▁of ▁the ▁God s , ▁producing ▁a ▁ge olog ic ▁layer ▁known ▁as ▁the ▁Dak ota ▁Form ation . ▁The ▁Dak ota ▁sed iment ed ▁sand stone ▁later ▁came ▁to ▁be ▁in und ated ▁by ▁the ▁waters ▁of ▁a ▁shall ow ▁in land ▁sea . ▁From ▁some ▁ 6 6 ▁to ▁ 7 0 ▁million ▁years ▁ago ▁and ▁epis od ically ▁continu ing ▁for ▁millions ▁of ▁years , ▁u pl ift ▁from ▁the ▁Lar am ide ▁O ro gen y ▁exposed ▁the ▁old ▁sand stone ▁se ab ed , ▁by ▁til ting ▁up ▁to ▁ 9 0 - deg ree ▁angles ▁the ▁ste ep ▁red ▁meg al ith s ▁which ▁we ▁now ▁see ▁in ▁the ▁Garden ▁of ▁the ▁God s ▁( H uber , ▁ 1 9 9 8 , ▁pp .   7 ▁and ▁ 1 3 0 .) ▁Port ions ▁of ▁the ▁Dak ota ▁Form ation ▁again ▁cy c led ▁into ▁episodes ▁of ▁er os ion , ▁allowing ▁a ▁det rit us ▁of ▁co arse - gra ined ▁sed iment ary ▁sand ▁to ▁be ▁disp la ced ▁some ▁three ▁miles ▁( 5   km ) ▁east wards , ▁to ▁land ▁at ▁the ▁site ▁which ▁we ▁now ▁know ▁as ▁Austin ▁Bl uff s . ▁The ▁f eld s par - rich ▁sed iment ed ▁particles ▁of ▁" ark ose " ▁sand ▁cons olid ated ▁into ▁new ▁sand stone , ▁i . e . ▁the ▁Daw son ▁Form ation , ▁which ▁shows ▁E agle ▁Rock ' s ▁characteristic ▁color , ▁r anging ▁from