Location Two: Seven Falls, Colorado Springs, Colorado

Seven Falls is a waterfall, breaking in seven points along its descent, falling down from a sheer granite mountainside. It is breath taking to look at, particularly at night, where men have placed colored lights alongside it to light the waterfall up with remarkable colors that change every few seconds. There are countless steps that take you to the top of the granite waterfall, or an elevator leading to a platform half-way up so that you can enjoy the beauty of the waterfall and surrounding mountainside. But the geology of Seven Falls makes it more marvelous than even the average person would suspect.


The Seven Falls is located in the South Cheyenne Canon, which consists of Pike’s Peak Granite. This formation of granite dates back to approximately one billion years ago. This is when a large batholith rose upward from deep within Earth. Made up of igneous rock, this is the same granite found in Pike’s Peak, hence the name of the formation. Pike’s Peak Granite is produced from a combination of mica, quartz, and pink feldspar. As the ancient Rocky Mountain area began to erode, it eventually became a flat terrain known as a peneplane. 500-600 years ago, the batholith was exposed, and is now revealing an area of several hundred square miles.

Batholith Diagram, http://www.uwgb.edu/dutchs/EarthSC202Notes/igneous.htm

Over the past several decades, the melting snow, rain and other water from the Pike’s Peak mountains have rushed down over the South Cheyenne Canon, eroding and carving a path into the canon to form Seven Falls. It is about 181 feet from the top of the granite cliff of Seven Falls to the bottom. The highest granite cliff in the South Cheyenne Canon, however, is 980 feet from its top to the canon floor. Granite is the most abundant and important mineral in the South Cheyenne Canon and the Seven Falls area.

Granite, http://geology.about.com/library/bl/images/blgranite.htm

As you explore Seven Falls, take the time to walk up the multitude of steps to the highest platform, and look from the top of the waterfall downward. It is an awe-inspiring sight to see, perhaps not one for the faint, and will increase your appreciation for its geological formation. It is especially beautiful at night, when it is lit up with the lights. There is an elevator taking you half-way up, for the easy-going, but I recommend the stairs to anyone who wishes for a truly humbling experience. Seven Falls is a marvelous sight.