192 GEOLOGY OF THE DENVEE BASIN. 



The besl point tn see the Denver beds on the Platte banks is opposite 

 Overland Park. The river itself, a ditch, the railroad cutting, and a ravine 

 coming from the west .'ill have cut into and exposed some very typical 

 sandstones, and semiconglomerates. Here some large dinosaur bones were 

 found in the dark, hard nodules of one horizon. 



In the interior of the area under discussion the principal drainage 

 courses show more or less frequent outcrops. One heading in Green 

 Mountain, and entering the Platte at Denver, has a great number of 

 exposures along its bank. 



The smith hank of ( Hear < Ireek also presents a good scries of exposures. 

 Under the bowlder beds of this valley the Denver beds are shown by 

 railroad and wagon-road cuttings at several places. 



The banks of the Platte in the immediate vicinity of I >enver are espec- 

 ially treated in a succeeding section. 



North of Clear Creek. I'.ast of Tallle ^lolUltaill tllC llortliel'll limit Of tllG 



Denver beds follows quite closely the south hank of Van Bibber ('reek 

 to its junction with Ralston ('reek near Arvada. Here again the formation 

 is betrayed by a line of distinct low bluffs, and outcrops and evidences of 

 the peculiar strata may be found along the whole line. The rather level 

 tract between Van Bibber and Clear creeks is chiefly due to the bowlder 

 beds of the latter valley. On a small hill half a mile west of the mouth 

 of Van Bibber Creek these bowlder beds may be seen resting on Denver 

 strata. 



At aboui the mouth of Van Bibber ('reek the Denver beds cross 



Ralston Creek and run up on the prominent hill north of Arvada. (hi this 

 hill are several outcrops, and a prospect shaft is sunk some 15 feet into the 

 sandstones on the eastern point of the hill. ( Inly the capping of the hill is 

 made of Denver strata, the Arapahoe being shown not tar below the top 

 and in the drain on the northern side. The northwestern limit is quite well 

 defined where Mr. Eldridge found Denver strata near the top of a ridge, 

 with Arapahoe not far below on either side. As has been explained, the 

 area of the Denver strata between this hill and the Platte is to he con- 

 sidered as part of a shore-line deposit upon an uneven surface, and the 

 border lines of the Denver are therefore only approximately correct, for 



