GO PLACES! DO THINGS!

Along the ICE AGE FLOODS
NATIONAL GEOLOGIC TRAIL

The Ice Age Floods National Geologic Trail covers some 16,000 square miles (41,440 km2) in present day Montana, Idaho, Washington, and Oregon. We have hand picked some of the best of the best places along the Trail and present them here for you enjoy and explore! Check back often, we will be adding new and wonderful destinations for your entire Family to enjoy!

MONTANA – IDAHO – WASHINGTON – OREGON

Montana - Places to GO and Things to DO

Erratic in the Bitterroot

May 1, 2023

An 8 ton erratic left behind by Glacial Lake Missoula in the Bitterroot Valley on the property of a local rancher was relocated to serve as the focal point of an outdoor kiosk exhibit at the Ravalli County Museum at the former County Courthouse, 205 Bedford Street in Hamilton. Unlike their counterparts at other location along the National Geologic Trail, erratics in this part of the Ice Age Floods did not come from Canada nor did they travel as far, but the action of the floodwaters and iceberg rafts is equally evident despite more shallow waters. There are similar erratics found elsewhere in Bitterroot, on the campus of the University of Montana, and at the Bison Range. The outdoor display tells the same story as other locations on the Ice Age Floods National Geologic Trail but also includes information on two other National Park Service trails that pass through this area – the Nez Perce and the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trails. The museum has other indoor exhibits of historical interest and about Glacial Lake Missoula.

Eddy Narrows

August 12, 2022

Eddy Narrows Ice Age Floods National Geologic Trail Eddy Narrows is a 10-mile long canyon between Plains and Thompson Fall along the Clark Fork River. Here all of the waters from the northern and eastern arms of Glacial Lake Missoula converged and picked up speed as they were forced through this restricted area. The steep valley walls are bare of talus and soils up to the level estimated to be the highest level of the lake (1000 ft), and there are polished grooves in the bedrock on a bench 340-400 feet above the Clark Fork River that run parallel to it. Since there is no evidence of glaciation in this area, the only explanation is the rapid draining of Glacial Lake Missoula. Using the dimensions of this flume-shaped area of the canyon, which controlled the rate of flow of water surging through it, in 1942 J.T. Pardee was able to calculate maximum speeds approaching 80 mph, emptying Glacial Lake Missoula in as little as three days. There are pullouts along MT-200 at either end of the narrowest part of this section marked for observing big horn sheep with Glacial Lake Missoula signage at the one between mileposts 59 and 60 at: 47.537940, -115.071654 Quick Facts Location:Between Plains and Thompson Falls, MT

Bison Range

February 5, 2023

Bison Range The Bison Range was established by President Theodore Roosevelt in 1908 to conserve the American Bison. Since that time it has been managed as a wildlife refuge and native grassland. Today the management is done by the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes. The range is a small, low-rolling mountain connected to the Mission Mountain Range by a gradually descending spur. Range elevation varies from 2,585 feet (788 m) at headquarters to 4,885 feet (1,489 m) at High Point on Red Sleep Mountain, the highest point on the Range. Much of the Bison Range was once under prehistoric Glacial Lake Missoula. The upper part of the Range was above water. Red Sleep Mountain scenic drive leads to this high point, which has spectacular views across what was once the lake to the Mission Mountains on the other side. Other flood features are evident on Buffalo Prairie scenic drive. Old beach lines (strandlines) can be seen on north-facing slopes and some large erratics are located near the old corrals. There is a visitor center near the entrance which has a display and videos of Glacial Lake Missoula as well as information on the tribes of the Flathead Reservation and the abundant wildlife, including birds, bears and antelope. There is also a gift shop. Camas Prairie ripples and several other important features of Glacial Lake Missoula are in close proximity to this site, much of them are located on tribal lands. The entrance is off US 93 and MT 212 N about an hour north of Missoula. Bison Range58355 Bison Range Rd, Moiese, MT (406) 644-2661 bisonrange.org FEES – there is a fee for entrance, including the day use area, except for CSKT tribal members OPEN HOURSWinter Hours (Nov-April)Gate: 8am–6pmVisitors Center: 8am–5pm Red Sleep Drive: closed Buffalo Prairie Drive: 8am-6pm Summer Hours (May-Oct)Gate: 7am–8pmVisitors Center: 8am–7pm Red Sleep Drive: 8am–7pm Buffalo Prairie Drive:8am–8pm Restrictions: Vehicles over 30 feet long and those owing trailers as well as motorcycles, ATVs, and bicycles are not allowed on either drive. Visitors must remain inside vehicles at all times except for designated areas

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Idaho - Places to GO and Things to DO

Clark Fork Ice Dam

August 12, 2022

Ice Age Floods National Geologic Trail 12,000 to 17,000 years ago a 4000′ tall ice dam blocked the path of the Clark Fork River creating glacial Lake Missoula. At the end of the last ice age this ice dam failed, releasing more water than is held in modern day Lake Ontario and Lake Erie combined. 600 cubic miles of water rushed through this area and down Lake Pend Oreille destined for the Pacific Ocrean.One of the most intriguing questions about the catastrophic flooding is how the ice dam failed. Various mechanisms for glacial outburst floods have been proposed: Ice erosion by overflow water, subglacial failure by flotation, deformation of ice by water pressure, and erosion of subglacial tunnels by flowing water. One model suggests a self-dumping phenomenon. In this mechanism, floodwaters are released when the lake level reaches nine-tenths the height of the ice. At this depth the ice becomes buoyant, subglacial tunnels form and enlarge, and drainage occurs until hydrostatic pressure is decreased and the ice again seals the lake. The self-emptying model is used to explain the numerous cycles in the rhythmite deposits and to interpret each cycle as a separate flood. Even so, only the total collapse of the ice dam can explain the largest of the catastrophic foods. Sub-glacial tunneling and enlargement due to thermal erosion progressing to collapse have also been proposed, as well as catastrophic failure due to water pressure. All are dependent on the configuration of the ice dam and structure of the ice. Quick Facts Location:Clark Fork, Idaho

Lake Pend Oreille

August 12, 2022

Lake Pend Oreille Ice Age Floods National Geologic Trail The Purcell Lobe of the Cordilleran Ice Sheet repeatedly formed a 2000′ tall ice dam in this area, which backed up Glacial Lake Missoula and eventually burst catastrophically, releasing Ice Age Floods as often as about every ~10-60 years. Lake Pend Oreille is the largest lake in Idaho. The lake level is 2062 ft above sea level, with the surrounding terrain as high as 6002 ft. With a maximum depth of 1150 ft, this lake is the 5th deepest in the US. The location of the lake is probably related to an old river valley controlled by faults. The Lake Pend Oreille basin was carved by the repeated advances of Pleistocene ice and scoured by Ice Age Floods. With the waning of flood waters, the basin was filled with glacial out-wash and flood deposits. The lake is dammed at the south end by thick glacial and flood deposits that mark the beginning of the “Outburst Deposits”Quick Facts MANAGED BY:US Forest Service

Celebration Park – Home of Melon Gravel

July 10, 2026

17,000 years ago, a massive Ice Age lake – now called Lake Bonneville – filled a large portion of present-day Utah. As temperatures changed, the influx of ice melt caused the lake level to rise. In addition, the Bear River, once a tributary of the Snake, was diverted by volcanic activity back into Lake Bonneville. These factors ultimately led to the breaching of a sedimentary rock dam at Red Rocks Pass, Idaho. There was only one ice-age Bonneville Flood because Lake Bonneville broke through a rock dam, unlike the Missoula Floods whose glacial ice dam repeatedly dammed Glacial Lake Missoula, then broke and rebuilt. 1,100 cubic miles of Lake Bonneville water rushed through the Snake River Canyon, and it took only six weeks for Lake Bonneville to empty the equivalent volume of modern-day Lake Michigan. The Great Salt Lake we know today is a remnant of Lake Bonneville, but at one tenth the size, it is a mere puddle compared to what the lake used to be. The power of this catastrophic flood widened canyons as the force of the water pulled huge chunks of basalt off the cliffs and tumbled them around, smoothing their jagged edges along the way. As the canyon width narrowed, the force and velocity of the flood increased. Wherever the canyons widened, the flood lost force and velocity, the waters slowed and began dropping its bedload – in this case, giant tumbled basalt boulders instead of your typical river gravel. These flood-rounded boulders, named melon gravel due to their distinct shape, are scattered over vast areas of land. The rocks’ unique outlines and smooth surfaces caught the eye of Native American tribes in the area, who have used them as canvases for petroglyphs for thousands of years. Visitors can see the medium sized flood deposits just outside the visitor center, or hike upriver to see gigantic melon gravel the size of heavy-duty trucks. Celebration Park is located in the Snake River Canyon, approximately 23 miles south of Nampa, Idaho. It is home to an enormous melon gravel field deposited by the Bonneville Flood.

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Washington - Places to GO and Things to DO

Grand Coulee – Geology of the Entire 50 miles

April 7, 2023

The 50-mile-long Grand Coulee should be on everyone’s bucket list for a “must see” feature. The immense power of the forces that created the Coulee are apparent to those who read the evidence recorded in its rocks and landforms. How did the Coulee form? Why

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Oregon - Places to GO and Things to DO

Tualatin Public Library

July 7, 2022

Tualatin Public Library Ice Age Floods National Geologic Trail The Tualatin Public Library, located just off Interstate 5 in Tualatin, Oregon, is home to a display of Ice Age Megafauna. The Library features a striking display of an articulated partial mastodon skeleton, which was discovered

Tualatin Ice Age Walking Trail

August 12, 2022

Tualatin Ice Age Walking Trail Ice Age Floods National Geologic Trail The Tualatin Ice Age Trail is a self-guided tour of sites representing the ancient history of our area. Along the trail, you’ll discover evidence of centuries-old ice, rock and bone, including the sites where a mastodon

Hat Rock State Park

July 7, 2022

Hat Rock State Park Ice Age Floods National Geologic Trail, Lewis & Clark National Historic Trail Hat Rock is an erosion remnant warn way by floods from glaciers which melted over ten thousand years ago. Lewis and Clark saw this monument on their expedition and

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GO PLACES! DO THINGS!

Along the ICE AGE FLOODS
NATIONAL GEOLOGIC TRAIL

MONTANA – IDAHO – WASHINGTON – OREGON

Montana - Places to GO and Things to DO

Erratic in the Bitterroot

Eddy Narrows

Bison Range

Idaho - Places to GO and Things to DO

Clark Fork Ice Dam

Lake Pend Oreille

Washington - Places to GO and Things to DO

Grand Coulee – Geology of the Entire 50 miles

Oregon - Places to GO and Things to DO

Tualatin Public Library

Tualatin Ice Age Walking Trail

Hat Rock State Park

MONTANA – IDAHO – WASHINGTON – OREGON

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GO PLACES! DO THINGS!

Along the ICE AGE FLOODS NATIONAL GEOLOGIC TRAIL

MONTANA – IDAHO – WASHINGTON – OREGON

MONTANA – IDAHO – WASHINGTON – OREGON

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Along the ICE AGE FLOODS
NATIONAL GEOLOGIC TRAIL