Lava Cliffs and Glacial Melt (Reedit)

Lava Cliffs Overlook at Rocky Mountain National Park, Estes Park, CO. 12,080 ft. elevation. A view of lava formed millions of years ago from volcanic rifts. the dark cliff northwest of the parking area is composed on volcanic rock, but the name of the overlook is misleading.

Between 28 and 26 million years ago, volcanoes erupted repeatedly in the area of today’s Never Summer Mountains, eight miles to the west. Deposits of volcanic debris frequently blanketed the land. One flow of hot, incandescent ash extended this far, cooling to form hard rock. Much later, glacial ice carved into the hillside and exposed a cross section of the Precambrian Rock to form the lava cliff that you can see from the overlook today. (Info from https://inspiredimperfection.com/adventures/lava-cliffs-overlook/)