Cover photo courtesy of Lisa Laughlin
Our region is rich for geologic exploration, but it helps to know what you’re looking at before you go. Plan a hike or road trip by visiting the Ice Age Floods Institute website at Iafi.org. The website’s Ice Age Floods Interactive Map includes photos and short descriptions from numerous sites in the Pacific Northwest so you can explore ice age features with some backstory. Watch the ice age flood educational videos for a run-down of the history of the floods and the evidence left behind today. You can narrow your search on this website by chapters to find an upcoming event local to you. Click on “Places to Go, Things to Do” under the explore tab for recommendations on landmarks, how to get there, and why they’re significant, like the Ginko Petrified Forest State Park.
The National Parks Service also offers a great resource to map your own geology trip with its Ice Age Floods National Geologic Trail on its website (Nps.gov), a trove of features running through Washington, Oregon, Idaho and Montana. Before you go, make a mix of features you want to hit and stop at physical resources like the Columbia Gorge Discovery Center & Museum in Oregon to learn more in person. For a fun geology adventure challenge, hike, bike, and visit as many of the geologic sites that author Nigel Davies references in his article as you can!
