New York State Banner
D E C banner
D E C banner

Unique Geologic Features

Route 34, Cayuga Heights Route 34, Cayuga Heights
Bedrock containing fossils
Image courtesy of James Zambito

Cascadilla Creek, Ithaca City Cascadilla Creek, Ithaca City
Exposures along hiking trail in Cascadilla Gorge
Image courtesy of James Zambito
Ithaca Falls Park Ithaca Falls Pk
Bedrock exposures of the Renwick Formation of the Genesee Group in gorge walls & face of waterfall.
Image courtesy of James Zambito
Taughannock Falls State Park Taughannock Falls State Park
Bedrock exposures throughout gorge of Taughannock Creek,
Image courtesy of James Zambito
Niagara River Gorge / Power Plant Haul Road Niagara River Gorge / Power Plant Haul Road
(click image for additional information)
The entrance of the Niagara River into the Whirlpool with the last indication of the Whirlpool Rapids. The entrance of the Niagara River into the Whirlpool with the last indication of the Whirlpool Rapids.
(click image for additional information)
Limestone crowded by crinoid stem fragments and illustrations of other fossils that may be found. Brachiopods (left), trilobites (right), and corals (rugose coral on photo in center) are common. Limestone crowded by crinoid stem fragments and illustrations of other fossils that may be found.
(click image for additional information)
Mouth of Eighteen Mile Creek at Lake Erie Mouth of Eighteen Mile Creek at Lake Erie
Steep cliffs show excellent exposure of Devonian rock w/ a multitude of fossils
Image courtesy of J Maletz
Buffalo Creek at Bullisi Road - Tichenor Limestone (left photo); lower part of the Moscow Formation (right photo) Buffalo Creek at Bullisi Road - Tichenor Limestone (left photo); lower part of the Moscow Formation (right photo)
Image courtesy of Jorg Maletz
Fall Brook, Geneseo Fall Brook, Geneseo
Image courtesy of Jorg Maletz
Buffalo Creek at Bullis Road Buffalo Creek at Bullis Road and crinoid fragments in Tichenor Limestone
Image courtesy of Jorg Maletz
LeRoy Quarry LeRoy Quarry
Image courtesy of Jorg Maletz
Ausable Chasm - Potsdam Sandstone Ausable Chasm - Potsdam Sandstone
Image courtesy of Dr. J Bret Bennington
Ausable Falls Ausable Falls
Image courtesy of Dr. J Bret Bennington
Whiteface Mountain - rock slide Whiteface Mountain - rock slide
Image courtesy of Dr. J Bret Bennington
Whiteface Mountain Whiteface Mountain
Image courtesy of Dr. J Bret Bennington
Whiteface Moutain - arrete ridge Whiteface Moutain - arrete ridge
Image courtesy of Dr. J Bret Bennington
Bear Mountain chattermarks Bear Mountain chattermarks
Image courtesy of Dr. J Bret Bennington
erratic and grooves Central Park NYC - Erratic and grooves
Image courtesy of Dr. J Bret Bennington
Erratic Central Park NYC - Erratic
Image courtesy of Dr. J Bret Bennington
glacial channel Central Park NYC - Glacial channel
Image courtesy of Dr. J Bret Bennington
Burrows in sandstone Watkins Glenn - Burrows in sandstone
Image courtesy of Dr. J Bret Bennington
Upper Devonian shale, siltstone, and sandstone Watkins Glenn Gorge - upper Devonian shale, siltstone, and sandstone
Image courtest of Dr. J Bret Bennington
Gorge eroded into Upper Devonian Shale, siltstone, and sandstone Watkins Glenn - Gorge eroded into Upper Devonian shale, siltstone, and sandstone
Image courtesy of Dr. J Bret Bennington
Genesee River in Gorge Letchworth State Park - Genesee River in Gorge
Image courtesy of Dr. J Bret Bennington
Letchworth Strata Letchworth State Park - Letchworth Strata
Image courtesy of Dr. J Bret Bennington
Letchworth Gorge Letchworth State Park - Letchworth Gorge
Image courtesy of Dr. J Bret Bennington
Upper Falls Letchworth State Park, Portage - Upper Falls
Image courtesy of Dr. J Bret Bennington
Upper Falls with rainbow Letchworth State Park, Portage - Upper Falls with rainbow
Image courtesy of Dr. J Bret Bennington
Upper Falls, Genesee River Letchworth State Park, Portage - Upper Falls, Genesee River
Image courtesy of Dr. J Bret Bennington
Upper Devonian Genesee shales Fall Brook - Geneseo - Upper Devonian Genesee shales
Image courtesy of Dr. J. Bret Bennington
Fall Brook - Geneseo Hanging valley and gorge eroded into Upper Devonian Genesee shales
Image courtesy of Dr. J Bret Bennington
LeRoy Quarry LeRoy Quarry
Image courtesy of Dr. J. Bret Bennington
Trilobite fossil from Penn Dixie Trilobite fossil from Penn Dixie
Image courtesy of Penn Dixie Paleontological and Outdoor Education Center
http://www.penndixie.org
Searching for fossils at Penn Dixie Searching for fossils at Penn Dixie
Image courtesy of Penn Dixie Paleontological and Outdoor Education Center
http://www.penndixie.org
Brachiopod fossil from Penn Dixie Brachiopod fossil from Penn Dixie
Image courtesy of Penn Dixie Paleontological and Outdoor Education Center - http://www.penndixie.org
deformed graptolites Deformed Graptolites
Image Courtesy of Jean Crespi
Lafarge Quarry Lafarge Quarry
Image Courtesy of William Kelly
Close-up of Oriskany surface showing brachiopods. Close-up of Oriskany surface showing brachiopods.
Onondaga Limestone Beautiful thrust fault and fault-bend fold in the Onondaga Limestone, looking East.
Tioga Ash bed Tioga Ash Bed in the Onondaga Limestone at Seneca Stone Quarry.
Taughannock Park Road Taughannock Park Road
Image Courtesy of William Kelly, New York State Geological Association Annual Field Trip Guidebooks
Metagabbro Boudin in garnet-sillimanite mylonitic gneiss (khondalite) south of Whitehall, New York. Metagabbro Boudin in garnet-sillimanite mylonitic gneiss (khondalite) south of Whitehall, New York.
Rondaxe Road - 1 cm wide rusty, breccia-filled fracture Rondaxe Road - 1 cm wide rusty, breccia-filled fracture
Image courtesy of Robert Darling
Rondaxe Road - Rusty, breccia-filled Rondaxe Road - Rusty, breccia-filled "void" in Proterozoic gneiss near summit of Bald Mountain
Image courtesy of Robert Darling
Caanan Road - Middle Ordovician spheroidal weathering preserved in middle Proterozoic feldspathic gneiss located structurally below the Knox Unconformity Caanan Rd-Middle Ordovician spheroidal weathering preserved in middle Proterozoic feldspathic gneiss located structurally below the Knox Unconformity
Caanan Road - Knox Unconformity in stream bed Caanan Road - Knox Unconformity in stream bed
Image courtesy of Robert Darling
Barnet Garnet Mine - Multiple solid inclusion containing albite (ab), fractured cristobalite (cr), and ilmenite (ilm) inside garnet from the Barton Mine Barnet Garnet Mine - Multiple solid inclusion containing albite (ab), fractured cristobalite (cr), and ilmenite (ilm) inside garnet
Polished chips of garnet from the Barton Garnet mine showing dark red color and gemstone qualities. Polished chips of garnet from the Barton Garnet mine showing dark red color and gemstone qualities
Image courtesy of Robert Darling
John Boyd Thacher State Park - Manlius Formation John Boyd Thacher State Park - Manlius Formation
Image Courtesy of Dr. J Bret Bennington
John Boyd Thacher State Park John Boyd Thacher State Park
Image Courtesy of Dr. J Bret Bennington
John Boyd Thacher State Park - Helderberg Escarpment John Boyd Thacher State Park - Helderberg Escarpment
Image Courtesy of Dr. J Bret Bennington
Petrified Sea Gardens - Stromatolites Petrified Sea Gardens - Stromatolites
Image Courtesy of Dr. J Bret Bennington
Petrified Sea Gardens - Stromatolite detail Petrified Sea Gardens - Stromatolite detail
Image Courtesy of Dr. J Bret Bennington
Petrified Sea Gardens Petrified Sea Gardens
Image Courtesy of Dr. J Bret Bennington
Lester Park - Large stromatolite Lester Park - Large stromatolite
Image Courtesy of Dr. J Bret Bennington
Lester Park - Stromatolites Lester Park - Stromatolites
Image Courtesy of Dr. J Bret Bennington

Lester Park - Small stromatolites Lester Park - Small stromatolites
Image Courtesy of Dr. J Bret Bennington

Saratoga Springs State Park - Travertine Saratoga Springs State Park - Travertine
Image Courtesy of Dr. J Bret Bennington
Saratoga Springs State Park - Travertine closeup Saratoga Springs State Park - Travertine closeup
Image Courtesy of Dr. J Bret Bennington
Saratoga Springs State Park - Springs Saratoga Springs State Park - Springs
Image Courtesy of Dr. J Bret Bennington
Skytop Lane Quarry - Plinthite-bearing melanic epipedon (aao) of the Argillic Oxisol Skytop Lane Quarry - Plinthite-bearing melanic epipedon (aao) of the Argillic Oxisol
Image courtesy of Dan Bishuk, Jon Hairabedian, and James Ebert
Skytop Lane Quarry - Channel-form silty sandstone (CFss) facies; An ephemeral wash channel incised into the paleosols of stable interfluves (argillic oxisol below DNAG card) Skytop Lane Quarry - Channel-form silty sandstone (CFss) facies;
(click image for additional information)
Skytop Lane Quarry - Argillic Oxisol showing A, B, and C horizons as well as the overlying marine deposits of the Trough Cross-Bedded facies Skytop Lane Quarry - Argillic Oxisol showing A, B, and C horizons as well as the overlying marine deposits of the Trough Cross-Bedded facies
Sidney Mountain Quarry - Sand volcano found in association with intraformational conglomerate beds within Planar-Bedded Multistory Sandbody Facies Sidney Mountain Quarry - Sand volcano found in association with intraformational conglomerate beds within Planar-Bedded Multistory Sandbody Facies
Sidney Mountain Quarry - Runzel marks and Arenciolites burrows within Planar-Bedded Multistory Sandbody Facies Sidney Mountain Quarry - Runzel marks and Arenciolites burrows
Sidney Mountain Quarry - Straight-crested, asymmetrical ripples with rounded to flat, planed-off crests indicative of tidal reworking within Planar-Bedded Multistory Sandbody Facies Sidney Mountain Quarry - Straight-crested, asymmetrical ripples with rounded to flat, planed-off crests
Sidney Center Outcrops - Upper-flow-regime sand flat deposits of Planar-Bedded Multistory Sandbody Facies Sidney Center Outcrops - Upper-flow-regime sand flat deposits
Sidney Center Outcrops - Tidal rhythmites recorded as repetitive couplets of laminae of different well-sorted grain sizes of tidal origin within Tidally-Dominated Trough-Cross-Bedded Facies. Sidney Center Outcrops - Tidal rhythmites recorded as repetitive couplets of laminae
Sidney Center Outcrops - Delicate in loco plant stems preserved as a carbonized impression on an intraformational conglomerate bed within Planar-Bedded Multistory Sandbody Facies Sidney Center Outcrops - Delicate in loco plant stems preserved as a carbonized impression
Closeup of flat heterolithic bedding within Heterolithic-Bedded Facies Closeup of flat heterolithic bedding within Heterolithic-Bedded Facies
Upper-flow-regime sand flat deposits are dominant at Sheetz Quarry Upper-flow-regime sand flat deposits are dominant at Sheetz Quarry
Image courtesy of Dan Bishuk, Jon Hairabedian, and James Ebert

Sheetz Quarry - Sparse marine fauna consisting of the rhynchenellid Cupularostrum within Planar-Bedded Multistory Sandbody Facies Sheetz Quarry - Sparse marine fauna consisting of the rhynchenellid Cupularostrum within Planar-Bedded Multistory Sandbody Facies



Thick-thin alternations are observed in couplet bundle thicknesses on trough foresets Thick-thin alternations are observed in couplet bundle thicknesses on trough forests
Image courtey of Dan Bishuk, Jon Hairabedian, and James Ebert
Pine Hill Road - Tidal rhythmite couplets consisting of fine sand alternating with very fine sand and silty mud drapes Pine Hill Road - Tidal rhythmite couplets consisting of fine sand alternating with very fine sand and silty mud drapes

Pine Hill Road - Representative wooded outcrop of the Tidally-Dominated Trough-Cross-Bedded Facies consisting of sigmoidal trough cross-beds intercalated with planar beds and tidal rhythmite couplets Pine Hill Rd-Representative wooded outcrop of the Tidally-Dominated Trough-Cross-Bedded Facies
Death Rock - Whitehall Death Rock - Whitehall
Sigma-type garnet porphyroclast in garnet-sillimanite mylonitic gneiss.
Image courtesy of Glenn B. Stracher, 1985
Chimney Bluffs State Park - Close-up showing glacial till Chimney Bluffs State Park - Close-up showing glacial till
Image courtesy of Laurie VanVleet, Ithaca City School District
Chimney Bluffs State Park - Eroded remains of drumlins on the shore of Lake Ontario Chimney Bluffs State Park - Eroded remains of drumlins on the shore of Lake Ontario
Image courtesy of Laurie VanVleet, Ithaca City School District
Chimney Bluffs - eroded remains of drumlins on the shore of Lake Ontario Chimney Bluffs - eroded remains of drumlins on the shore of Lake Ontario
Image courtesy of Laurie VanVleet, Ithaca City School District
Mine Lot Falls at John Boyd Thacher State Park Mine Lot Falls at John Boyd Thacher State Park
Image courtesy of Loren G. Dobert
Wiscoy Falls - Climbing ripples (also festoon ripples) in the Wiscoy Formation Wiscoy Falls - Climbing ripples (also festoon ripples) in the Wiscoy Formation
Image courtesy of Gerald Smith
Wiscoy Falls - Smaller cascade Wiscoy Falls - Smaller cascade
Image courtesy of Gerald Smith
Wiscoy Falls - Dunkirk-Wiscoy contact as-well-as the Frasnian/Famennian boundary Wiscoy Falls - Dunkirk-Wiscoy contact and the Frasnian/Famennian boundary
Image courtesy of Gerald Smith
Little John Road / County Route 17 at White Creek - Transgressive lag with large quartz clasts, shell/crinoid fragments, and large red silt clasts Little John Rd/Cty Rte 17 at White Creek-Transgress. lag w/large quartz clasts, shell/crinoid frags & lge red silt clasts
Image courtesy of G. Smith
Little John Road / County Route 17 at White Creek - Uppermost shoreface sequence Little John Road / County Route 17 at White Creek - Uppermost shoreface sequence
Image courtesy of Gerald Smith
Little John Road/ County Route 17 at White Creek - Olistostrome displaying chaotic bedding Little John Road/ County Route 17 at White Creek - Olistostrome displaying chaotic bedding
Image Courtesy of Gerald Smith
Sixtown Creek - Ball-and-pillow structures along the western end of creek Sixtown Creek - Ball-and-pillow structures along the western end of creek
Image courtesy of Gerald Smith
Sixtown Creek - Close-up of thrust showing drag folds, fault breccia, and fault gouge Sixtown Creek - Close-up of thrust showing drag folds, fault breccia, and fault gouge
Image courtesy of Gerald Smith
Sixtown Creek - Southeast directed, northeast-striking thrust fault Sixtown Creek - Southeast directed, northeast-striking thrust fault
Image courtesy of Gerald Smith
Rushford (Caneadea) Dam Park - Rushford formation in cliffs along Rushford Lake Rushford (Caneadea) Dam Park - Rushford formation in cliffs along Rushford Lake
Image courtesy of Gerald Smith
Rushford (Caneadea) Dam Park - Rushford Formation Rushford (Caneadea) Dam Park - Rushford Formation
Image courtesy of Gerald Smith
Wiscoy Creek contact between underlying South Wales Formation and overlying Mills-Mills Wiscoy Creek contact between underlying South Wales and overlying Mills-Mills Formations
Image courtesy of Gerald Smith
Wiscoy Creek cascade at Mills-Mills Formation Wiscoy Creek cascade at Mills-Mills Formation
Image courtesy of Gerald Smith
Wiscoy Creek at Mills-Mills - Hume Formation Wiscoy Creek at Mills-Mills - Hume Formation
Image courtesy of Gerald Smith
Caneadea Gorge Overlook Caneadea Gorge Overlook
Image courtesy of Gerald Smith
Ausable Chasm Ausable Chasm
Image courtesy of NYS Museum
Napanee Limestone Napanee Limestone
Image courtesy of Museum of Comparative Zoology at Harvard University
Buttermilk Falls State Park Buttermilk Falls State Park
Image courtesy of Bridge and Tunnel Club
Chittenango Falls Chittenango Falls
Image courtesy of Sue Damanski
Cohoes Falls Cohoes Falls
Image courtesy of City of Cohoes
New Baltimore Flute Marks New Baltimore Flute Marks
Image courtesy of Wendy Franklin
Clarksville Cave Clarksville Cave
Image courtesy of Wendy Franklin
Clarksville Cave with Wendy Franklin for scale Clarksville Cave with Wendy Franklin for scale
Image courtesy of Wendy Franklin
Joralemon Park drag fold Joralemon Park drag fold
Image courtesy of Wendy Franklin
Joralemon Park thrust fault Joralemon Park thrust fault
Image courtesy of Wendy Franklin
Small cave at Joralemon Park Small cave at Joralemon Park
Image courtesy of Wendy Franklin
Normanskill Gorge Normanskill Gorge
Image courtesy of Wendy Franklin
Old Plank Road roadcut - Coxsackie Old Plank Road roadcut - Coxsackie
Image courtesy of Wendy Franklin
Rensselaer wildflysch Rensselaer wildflysch
Image courtesy of Wendy Franklin
Barton Garnet Mine Barton Garnet Mine
Image courtesy of William Kelly
Kimberlite Dike, Syracuse City Kimberlite Dike, Syracuse City
Image courtesy of William Kelly, New York State Geological Association Annual Field Trip Guidebooks
Howe Cave Quarry Howe Cave Quarry
Image courtesy of William Kelly, New York State Geological Association Annual Field Trip Guidebooks
Howe Caverns Howe Caverns
Image courtesy of William Kelly, New York State Geological Association Annual Field Trip Guidebooks
Kaaterskill Falls Kaaterskill Falls
Image courtesy of USGS
Kings Falls Deer River Kings Falls Deer River
Image courtesy of Museum of Comparative Zoology at Harvard University
Stairs at Knox Cave Stairs at Knox Cave
Image courtesy of William Kelly, New York State Geological Association Annual Field Trip Guidebooks
Inside Knox Cave Inside Knox Cave
Image courtesy of William Kelly, New York State Geological Association Annual Field Trip Guidebooks
Limestone Rise Limestone Rise
Image courtesy of William Kelly, New York State Geological Association Annual Field Trip Guidebooks
Manorkill Falls Manorkill Falls
Image courtesy of William Kelly, New York State Geological Association Annual Field Trip Guidebooks
Outside McFail's Cave Outside McFail's Cave
Image courtesy of William Kelly, New York State Geological Association Annual Field Trip Guidebooks
Inside McFail's Cave Inside McFail's Cave
Image courtesy of William Kelly, New York State Geological Association Annual Field Trip Guidebooks
Aerial view of Montauk Point Aerial view of Montauk Point
Image by the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation
Montauk Point Montauk Point
Image by the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation
Montour Falls Montour Falls
Image courtesy of the Montour Falls Fire Department
Hot Air Balloon over Niagara Falls Hot Air Balloon over Niagara Falls
Image courtesy of City of Niagara Falls
Niagara Falls Niagara Falls
Image courtesy of City of Niagara Falls
Niagara Falls Tour Boat Niagara Falls Tour Boat
Image courtesy of City of Niagara Falls
Niagara Whirlpool Niagara Whirlpool
Image courtesy of John Rozell with the NYS Office of Parks, Recreation, and Historic Preservation
Onesquethaw Cave Onesquethaw Cave
Image courtesy of Northeastern Cave Conservancy, Inc.
Starks Knob Starks Knob
Image courtesy of William Kelly, New York State Geological Association Annual Field Trip Guidebooks
Taughannock Falls Taughannock Falls
Image courtesy of William Kelly, New York State Geological Association Annual Field Trip Guidebooks
Taughannock Falls Taughannock Falls State Park
Kimberlitic Dike - Marcellus Kimberlitic Dike - Marcellus
Image courtesy of William Kelly, New York State Geological Association Annual Field Trip Guidebooks