Welcome to Toadstool Geologic Park in northwest Nebraska...
What I remember most about this area is the number of long-term South Dakota residents who knew nothing of this unique area only an hour south of Hot Springs, SD, just over the NE border.
Full of fossils and unique "toadstool" formations, this special geologic attraction is well worth visiting if you are anywhere close by. There is even a very comfortable (yet small) National Forest Service campground there, albeit with primitive support services...and a sod house reproduction, to boot (the park is part of the Oglala National Grasslands).
Some call it Nebraska's Badlands, though the scope of the formations is much smaller in size compared to its SD and ND siblings. Still, the formations are quite unique in their own right, providing wonderful photographic opportunities at every turn.
On a sunny summer's day, Toadstool will cook and tan you brilliantly, given the whitish reflective surface of the sandstone and siltstone formations which make up most of the park. Once formed and then carved by rivers long gone, you can see the layering and rounded erosion forces quite clearly. Aeolian (a.k.a. Eolian) forces (wind-driven erosion) have added their final artistic flairs, as well.
Age-wise, the geologic formations were deposited from the late Eocene to the Miocene age 30-40 million years ago...starting about 10 million years ago, this region began the uplifting process which dried up the riverine sources, leading to the formations seen today. The sandstone layers are far more erosion-resistant, creating mushroom 'caps' when overlying the softer siltstone formations.
Full of fossils and unique "toadstool" formations, this special geologic attraction is well worth visiting if you are anywhere close by. There is even a very comfortable (yet small) National Forest Service campground there, albeit with primitive support services...and a sod house reproduction, to boot (the park is part of the Oglala National Grasslands).
Some call it Nebraska's Badlands, though the scope of the formations is much smaller in size compared to its SD and ND siblings. Still, the formations are quite unique in their own right, providing wonderful photographic opportunities at every turn.
On a sunny summer's day, Toadstool will cook and tan you brilliantly, given the whitish reflective surface of the sandstone and siltstone formations which make up most of the park. Once formed and then carved by rivers long gone, you can see the layering and rounded erosion forces quite clearly. Aeolian (a.k.a. Eolian) forces (wind-driven erosion) have added their final artistic flairs, as well.
Age-wise, the geologic formations were deposited from the late Eocene to the Miocene age 30-40 million years ago...starting about 10 million years ago, this region began the uplifting process which dried up the riverine sources, leading to the formations seen today. The sandstone layers are far more erosion-resistant, creating mushroom 'caps' when overlying the softer siltstone formations.
FYI, the photos shown were taken with an older camera, which shot much smaller images than the large ones you are used to seeing from my newer camera in many of my prior travelogues. For TV and computer screens, they still look quite nice...but for printing onto paper, they're simply too small. So enjoy them on the blog!
5 comments:
LOVE it!! :)
Doesn't wind erosion just fascinate you? Does me ..... wow!
Thanks for sharing these pics, Bob! VERY nice!
Suzy :)
very nice pics. Can't wait to see where you will "take" us next. lori
Thanks, y'all...glad you enjoyed Toadstool. Not sure about next week's destination...maybe it will be wildlife from the Black Hills...maybe The Castles of Slim Buttes...or maybe the Cathedral Spires...hmmm, so many choices...!
Bob, I love your pictures. But if you said they were created millions of years ago then you don't believe in the Bible. God created everything a little over 6000 years ago. The flood created the erosion.
You are entitled to your beliefs and I mine...to say I don't believe in the bible would be quite incorrect...I think it's safe to say there are many quite varying beliefs/opinions, even within the Church body, and certainly beyond. We are each free to belive as we feel so led in our Heart. Our individual Truths will never be the same person to person...as well it should be.
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