We have known about the The Badlands for years, but it is only recently that it has installed a parking lot, a boardwalk & a viewing platform. Prior to this, the area has been fenced off with security keeping watch. So as part of our Summer Manifesto of wandering, we wandered over recently to take a closer look at some good examples of bad land ... "let us wander where the WIFI is weak"
The exposed bedrock at the Cheltenham Badlands is Queenston Shale, and this iron-rich shale was deposited over 400 million years ago, when the area was part of sea bed. The shale has eroded into a series of hummocks and gullies, producing the distinctive landscape due to the removal of vegetation during land clearing and livestock grazing in the early 1900s.
The striking landscape of the Cheltenham Badlands is one of Ontario’s geological treasures and is one of the best examples of badland topography in the province. Today, the Cheltenham Badlands is recognized as a provincially significant Earth Science Area of Natural and Scientific Interest. It is owned by Ontario Heritage Trust and managed by Credit Valley Conservation Authority. Wikipedia.Badlands
What an unusual landscape, I can definitely see why it is part of a conservation area. What a great place to discover.
ReplyDeleteIt was nice to be one of the first to walk on the boardwalk & viewing platform, before all those that will want to leave their mark. It was really neat to see this close up.
DeleteI wondered when I read the title of your blog post how these would compare to the Badlands in South Dakota. When we were there about 11 years ago, it had been a very wet spring, and the Badlands were covered with wild flowers and a lot of green grass. The ranger told us we were viewing a very unusual scene. Nonetheless, the Badlands of Ontario are still much more green! The rolling earth is reminiscent, though. Great photos; such an interesting post!
ReplyDeleteThanks Karen. I have visited the Badlands of Alberta, close to the American border - they found dinosaurs there. It would be interesting to visit South Dakota's to compare - umm maybe there's a theme for travel - visit all the badlands of the world.
DeleteI've never heard of this area before, so thank-you - and such great photos. Such vibrant earth colour contrasting with the trees; amazing to think it was once the seabed ...
ReplyDeleteIt always astounds me the variance of the typography & geography of Ontario. I think my ideal summer road trip would be to drive all over Ontario to see the vastness & variance, which I'm sure could be said/done for every province of Canada.
DeleteThat landscape looks fascinating and somewhere I'd love to explore!
ReplyDeleteIt was quite an intense sunny morning & the red earth just radiated the heat, my photos don't show it but there was little heat waves rising from the earth.
DeleteI love it when people make the effort to preserve such distinctive environments. You got great photos!
ReplyDeleteThanks. Why it has taken some of us so long to tune into nature & the care of it, is beyond me, but better late than never.
DeleteMy daughter and her husband were there for a visit. I had no idea there were places like that so close to home.
ReplyDeleteIt always surprises me some of the local points of interest. We have a couple more to visit that are within an hour's drive.
DeleteLooks an interesting landscape. Our soil is that colour around here due to the red ochre. I note a change of title for Thursdays. Is that permanent?
ReplyDeleteJuly I have deemed as my month of playing with changes. Maggie do you think it's more of an encouraging meme name?
DeleteNice snapshots. I like that "let us wander where the WIFI is weak" is a sentiment similar to what I have on a page about hiking. The hike was several years ago, the page finished just yesterday. Time to plan some more hikes so I can get more fab pictures like yours!
ReplyDeleteMr Man often says that some of our wanderings are just for the scrapbook opportunities - he's probably right on that :)
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