The combination of a long geologic record and stunning scenery has attracted geologists to the Rocky Mountain and Cordilleran regions for two centuries. Past and ongoing geologic research in this region has resulted in a wealth of significant observations and paradigm shifts in interpretations. This field guide, compiled for the 2011 joint meeting of the GSA Rocky Mountain and Cordilleran Sections, provides a small and succulent appetizer to the full menu of remarkable geology of the Rocky Mountain and Cordillera regions. Field trips presented in this volume span geologic topics from Neoproterozoic deposits, late Paleozoic—early Mesozoic terrane accretion, Eocene mammals and climate, Eocene to middle Miocene extension, late Miocene and younger basin and river system evolution, and Pleistocene glaciers and pluvial lakes.