Dotsero
Colorado’s volcanic history is written all over the state’s landscape. But one of our volcanoes is still active. Dotsero last erupted four thousand years ago. Six miles west of Gypsum, I-70 crosses over Dotsero’s fossilized flow. Dark, rough, jagged lava… in stark contrast with red Colorado sandstone. Leave the interstate at the community of Dotsero and you can take a high-clearance, four-wheel drive vehicle to the elongated crater, thirteen hundred feet deep. In the rocks you might spot shiny Dotsero diamonds… bits of quartz partially melted by lava. You won’t have to worry about the volcano erupting suddenly. It’s not likely to happen in any of our lifetimes. But one explanation says Dotsero is a Ute word for 'something new,' and magma does still flow below, making heat for the many hot springs nearby, including Glenwood Springs.
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Colorado Postcards are snapshots of our colorful state in sound. They give brief insights into our people and places, our flora and fauna, and our past and present, from every corner of Colorado. See more postcards.
