The Shapes of Erosion
Erosion produces unusual shapes on the landscape. As the protective Kayenta Formation layers erode from the ridge before you, the softer Wingate Formation beneath it is exposed and responds in a unique way. Early visitors throught these shapes looked like man-made structures called coke ovens.
[Inset photos caption reads]
The Kayenta Formation is resistant to erosion and in the past shielded the underlying Wingate Formation (left). Over time the Kayenta eroded exposing the Wingate to the forces of erosion (above). As the Wingate eroded it formed these dome shapes.
[Background photo reads]
Coke ovens were used to transform coal into coke, a fuel that produces little or no gas when burned.
Erected by National Park Service.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Natural Features.
Location. 39° 4.722′ N, 108° 43.466′ W. Marker is in Colorado National Monument, Colorado, in Mesa County. It can be reached from Rimrock Drive. Marker is at the Coke Ovens Overlook off Rim Rock Drive. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Fruita CO
this page online
Regionally, this marker is in the Western Slope. It is also in the American Mountain West and in Colorado Plateau. Globally, it is in North America, the Rocky Mountains, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once Mexicos Alta California.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 4 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Tragedies on Rim Rock Drive (approx. Ύ mile away); The Grand View (approx. 0.8 miles away); Ancient Environments (approx. 0.8 miles away); The Shape of Independence (approx. 1.1 miles away); Climbing Independence (approx. 1.1 miles away); John Otto (approx. 1.6 miles away); Stephen Tyng Mather (approx. 1.6 miles away); Canyon In A Canyon (approx. 3.9 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Colorado National Monument.
Also see . . .
1. Colorado National Monument. (Submitted on November 11, 2020, by William Fischer, Jr. of Reynoldsburg, Ohio.)
2. The Geologic Story of Colorado National Monument (USGS).
3. Geologic Map of Colorado National Monument and Adjacent Areas, Mesa County, Colorado. (Submitted on November 11, 2020, by William Fischer, Jr. of Reynoldsburg, Ohio.)
4. The Redstone Coke Ovens. (Submitted on November 11, 2020, by William Fischer, Jr. of Reynoldsburg, Ohio.)
5. Redstone coke ovens return to former glory (The Aspen Times, 2011). (Submitted on November 11, 2020, by William Fischer, Jr. of Reynoldsburg, Ohio.)
Credits. This page was last revised on November 7, 2025. It was originally submitted on November 11, 2020, by William Fischer, Jr. of Reynoldsburg, Ohio. This page has been viewed 282 times since then and 16 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on November 11, 2020, by William Fischer, Jr. of Reynoldsburg, Ohio.
