OLLI Experience: Hiking the Geology of Colorado's Northern Front Range Foothills (DRAKE HALL/HIKING)

Field observations are an excellent way to learn geology. This course will consist of an introductory classroom lecture followed by field sessions at Lory State Park and Red Mountain Open Space. At Lory State Park, we will examine Precambrian and Pennsylvanian/Permian rocks, while at Red Mountain, we will discuss the Mesozoic and Cenozoic rocks exposed at the northern end of the Open Space. (Both field sessions were last offered in Spring 2024.) In this course, we cover a broad range of topics, including paleogeography, environments of deposition, rock description/identification, mountain building, erosion and landscape development, resource use, and hazards.

Notes
* Hiking in Northern Colorado can be strenuous.  If you are new to the area, please keep this in mind.  
* This class has two sections that share the same initial lecture. The section you register for determines which dates you will hike. Please pay close attention to which section you select because the hiking dates are not interchangeable due to space and permit requirements.  

Click the + icons in the boxes on the right side of the page to view additional sections/dates of this course. Be sure to select the course section associated with the hiking dates you desire.

Section 014 – Tuesday Hikes

• Lory State Park: 8 a.m.-noon on May 5 
  • 3.5 miles round-trip  
  • 375 feet of ascent 
• Red Mountain Open Space: 8 a.m.-1 p.m. on May 12  
  • 5 miles round-trip  
  • 650 feet of ascent 

 Section 015 – Thursday Hikes 

• Lory State Park: 8 a.m.-noon on May 7 
  • 3.5 miles round-trip  
  • 375 feet of ascent 
• Red Mountain Open Space: 8 a.m.-1 p.m. on May 14  
  • 5 miles round-trip  
  • 650 feet of ascent 

Mike Kendrick worked as a professional oil & gas geoscientist for 33 years and retired to Fort Collins, Colorado, in 2018. Mike loves teaching geology in the field, where he has led hikes for various organizations, including the Geologic Society of America, the Northern Colorado Geologists, the Colorado Mountain Club, the Loveland Mountain Club, the Colorado State University Geology Club, and the Fort Collins Natural Areas department.  In September 2022, he published a geologic guidebook: Our Geologic Heritage in Colorado's Northern Front Range Foothills—A Guide to Larimer County Natural Areas. Mike is also the current leader of the informal group Northern Colorado Geologists. 

Notes

• A current OLLI membership is required to register for all courses and lectures.
• If you do not have a Spring 2026 membership, one will be added to your cart at checkout.
• OLLI membership fees and course tuition are critical to the Institute's sustainability and are non-refundable.

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Testimonials

"Mike is amazing. I'm so glad he's willing to share his knowledge with us all!"