Oklahoma is currently home to 39 state parks. These parks are located across Oklahoma and showcase a vast array of geological features. In this issue of Oklahoma Rocks! we will visit 5 of these state parks and learn about the specific landscape of each.

Black Mesa State Park

Great news for people who love campground on site that has great to embrace the great outdoors, our fi shing opportunities! The trail to the state is full of many wonderful natural top crosses rocks that record about attractions. Oklahoma is a relatively 115 Myr of the panhandle’s geologic low state, with the high point only history and ends on a lava fl ow that being 4,973 feet above sea level at erupted only 5 Myr ago. Five million the Black Mesa Nature Preserve. This years ago, a volcano 35-miles west preserve encompasses roughly 1,600 of present-day Black Mesa erupted, acres of land traced with trails for the lava fl owed east, away from its visitors to enjoy. Rare fl ora and fauna are prevalent, including 23 rare plants eruption point and left a different type and eight rare animal species. This is of meandering line on the primarily because the Rocky Mountain biome Between 1935 and 1942, J.W. Stovall sedimentary landscape. Geologically meets with that of the prairies. Most was working at the fl edgling Oklahoma speaking, fi ve million years is a very of the animals here are at the limits Museum of Natural History and opened short time. Erosion is continuous, but of their natural habitats, making the 17 dinosaur bone quarries in this area; the rates at which rocks erode can area truly unique. For those that love one is along Hwy 325 southeast of the vary drastically. At the time the lava nature, but would rather not be“in it”, preserve. In this quarry alone, 3,500 erupted, it was at the bottom of a there is a 4.2-mile one-way road that bones were discovered, including valley. However, the rock that created illustrates the beauty and diversity of those from Apatosaurus, Stegosaurus, the valley was much more susceptible the preserve. On the trail, visitors will Saurophaganax Maximus (Oklahoma’s to weathering and erosions than the begin in the Sloan Canyon Formation State Fossil), and others. The University lava fl ow. As the“softer”walls of the and Sheep Pen Sandstone (Triassic of Oklahoma is currently assisting in canyon eroded, the bottom stayed age, 251-199 million years [Myr]) that the excavation of a new quarry. as it was. The erosion continued but are rich in small fossils like dinosaur the lava fl ow resisted weathering teeth and small bones. The beds The fi nal section of bedding exposed and erosion. The lava fl ow is still then transition into sand dunes of on the preserve trail is three prominent the Jurassic Exeter Formation, which Cretaceous Period layers: Cheyenne resisting today, as the highest point in gives way to the Jurassic Morrison Sandstone, Kiowa Shale, and Dakota Oklahoma. Dakota Sandstone, which is Formation. The Morrison Formation Sandstone. The most interesting of 105 Myr, holds secrets of ancient river was deposited in lakes and by slow- these is the Cheyenne Sandstone beds and even dinosaur footprints. moving, silt heavy rivers. This gradual because of the petrified logs that There is also the outlaw hideout and consistent deposition allowed a can be up to 85 feet long! Also, if at Robbers Roost that was used by diverse collection of smaller bones and one day is not enough to explore at Captain William Coe and his band of teeth to be preserved. the Black Mesa, there is a beautiful outlaws in the 1860’s!

Lake Eufaula State Park

There is something refreshingly have a larger zooplankton population, longer carry their gold. So, they buried special about jumping into cool water more total phosphorus, higher piles of gold and valuables under the on a hot summer day. Many people chlorophyll risk, and excess lakeshore rock and marked it with a turtle and a in Oklahoma live on or near a large disturbance. Lakes commonly exhibit triangle. Some interpreters believe that body of water.“Hey do you want to more total mercury and methylmercury, these symbols meant“disaster” which go to the lake on Saturday?”friends which is a dangerous type of mercury would make sense because the Native invitingly ask. However, that is not pollution. When mercury is released, it American legend ends with all of the always where they go. They actually go eventually settles into the bottom of settlers dying from sickness. to man-made reservoirs! Lakes occur the drainage basin. Bacteria in the water This year, Oklahoma received record naturally in fi ve major regions of the can then change the already dangerous amounts of rain and the reservoirs were United States: the Upper Midwest, mercury into methylmercury, which is affected by the influx of fl ow. Boaters Northern Appalachians, Temperate then absorbed by tiny organisms. were leery of going out on the lake Planes, Coastal Planes, and the Western because of the shift in underwater trees Mountains. Lakes are formed over long In 1964, the United States Corps of and not being familiar with where the spans of time, and their history stems Engineers completed a 975-meter long beaches began. Fish spawning times from a geological standpoint. On the dam, stoppering the Canadian River in were affected which altered the usual other hand, reservoirs are man-made Eufaula, Oklahoma. This dam would hold routine of folks who were fi shing. On and their history is recent enough to be over four hundred square kilometers the shore, new bedding was exposed documented on paper. Reservoirs can of water back to create Eufaula Lake. and small fossilized snails, cephalopods, be created for a variety of reasons, like Now known as Lake Eufaula, it is a and brachiopods are prevalent all along generating renewable energy from the popular recreational attraction, boating, the lakeshore. Reservoir or lake, Eufaula dam, or regulating water for irrigation water sports, fi shing, and camping are has many opportunities to visit, stay, purposes, or even protecting structures common attractions. Years ago, before and learn! downstream that are in the fl ood plain. the water levels rose drastically due to Areas that do not receive enough the dam, there was a large sandstone rainfall to support crop growth on their boulder called“Standing Rock.” Some own can take advantage of reservoirs people say it was 25 feet tall, while by minimizing water fl ow during wet others exclaim it was over 60 feet of seasons and increasing the water level. rock standing straight up into the air. On the other hand, during a time of The legend of“Standing Rock” goes drought, the reservoir can let out more back to the very fi rst white settlers in water so that the communities below the region. Tribal stories tell of many do not experience as intense of a dry Spanish settlers coming into the area season. Compared to lakes, reservoirs and becoming so sick that they could no

OC-SPAD1014115009 Little Sahara State Park

Maybe the Saharan Desert is a little The migration of the dunes have under 10 are free! You can bring your too far away for a weekend trip, but caused US Highway 287 to be moved own, or rent a buggy from an outside good news! There are natural sand east three times since 1940. Geologists vendor. dunes in Little Sahara State Park that is have measured the migration of the Little Sahara is equipped with RV located in northeast Oklahoma, south dunes to be a foot per year. Little hook up sites and 143 tent sites with of Waynoka. The Little Sahara’s sand Sahara was originally a city park founded in the early 1950s before basic amenities like showers and dunes are one of the most unique, becoming a state park in the 1960s. electricity. scenic areas in the State of Oklahoma. The dunes fromed about 11,000 Little Sahara is known as one of the years ago. This was the end of the best ATV riding spots in the Midwest! Angle of Repose Experiment. Riding dune buggies is the best way Pleistocene epoch. Glaciers reaching The angle of repose is the angle that to see the state park. There are over down through North America went sediment grains can rest at. Sand has as far down as Kansas. Rivers formed 1,600 acres of dunes dedicated to off-roading. Sand dunes at Little a very unique angle of repose of 30 by glacier runoff meandered into the Sahara can reach heights of 75 feet! to 35 degrees. When you visit Little Gulf of Mexico. The Cimarron River The park brings in over 100,000 Sahara State Park, you can measure in Oklahoma was formed during off-road vehicles each year. It costs the angle yourself! this time. The deposits this ancient only $10 a day for drivers and Cimarron River left behind were quartz passengers that visit to drive on the sand that the dunes are made up of. sand dunes, and passengers

Roman Nose State Park Roman Rose State Park is a 540-acre Big, and Middle Springs at the park state park located in central Blaine are natural springs from groundwater County just outside Watonga. The state seeping through the rock formations. park is within the Roman Nose Canyon At the end of the Permian Period the Valley system. It is one of the seven deposits were elevated above sea level original Oklahoma State Parks. The park and rivers and streams eroded canyon offers a wide range of activities like an and valley features into the area. 18-hole golf course, swimming pools, hiking trails, two lakes, trout fi shing Sink holes occur in the area as well, they (in season), canoeing, paddle boats, form because groundwater dissolves rock mountain biking, horse stables and producing caves and the overlying rock hayrides by reservation. collapses. shallow sea extending up from the Gulf Roman Nose is also home to some of Mexico. Sediment was deposited 1) What are some other uses for gypsum caves. At Big Spring, rain water into the shallow sea. The deposited gypsum? The chemical formula for falling in the area above the spring seeps sediment became shale rock. When the into the ground and dissolves some of gypsum is CaSO4 · 2H2O or hydrated sea evaporated large deposits of gypsum, the underlying gypsum to form caves. calcium sulfate. Does your bread The caves are sources for springs which anhydride, and dolomite formed. Clam or toothpaste at home contain emerge on hillsides and form springs; shell fossils are often found in the shale gypsum? at Big Spring, hundreds of gallons per and salt layers. 2) Use resources such as books and minute of highly gypsiferous water fl ows Underground water seeps through to the surface 24-7. the Internet to learn where gypsum cracks and reaches the evaporite is found, what it looks like, and 220 million years ago the land where deposits. The water dissolved the salts how it’s used by humans. the state park now lies was under a and creates caves and chasms. Little,

Great Salt Plains State Park

The Great Salt Plains State Park lies about 8 miles crystals. Adjacent to the dig is a dammed saltwater north of Jet, OK, and serves as a gathering place to lake, which, amazingly, is home to numerous species enjoy all of nature’s wonder. The state park lies right of freshwater fi sh such as channel catfish and saugeye. next to the Great Salt Plains Lake, a tourist attraction The lake has been prone to mass fi sh kills, due to a for all sportsmen who partake in boating, fi shing, reduced water level, and consequential higher brine or other watersports. However, the state park is not concentration. Most of the lake is not suitable for only good for sportsmen as the Salt Plains hold a watersports, as it has an average depth of four feet, treasure trove for the geologically inclined. The Great which would be dangerous to operate many large Salt Plains has its quirks, such as the management marine motors in. However, closer to the dam, the lake actually encouraging visitors to take home an is much deeper and suitable for more high-octane hourglass selenite crystal as a souvenir. The crystals, in they’re inviting people to come take the crystals activities. their purest form, are made from a mineral known as home?”While this is a completely reasonable question As bright and fun as the Great Salt Plains State Park gypsum, (CaSO 2H O) or Calcium Sulfate Dihydrate. 4 2 to ask, it’s not a concern the park has because and surrounding area are, the history of the area is just The two water molecules in its chemical formula are new crystals are grown every day by the saline as interesting. This is because the land was granted to what make gypsum unique, as without them, the groundwater just a few feet below the surface of the the Cherokee Tribe in the Treaty of New Echota after chemical structure is the same as anhydrite. For those salt bed. When this groundwater comes into contact who are new to geology, gypsum is the second softest years of battles because of the value of salt at the time. with gypsum, new crystals are seeded, and as the The Cherokees petitioned for the opportunity to lease material on Moh’s hardness scale. Gypsum is so soft, water evaporates the gypsum is left behind, growing in fact, that its surface can be scoured by keratin, the the Salt Plains to private investors, but this venture fell the crystals. The real attraction to these crystals comes through, and the area was converted into a state park. material your fi ngernails are made of. not from how they were formed, or why they formed, but the shape they formed into, as Oklahoma’s Great The original layer of selenite is suspected to have 1) Go online and read more about the been formed when the water level of a shallow Salt Plains is the only documented area in the world that selenite crystals in the shape of an hourglass can Great Salt Plains. This is one of the ocean repeatedly rose and receded many years ago. few natural places where visitors are Obviously, in present day Northern Oklahoma, the be found. This makes the crystal dig area one of the most popular attractions of the plains. encouraged to collect souvenirs – in this crystals no longer have an ocean to recede and leave case hourglass selenite, Oklahoma’s a thin layer of salt behind to help them grow and While the Salt Plains Crystal Dig is the most famous State Crystal. What are Oklahoma’s replenish. Because of this, someone might ask,“Why attraction of the park, the area has plenty of activities State Fossil and State Rock? isn’t the park worried about crystal depletion, since for a family day trip if one gets tired of digging for

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