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!

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SOME PLACES TO GO and THINGS TO DO in MONTANA

Little Money Creek Gulch Fill

Mounds of soil, sand, gravel, and other coarse materials covered with light vegetation can be seen in the side gulches all along the Flathead River where tributaries drained into what was Glacial Lake Missoula.  They were deposited by currents eddying into the slower water in these gulches and also by the drop in velocity of the streams carrying deposits from higher elevations on the far side of the river along the path of the escaping floodwaters.  The flow of floodwaters through this narrow valley was estimated by J.T. Pardee at between 8 and 10 cubic miles per hours – more than the combined flow of all modern rivers in the world.  Similar gulch fill can be seen in many locations along this beautiful stretch of the river, which today generally flows smoothly and looks completely flat. There are numerous pull-outs along MT 200 between Perma and Paradise; the view pictured here is at mile marker 91.

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Montana Natural History Center

Montana Natural History Center Ice Age Floods National Geologic Trail  The mission of the Montana Natural History Center is to promote and cultivate the appreciation, understanding, and stewardship of nature through education. Founded in 1991, MNHC was the brainchild of a group of educators who were involved in various efforts to educate both kids and adults about the natural history of western Montana, and who decided to unite those efforts into one environmental education organization. MNHC provides nature education programming for people of all ages through summer camps, kids’ activities, Visiting Naturalist in the Schools, Master Naturalist certification courses and Field Days, evening programs, Field Notes on Montana Public Radio, museum tours, and more.  We have a variety of exhibits that focus on the flora, fauna, geology, and ecology of our beautiful state. Please stop by and visit! MNHC often partners with the Ice Age Floods Institute to share fields trips and lectures about the Ice Age Floods.   MNHC has exhibits that help visitors explore the Glacial Lake Missoula and Ice Age Floods. Learn more at:Explore Glacial Lake Missoula | Montana Natural History Center (montananaturalist.org) The Glacial Lake Missoula Chapeter of the Ice Age Floods Institue also produced a short movie about Glacial Lake Missoula. You can find a link here. Quick Facts Location:120 Hickory Street, Suite A, Missoula, Montana

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SOME PLACES TO GO and THINGS TO DO in IDAHO

Green Monarch Ridge

Green Monarch Ridge Ice Age Floods National Geologic Trail THIS IS WHERE IT ALL BEGAN! The Green Monarch Ridge viewpoint, just south of the Hope Fault, is positioned along the edge of the Purcell Trench Ice Lobe. Here it was responsible for damming the mouth of the Clark Fork drainage basin. This damming effect resulted in the formation of Glacial Lake Missoula, the source of the waters for much of  the PNW Pleistocene Ice Age Floods. The Purcell Trench Ice Lobe originated in Canada and flowed south into Idaho, guided by the structural control of the Purcell Trench. Following the path of least resistance into the basin now occupied by Lake Pend Oreille, it was impeded by the Green Monarch Ridge, located approximately 10 miles south of this viewpoint. Grinding and scraping, the Purcell Trench Ice Lobe backed up behind the Green Monarch Ridge, eventually building an ice plug up to 4,000 feet thick, and scouring out the deepest parts of Lake Pend Oreille. The Purcell Trench Ice Lobe divided into four sub-lobes: one went approximately west (US Highway 2), two went south (US Highway 95 and Lake Pend Oreille) and one went east (SR 200). All four sub-lobes contributed to blocking the Clark Fork drainageQuick Facts MANAGED BY:US Forest Service – Idaho Panhandle National Forest

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Lake Pend Oreille

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

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Museum of North Idaho

Museum of North Idaho IceAgeFloods National GeologicTrail “The Museum of North Idaho collects, preserves and interprets the history of the Coeur d’Alene Region. to foster appreciation of the area’s heritage.” In the 1960s, the North Idaho Hoo Hoo Club, an organization of loggers, lumbermen and foresters, first entertained the idea of establishing a museum. They incorporated on May 1, 1968 for a museum focusing on the history of the Coeur d’Alene Region (Kootenai, Benewah and part of Shoshone counties). Through the efforts of volunteers and community support, the Museum opened its doors on the North Idaho College campus on July 28, 1973. In 1979, they remodeled a City-owned building and relocated to its current location. Quick Facts Location: 115 Northwest Blvd, Coeur d’Alene, ID 83814Phone: (208) 664-3448 The Museum is open Tuesday to Saturday from 11 am – 5 pm.

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SOME PLACES TO GO and THINGS TO DO in WASHINGTON

Yakima Sportsman State Park

Yakima Sportsman State Park Ice Age Floods National Geologic Trail Yakima Sportsman State Park is, literally, an oasis in the desert. Located near the urban amenities of Yakima in arid eastern Washington, this park attracts local picnickers, out-of-town visitors and road-trippers passing through. Birds flock

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Palouse Falls State Park

Palouse Falls State Park Ice Age Floods National Geologic Trail The Palouse River runs through a narrow cataract and drops 200 feet to a churning bowl. From there, the current moves swiftly, through a winding gorge of columnar basalt, to its southern end at the

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Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center

Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center Ice Age Floods National Geologic Trail, Lewis & Clark National Historic Trail English fur trader John Meares was mistaken as he stood on the northern shore of the mouth of the Columbia River in July 1788. He was in search

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SOME PLACES TO GO and THINGS TO DO in OREGON

Multnomah Falls and Lodge

Multnomah Falls and Lodge Ice Age Floods National Geologic Trail, Lewis & Clark National Historic Trail Oregon’s tallest waterfall (620 ft.) is just 30 minutes east of Portland and 30 minutes west of Hood River. Offering scenic splendor and a gateway to the Gorge’s Waterfall Corridor,

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Columbia Gorge Discovery Center & Museum

Columbia Gorge Discovery Center & Museum Ice Age Floods National Geologic Trail, Lewis & Clark National Historic Trail, Oregon National Historic Trail The Columbia Gorge Discovery Center & Museum is located on a 54-acre point of land adjacent to the Columbia River and is the

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Columbia Gorge Discovery Center & Museum

Columbia Gorge Discovery Center & Museum Ice Age Floods National Geologic Trail, Lewis & Clark National Historic Trail, Oregon National Historic Trail The Columbia Gorge Discovery Center & Museum is located on a 54-acre point of land adjacent to the Columbia River and is the

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