Lake and Glacial Deposits

Near South East Street much of the wooded Sanctuary property floods in spring. The trail loop in this section may be impassable for parts of the year, especially after heavy rains.

This low-lying area was the floor of Lake Hitchcock, a large glacial lake that formed when the ice sheets retreated north from Amherst approximately 15,000 years ago. When the ice receded, a polished, scratched and grooved bedrock surface covered by a thin layer of unsorted sediment (known as glacial till) was left. 

Under glacial Lake Hitchcock, fine clay accumulated, making for poor drainage today. The Connecticut Valley 15,000 years ago exhibit at the Beneski Museum of Natural History has a reconstruction of the Amherst region as it appeared when Lake Hitchcock was at its greatest extent. 

Did you know?

Glacial till at the Book and Plow Farm

Glacial Till at the Book and Plow Farm

Glacial till is super common in the area surrounding Amherst College. When farmers cultivate the land, they often come across big clasts that get in the way of planting. If you drive past any local farms, you might notice rows of rocks or even stone walls created by farmers as they carried inconvenient rocks to the edge of their properties.