boulder field

after we went to quiet valley on sunday with my parents, we took a drive to boulder field at hickory run state park.  my family and i had been to boulder field once many years ago, so it was neat to go back and see it again.

boulder field is a massive field of boulders that sits on the northeast corner of hickory run state park.  it was created during the last glacial period 15,000 years ago from the continual freeze and thaw process.  as a glacier moved through the area, ridges broke apart into boulders.  the boulders accumulated on clay, sand, and ice at the base of the ridges.  during the summer months, the ice melted and carried the boulders down the valley to the location of the field.  when the glacier receded and melted, the drainage flowed through the field and washed away the clay and sand, leaving behind the immense stack of boulders.  this process occurred over thousands of years of glacial melt, resulting in a huge boulder field.

boulder field is 1,800 feet long, 400 feet wide and 10 feet deep!  the boulders in the field measure anywhere from a few inches to as much as 25 feet long.  boulder field is open as a national natural landmark and visitors can walk across the field on the boulders.

love, laurie