The spectacular rock exposures in the park tell an amazing story of past ecosystems. Because the layers seen in the rocks represent discrete periods of time and record the environment at that time, the layers can be read in order like the pages of a book.

Starting in the oldest rocks in the Tepees area, and moving upwards into younger rocks in the Flattops and Painted Desert areas, we see a story of changing ecosystems through time including marked changes in climate and a fossil record that shows how the animals and plants were affected by these changes.