Spring Break 2015: Devonian Gorge

I spent my Spring Break in Eastern Iowa.

This is an area I am pretty familiar with, but did get to see a few things that i hadn't seen before.

One was the Devonian Fossil Gorge just outside of Iowa City.

Iowans remember very well the Flood of 1993, as well as the Flood of 2008.

It was these two events that revealed the Gorge.

Per the city's website: The overflow washed away tons of soil, huge trees, and part of our road. When the waters receded the 375-million-year-old fossilized Devonian ocean floor was revealed.

If you are like me, and only know your Prehsitoric eras from Blockbuster movies made of them like me, the Devonian era was called "The Age of Plants".

As most if not all animals were still in the sea and yet to make it to land, well, of course, it was the Age of Plants right.

I can't recommend making a trip from wherever you are to go here, but if you are in the area, you should go.

The lake area has everything you would normally love in a lake area- opportunities to fish, picnic and hike, but has this additonal area to hike and climb through this unique area.

I have been told that it's not as good as it once was (due to public abuse), but you can still see some cool fossils, of that era's corals and fronds.

Well worth the time. We took a lot of pictures, which I will have to post when i get the chance. Also, it probably doesn't look like much, but it is a dried out gorge where the Park Service has marked off 10-15 of the most recognizable points marked off.

Trip Advisor has plenty of pics too in the meantime.

This photo of Devonian Fossil Gorge is courtesy of TripAdvisor

It is interesting to note that Iowa was once a tropial paradise and was once in the Southern Hemisphere.

I could use some tropical paradise, mayeb history will repeat.