Garden of the Gods

The Garden of the Gods in Colorado Springs contain red sandstone hogback formations, similar to the Red Rocks of Denver. The name Colorado is said to come from the color of this sandstone.

The hogbacks are ridges of sandstone, whose layers are tilted. Instead of lying horizontally, some layers are even vertically oriented. Each hogback can range up to several hundred feet long, some as tall as 50 feet from ground level. Their shapes indeed resemble the backs and spines of a pig.