Colorado’s geology rocks, you might say.

Even if you don’t, there’s a certain mystery about all the immense forces that forged Colorado and its “stovepipe mountains,” as Thomas Hornsby Ferril once wrote.

That mystery can be solved, or at least investigated, with the newly published “Tourist Guide to Colorado Geology” from the Colorado Geological Survey.

The guide is a quick and handy (as handy as something that’s 3 feet by 4 feet can be) waterproof road map to some of the state’s most well-known rocks, as well as a geological primer explaining the forces that created Colorado’s celebrated vistas.

“Our scenery reflects our geology,” said Colorado State Geologist Vincent Matthews, who compiled the information used in the map. “Colorado’s geology also provides rich mineral and energy resources, from precious metals to fossil fuels and renewables. We’ve got it all and it’s laid out beautifully for all to see.”

And if you wrap it first in brown paper, no one will accuse you of being a tourist.

WHAT: “Tourist Guide to Colorado Geology”
WHY: This two-sided, 36-inch by 48-inch waterproof map boasts a large shaded relief map of Colorado as well as more than a dozen inset maps showing the distribution of rock types and photographs of representative rocks, strata and structures.
WHO: Compiled by Colorado State Geologist Vincent Matthews of the Colorado Geological Survey.
WHERE: Available for $10 from the Colorado Geologic Survey, http://dnr.state.co.us/geostore/.

Email DAVE BUCHANAN