Page 6 - Explore Arkansas 2020

6P EXPLOREARKANSAS
ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT TO THE ARKANSAS DEMOCRAT-GAZETTE • SUNDAY, JUNE 28, 2020
ARKANSAS DEMOCRAT-GAZETE FILE PHOTO Years and years of weathering has given distinct features to bluffs in the Buffalo River area,
including Lost Valley, which is home to Eden Falls.
LEANNE HUNTER/ARKANSAS DEMOCRAT-GAZETTE Turtle rocks, such as those on Petit Jean State Park’s Seven Hollows Trail, are sandstone forma-
tions weathered to resemble turtle shells.
BY SARAH DECLERK
CREATIVE SERVICES WRITER
From weather-worn bluffs along the Buffalo River to sparkling quartz nestled in the Ouachita Mountains, Arkansas offers an
array of fascinating rocks and rock formations.
“The state has five unique phys- iographic provinces, each with its own geologic history and geologic features,” said Donnally Davis, chief of communications for the Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality. “Every citizen of the state has a vested interest in the geology, as it is always underfoot and provides a surprising variety of resources.”
Here are a handful of the unique landscapes and minerals that can be found in Arkansas.
WHITAKER POINT
Travelers in the Ozark Mountains are sure to see a number of sandstone and limestone bluffs that were formed by streams and rivers dissecting the landscape over the ages, Davis said, adding that weathering processes such as freezing and thawing create outcroppings, natural bridges and other distinct features.
One of the state’s most photo- graphed bluffs is Whitaker Point in the Upper Buffalo Wilderness. Accessible by trail, the bluff has weathered into the shape of a hawk’s beak, earning it the nickname Hawksbill Crag. Hik- ers and floaters can view many other unique bluffs along the Buffalo River, including the Narrows, Lost Valley, Skull Rock and Elephant Head Rock.
PEDESTAL ROCKS
The top-heavy Pedestal Rocks in the Ozark-St. Francis National
Forest near Russellville are among the eye-catching formations that have emerged from the sandstones. According to the Arkansas Geological Survey, the caps of the rocks were protected by a layer of iron, while the unprotected stems were eroded by water seeping under the cap. Geology buffs can view the rocks by hiking the Pedestal Rocks Trail at the Pedestal Rock Scenic Area, which also offers the Kings Bluff Trail to a flat-topped bluff with a waterfall.
NATURAL BRIDGES
Weathering also creates natural bridges, such as the Natural Bridge of Arkansas near Clinton and the natu- ral bridge on the Seven Hollows Trail at Petit Jean State Park in Morrilton. Formed at the top of a tributary to Rose Creek, the Seven Hollows bridge was shaped by water moving down- ward and sideways through gaps in the rock. As the gaps widened, large chunks of stone fell away, creating the arch structure, Davis said.
TURTLE ROCKS
Petit Jean’s Seven Hollows Trail also offers an example of turtle rocks, sand- stone structures that resemble turtle shells. Turtle rocks are surrounded by joints in the rock that become deep- er and wider as water passes through them, Davis said, adding that addi- tional weathering rounds the sharp corners of the joints and gives turtle rocks their spherical shape.
CRYSTAL MINES
Most of the quartz crystal in Arkansas, the official state mineral, can be found in the Quartz Belt
ROCK ON
The Natural State offers an assortment of interesting geological features