Geoheritage Site Resource Collection

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has identified 55 significant geologic sites in the U.S which demonstrate geoheritage values. Visit the Geoheritage Sites of the Nation Explorer and search the collection of educational resources below to learn about specific geoheritage sites.

What is Geoheritage?

Think about a place that holds meaning for you. Why is this place important to you? When did you first go there? Is it a place that attracts a lot of people? What about it makes you (and others) want to keep going back?

Geoheritage refers to geological features and sites that hold significant value (Geoheritage Values Summary) and not only help us understand Earth’s history, but also offer a window into human history. In Virginia, diverse geological formations across the state have impacted human settlements in many ways that align with geoheritage values.

A map of Virigina with each of its physiographic provinces in a different color and labeled (from west to east, they are: Appalachian Plateau, Valley and Ridge, Blue Ridge, Piedmont, which contains some Mesozoic Basin, and coastal plains).

For example, the Blue Ridge Mountains, rich with mineral resources in some of the oldest rocks in the U.S., have significantly impacted the people who live in and around them. Geographically, the mountains acted as a natural barrier, isolating communities and shaping the development of Appalachian culture with its own distinct traditions, folklore, and music. The region’s abundant forests and natural beauty has also made it a major part of Virginia’s tourism industry, attracting visitors for outdoor activities such as hiking, camping, and sightseeing. Furthermore, the mountains continue to influence environmental conservation efforts, highlighting the region’s importance in preserving natural resources for future generations.

Geoheritage Site List

Click here to view the complete list of U.S. geoheritage sites. Sites that are green have associated educational resources in the database below.

U.S. Disticts and Territories:

American Samoa: Vai’ava Strait of Pola Island, National Park of American Samoa
Guam: Ritidian Point, Guam National Wildlife Refuge
Puerto Rico: La Coca Falls, El Yunque National Forest
Virgin Islands: Ram Head, Virgin Islands National Park
Washington, DC: Pulpit Rock, Rock Creek Park

U.S. States:

Alabama: Little River Canyon, Little River Canyon National Preserve
Alaska: Exit Glacier, Kenai Fjords National Park
Arizona: The Great Unconformity, Grand Canyon National Park
Arkansas: The Giant Flowstone of Blanchard Springs Caverns, Ozark-St. Francis National Forest
California: Devils Postpile, Devils Postpile National Monument
Colorado: Marsh-Felch Quarry, Garden Park Fossil Area
Connecticut: The Truants’ Meadow outcrop, Weir Farm National Historical Park
Delaware: Wissahickon Formation of the Delaware Piedmont, First State National Historical Park
Florida: Hammock Sink, Apalachicola National Forest
Georgia: Cumberland Island Salt Marsh, Cumberland Island National Seashore
Hawaii: Kilauea Caldera, Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park
Idaho: Sheep Rock, Payette National Forest
Illinois: Camel Rock, Shawnee National Forest
Indiana: West Beach Dunes, Indiana Dunes National Park
Iowa: Hanging Rock, Effigy Mounds National Monument
Kansas: Flint-rich limestone, Tallgrass Prairie National Reserve
Kentucky: Cumberland Gap, Cumberland Gap National Historical Park
Louisiana: Wolf Rock Cave, Kisatchie National Forest
Maine: Cadillac Mountain, Acadia National Park
Maryland: Catoctin Mountain , Catoctin Mountain Park
Massachusetts: Race Point Beach, Cape Cod National Seashore
Michigan: Monument Rock, Isle Royale National Park
Minnesota: Tar Point, Voyageurs National Park
Mississippi: Ship Island, Gulf Islands National Seashore
Missouri: Cowards Hollow, Mark Twain National Forest

Montana: Pompeys Pillar, Pompeys Pillar National Monument
Nebraska: Scotts Bluff, Scotts Bluff National Monument
Nevada: Great Basin Curvilinear Style Petroglyph, Hickison Petroglyph Recreation Area
New Hampshire: Tuckerman Ravine, White Mountain National Forest
New Jersey: Passaic Falls, Paterson Great Falls National Historical Park
New Mexico: Dunes of White Sands National Park
New York: Wilderness Beach, Fire Island National Seashore
North Carolina: Looking Glass Rock, Pisgah National Forest
North Dakota: Two-Top Mesa and Big Top Mesa, Dakota Prairie Grasslands|National Natural Landmark
Ohio: The Ritchie Ledges, Cuyahoga Valley National Park
Oklahoma: Bromide Hill, Chickasaw National Recreation Area
Oregon: Metolius Balancing Rocks, Deschutes National Forest
Pennsylvania: Devil’s Den, Gettysburg National Military Park
Rhode Island: Price Neck Formation, Sachuest Point National Wildlife Refuge
South Carolina: Weston Lake, Congaree National Park
South Dakota: Sod Tables of the Badlands, Badlands National Park
Tennessee: Cades Cove, Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Texas: Guadalupe Peak, Guadalupe Mountains National Park
Utah: Landscape Arch, Arches National Park
Vermont: Deer Leap Rock, Green Mountain National Forest
Virginia: Mather Gorge, Great Falls Park
Washington: Mount St. Helens, Gifford Pinchot National
West Virginia: New River Gorge sandstone cliffs, New River Gorge National Park & Preserve
Wisconsin: Devils Island, Apostle Islands National Lakeshore
Wyoming: Old Faithful Geyser, Yellowstone National Park

Strategies for using various resource types with students

Click here for ideas on how to use articles, maps, artwork, videos, music, or data within geoheritage lessons.

Reading:

Search for key vocabulary within the reading that focus on the physical features or geological processes of the area.
Highlight sections of the reading that match with geoheritage values.

Map:

Identify specific geologic features or evidence of processes like erosion, metamorphism, or volcanic eruptions.
Compare and contrast what different maps of the same area show.
Compare and contrast maps between geoheritage sites to see differences in their features.
How does the map help you to understand more about this area?

Artwork:

Compare drawings and photographs from different time periods to describe how the area has changed over time (natural or human impact).
Identify specific geological features or evidence of processes. Are they the focus of the artwork or are they secondary features?
How does the artwork convey how the artist feels about the location?
Create your own artwork of a geoheritage site to convey one or more of the geoheritage values.

Video:

Provide analysis questions to focus students on the main points of the video.
What geologic features or processes are shown or discussed in the video?
How does the content of the video relate to one or more geoheritage value?

Music:

What is the song about? How does it relate to the geoheritage site?
Does the song sound like something you would hear today? How is it similar? Different?
Write another verse to the song to describe the geology of the geoheritage site.

Data:

Describe trends in the data and relate them to a geoscience process, Earth system, geologic feature, and/or human population.
Explain the usefulness of the data: Who would collect this data? Why? For what purpose would they use it? What other data would you collect to help see trends and better understand the area?

Bringing together a collection of resources to understand a geoheritage site:

How does the geoheritage site relate to each of the geoheritage values?
Summarize how the geology of the site has affected the human populations that have lived there over time.
How has what you learned about the geoheritage site changed what you think about it? Would you visit or live there? Why or why not?

Support Materials for Educators

This resource collection was made in partnership with and funding from the U.S. Geological Survey National Cooperative Geologic Mapping Program

Search Geoheritage Resources

You can use any combination of the three tools to sort through and locate resources that will be most helpful to you:

Search bar: Enter specific topics, terms, or resource types you are searching for.
- Examples of topics/terms: environment, eruption, formation, history, sand, volcano
- Resource Types: article, book, collection, data, description, image, lesson, map, press release, report, slide deck, song, summary, video, or website
Geoheritage Sites: Use the drop-down menu to choose a site for which there are resources: Cumberland Gap, Kilauea, Mather Gorge, Mount St. Helens, or White Sands.
Filters: Click the filter bar to expand the window so you can sort resources by Geoheritage Vales, Disciplinary Core Ideas, and/or Crosscutting Concepts.

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