of connecting Denver with Mexico City. ... (19th century - 20th century - 21st century - more centuries) Decades: 1900s 1910s 1920s 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s As a means of recording the passage of time, the 20th century was that century which lasted from 1901–2000 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar (1900–1999 in the... The Union Pacific Railroad (NYSE: UNP) is the largest railroad in the United States. ... A typical rural stretch of Interstate highway, with two lanes in each direction separated by a large grassy median, and with cross-traffic limited to overpasses and underpasses. ...

The canyon was formed relatively recently in Pleistocene time by the rapid cutting of the Colorado down through layers of sedimentary rock. The upper layers of the canyon are sandstone from Pennsylvanian and Mississippian. Sections of the lower canyon walls are made of Cambrian rock. The Mississippian layer that is prominent throughout much of the upper rim sections of the canyon is part of the Leadville Formation. The Pleistocene Epoch is part of the geologic timescale, usually dated as 1. ... Two types of sedimentary rock: limey shale overlaid by limestone. ... Red Sandstone in Wyoming Layered sandstone Sandstone is an arenaceous sedimentary rock composed mainly of feldspar and quartz and varies in colour (in a similar way to sand), through grey, yellow, red, and white. ... The Pennsylvanian was also an Amtrak line until November 1, 2004. ... This article is about the geologic period; for the North American culture, see Mississippian culture. ... The Cambrian is a major division of the geologic timescale that begins about 542 million years before the present (BP) at the end of the Proterozoic eon_geology and ended about 490 million years BP with the beginning of the Ordovician period. ...

See also

• Gore Canyon

References

• Roadside Geology of Colorado by Halka Chronic (1980).

External links

• Topographic map of Glenwood Canyon (http://terraserver.microsoft.com/image.aspx?T=2&S=16&Z=13&X=24&Y=342&W=1)