Caring for CRYSTAL PARK: Preserving this One-of-a-kind Experience for Future Generations
Rock&Gem Magazine|September 2023
Sometimes after a hard rain, the glint of crystals sparkles as they emerge to the soil surface after spending millions of years deep in the earth. Visitors to Crystal Park in the Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest in Montana stand upon a treasure that amazes rock enthusiasts from around the world.
AMY GRISAK
Caring for CRYSTAL PARK: Preserving this One-of-a-kind Experience for Future Generations
 

A BEGINNING LONG, LONG AGO

"It's been a long-known local spot for probably 50 or 60 years," said Paul Senn, a professional prospector and owner of Montana Crystal Miner who grew up in this area. "Crystal Park is really unique, and it will continue to be if it's treated right."

Erik Torgerson, a minerals specialist with the Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest, commented that the early history of the area is still a mystery. Miners began filtering into the region in the mid1800s. In 1969, the Butte Mineral and Gem Club staked a claim, and a couple of years later, the club and the Forest Service agreed to make it a recreational area. That was its standing until 1993 when an executive order made it an official National Forest recreation area. The order was recently renewed for another 30 years.

The story of Crystal Park began over 72 million years ago with the subduction of the Pacific Ocean floor beneath the continent. "Liquid rock rises up and finds avenues to travel both vertically and laterally," explained Rob Thomas, a geology professor at University of Montana Western in Dillon and coauthor of Roadside Geology of Montana. This is how the magma found its way to Southwest Montana, forming the Pioneer Batholith whose molten granite created the surrounding Pioneer Mountains.

With molten granite between 300 to 600°C, as the rock cooled this super-heated water laden with minerals found its way between fractures in the rock, cooled and crystallized among the widening spaces.

LET THERE BE CRYSTALS

この記事は Rock&Gem Magazine の September 2023 版に掲載されています。

7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トライアルを開始して、何千もの厳選されたプレミアム ストーリー、9,000 以上の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしてください。

この記事は Rock&Gem Magazine の September 2023 版に掲載されています。

7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トライアルを開始して、何千もの厳選されたプレミアム ストーリー、9,000 以上の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしてください。

ROCK&GEM MAGAZINEのその他の記事すべて表示
Rockhounding Ohio's Lake Erie Islands
Rock&Gem Magazine

Rockhounding Ohio's Lake Erie Islands

A short ferry boat ride three miles from Ohio’s Lake Erie coastline is South Bass Island, better known as Put-in-Bay or the “Key West of the North.”

time-read
4 分  |
Rockhound Roadtrip 2024
Iowa's Hidden Treasures
Rock&Gem Magazine

Iowa's Hidden Treasures

Exploring Keokuk Geodes: How They're Made & What's Inside

time-read
5 分  |
Rockhound Roadtrip 2024
Agatized CORAL
Rock&Gem Magazine

Agatized CORAL

Florida's Collectible State Stone

time-read
3 分  |
Rockhound Roadtrip 2024
Rockhounding Florida's Beaches
Rock&Gem Magazine

Rockhounding Florida's Beaches

Beachcombing serene stretches of Florida can reveal fascinating finds like fossilized shark teeth, sea glass, quartz, agate and even coral fragments.

time-read
6 分  |
Rockhound Roadtrip 2024
Collecting Staurolite
Rock&Gem Magazine

Collecting Staurolite

Hot Spots In Virginia & Georgia

time-read
3 分  |
Rockhound Roadtrip 2024
Pecos Valley Diamonds
Rock&Gem Magazine

Pecos Valley Diamonds

New Mexico's Ancient Attraction

time-read
4 分  |
Rockhound Roadtrip 2024
12 Tips for Rockhounding Tucson's Greatest Shows
Rock&Gem Magazine

12 Tips for Rockhounding Tucson's Greatest Shows

Tucson in February becomes the international hub for buying and selling colored gems, rocks, minerals and fossils.

time-read
4 分  |
Rockhound Roadtrip 2024
Turquoise in the American Southwest
Rock&Gem Magazine

Turquoise in the American Southwest

A Water & Sky Souvenir

time-read
4 分  |
Rockhound Roadtrip 2024
Touring Colorado's MINERAL BELT
Rock&Gem Magazine

Touring Colorado's MINERAL BELT

It's a Showcase of Mining History & Minerals

time-read
6 分  |
Rockhound Roadtrip 2024
Geology &Colorado's Taurish Traiks
Rock&Gem Magazine

Geology &Colorado's Taurish Traiks

Most of Colorado’s tourist trains today were originally constructed in the late 1800s to serve the state’s lucrative mining operations.

time-read
4 分  |
Rockhound Roadtrip 2024