Geologic Walking Tour

THINGS TO SEE As you approach the parking lot from the bike path (with the river to your left), look for two large boulders, about the size of riding lawn mowers. These half-ton blocks of stone are … [Read more...] about #8. The World-Famous Armored Mud Balls of Turners Falls

THINGS TO SEE Imagine yourself taking a break on a sunny day under the Mesozoic shade of a Turners Falls ginkgo tree–an ancient species almost lost to the world 5 million years ago. Actually, we … [Read more...] about #7. Living Fossils: Ginkgos

The rocks of Turners Falls reveal far more geological history than just the happenings of the early Jurassic period 200 million years ago. Climb the stairs from Avenue A to K Street, which runs by Our … [Read more...] about #6. Our Lady of Czestochowa: Polishing the Rock Record

THINGS TO SEE The rock face exposed at the corner of 3rd and Canal Streets north of Avenue A offers one of the most interesting and accessible views of the Turners Falls formation you can see … [Read more...] about #5. Turners Falls Formation Up Close and Personal: Reading Climate Change in Ancient Rock

THINGS TO SEE So much of our valley, like much of the ancient east coast of North America, has disappeared as a result of erosion that it's hard even for geologists to visualize the landscape in … [Read more...] about #4. Sugarloaf Rock from Greenfield: Jurassic Alluvial Fans

THINGS TO SEE As you look at the large rock near the side door in the Discovery Center's inner courtyard, you'll see many small impressions, the size of a dime or smaller. These are the remnants of … [Read more...] about #3. Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head: A Picture Postcard from the Jurassic Period