Colorado is especially rich in stone formations. The word "colorado," in Spanish, means "colored red". This name was given it by the Spaniards who had seen the wonderful coloration of the rocks along the Colorado River. The name fits one soil as well as the stone. But the rock formation is of various colors. The reds are no more striking than the yellows or the grays in places like the Garden of the Gods. The view here shows a natural gateway to Glen Park near Palmer Lake. Here a great ridge of red sandstone, called Elephant Rock, has had a portion of its base worn through by the action of wind, water, and frost. Natural bridges are caused by such action; but usually a stream has helped cut through the wall of stone. In the foreground you will observe the large stones that have weathered from the sides of the cliff. This weathering is called erosion (-r´ zhn). The word means the wearing away of rock and soil and its removal to some other resting place. Coastal plains, highlands, and even great stretches of valley have been built up by the constant wearing away of the uplands. This leveling-up process is constantly going on the world over. Palmer Lake is 53 miles south of Denver. It is a well-known summer resort. The lake lies on the Continental Divide. That is, the waters of our continent flow from here in a number of directions. One of the streams rising near here flows into the Platte River, and another into the Arkansas River. Near the lake is Mount Herman, with an altitude of 9,000 feet. From its top the city of Denver is visible. What is meant by erosion? How are natural bridges formed? Of what famous natural bridge have you read? Keystone ID: 2403 Note: All titles, descriptions, and location coordinates are from the original Keystone Slide documentation as supplied by the Keystone View Company. No text has been edited or changed.