Animals that lived 300,000 years ago leave their imprint on Diamond Bluff at the back of Juniper Tree Lodge.
There are several areas on Greer’s Ferry lake that show signs of volcanic activity that occurred more than 300,000 years ago. Two of these areas are the rock formations at the top of Sugarloaf Mountain on the Lake across from Fairfield Bay and the outcrop of rocks that run along the north side of Diamond Bluff at Miller Point. Both of these formations formed at what is currently 1000 feet above sea level.

View from Sugarloaf Mountain

This outcrop of sandstone bluffs that sit just behind Juniper Tree lodge also sit at an elevation of 1000 feet above sea level. This formation has several examples of trace fossils of a crustacean that lived in a shallow sea more than 300,000 years ago. Take a look at several of the photos of the remains of these sea creatures. This means that at one time this bluff and the area around it was at sea level. Many of the flat sandstone rocks that make up the fire pit and retaining walls on the property came from the property as the home was being built and show trace fossils of several different creatures that existed at the same time. The trace fossils in the first couple of pictures on the flat sandstone come from a quarry in North Central Arkansas and date from 350-450 million years ago.
The last 2 photos are of rock that came from this property. He first is an example of the trace impression of the sea floor with sand ripples. The last is actually imbedded in the outer bluff and is of several sea urchins that were trapped during an event that suddenly buried them and preserved this trace image.
There is so much to discover while we are out and walking through nature and the thought of actually touching these images on rocks that were alive more than 300,000 years ago boggles the mind.
Stay tuned for more discoveries and stories of the history of Greers Ferry lake and the nature of the Ozarks.
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