Also, if the weather is a little warmer, be sure to be vigilant of the pads of your dog's paws that can overheat easily in the sand. The trail is off leash dog friendly, but there are no trash cans so please be sure to bag up and pack out the little land mines. Spring (through May) and fall are the best times to visit as summer is scorching hot and the desert becomes riddled with rattle snakes. Consider also walking along the oolite structures to see them all up close. For a view of the Owyhees, head up to the tallest dune from the oolite formations. Once you reach the top of the cliff, you'll be able to see along the stretch of rock formations and from there you can begin exploring. This uphill is all sand (oolites "granules" actually), so take your time. English: Petrified wood from the Shoofly Oolite Formation near Mountain Home, Idaho. The hike from the parking area to the oolites is only a half mile, and about the last 1/8th of that portion is a steep uphill grade. These structures stretch on for as far as you can see, and only a minute portion are included in the article photography.Īccess to the trailhead is very easy any vehicle, even a Prius, can reach it as the road is chip-and-seal the entire route. Situated 200 feet up the interpretive trail stand the oolite rock structures. The two to three car parking area is situated at about and elevation of 3000 feet. Just north of the Owyhee mountain range, these little known oolite rocks have become stunning geological formations free for all to poke around and explore in otherwise flat surroundings. Few other lands in Idaho support such a rich suite of rare species in such a small area.Oolite (egg stone) is a sedimentary rock formed from ooids, spherical grains composed of concentric layers - per Wikipedia. The physical and chemical properties of the Shoofly Oolite provide the foundation for the unique set of plants and fossils found here. Castle, Birch, and Shoofly Creeks, Owyhee County, Idaho. Rivers and fans at the base of the adjacent mountain slopes later deposited a veneer of alluvium over the lake deposits. inset map of the study area, outcrops of the Shoofly oolite are shown by Xs, with the best. Siltstone, deposited by lake waters, forms the stratum above it. The Shoofly Oolite is one of the largest freshwater lakebed oolites known in the world. maps and photos of the Owyhee Uplands Back Country Byway, one of Idahos Scenic Byways. Oolite is sedimentary limestone composed of tiny ooids, which form when calcium carbonate precipitates in concentric layers around individual grains of sand. In some places, the upper surface of the oolite has been sculpted into hummocks, small arches, and other intriguingīeach sands of varying thickness underlie the oolite. The natural sculpture garden is a section of the Glenns Ferry Formation called the Shoofly Oolite. ![]() Small, isolated deposits are exposed discontinuously across the 40 miles between this spot and Murphy. The Shoofly Oolite is one of the largest freshwater. Wave action that varied with the seasons, the weather, and the types of sediment in the water washed the ooids back and forth in the shallows on the southwestern side of Lake Idaho, depositing them from 2 to 40 feet thick on steeper benches near the shore.Įrosion carried away softer siltstone and volcanic tuffs but left the more resistant oolite to weather above the mud flats. October, 20 Owyhee Backcountry Byway, Idaho Antonia Hedrick Shoofly Oolite The natural sculpture garden is a section of the Glenns Ferry Formation called the Shoofly Oolite. Most other examples of ooid formation and deposition are found in wave-agitated sea waters or on the beds of much saltier lakes. The Shoofly Oolite is one of the largest freshwater lakebed oolites known in the world. Phone number, Photo, Opening hour, Payment method and Map details of Shoofly. Oolite (egg stone) is sedimentary limestone composed of tiny ooids, which form when calcium carbonate precipitates in concentric layers around individual grains of sand. Shoofly Oolite is a Historical landmark located in Grand View, Idaho, US. This geologic formation is called the Shoofly Oolite.
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