Aside from palm trees, one of the most iconic of shrubs in California are the spectacular and larger-than-life redwood trees, which can be seen by visiting the stunning Redwood Forest. What you may not realize, however, is that the Centennial State is actually home to its own colorful Redwood Forest and you are going to want to see it while you still can:

Hiding out in Teller County is the extraordinary Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument, which consists of 34-million-year old insect and leaf fossils, as well as a former petrified forest.
Flickr/Ken Lund
Managed by the National Park Service, the Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument spans nearly 6,000 acres and is open year round, with plenty to see and do no matter the month.
Flickr/loonyhiker
Are you ready to take a short tour of this historic area? Great! Let's start at the Pioneer House (which gives visitors a glimpse of how Colorado's original settlers lived)...
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...walk along one of the Monument's designated hiking trails...
Flickr/Jasperdo

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...check out one of the area's unique fossils...
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...and enjoy a rare look at the aforementioned Redwood Forest, which is estimated to be a whopping 34-million-years old!
Flickr/Mark Goebel
Does the forest look a little — err, less majestic — than you pictured? The reason these trees are merely stumps is because of volcanic eruptions in Colorado millions of years ago!
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Volcanoes in Colorado? It's true!
To learn even more about the Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument — including things to do, more history, and other general information — please visit the National Park Service's website.
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For even more larger-than-life history, click on History Left A Definite Mark At This One Fascinating Spot In Colorado.

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