Jay Peak	39 MILES	3861′
Gore Mtn.	25 MILES	3330′
Monadnock Mtn.	29 MILES	3140′
Haystack Mtn.	35 MILES	3223′
Belvidere Mtn.	34 MILES	3360′
Willoughby Lake	15 MILES
Bold Mtn.	15 MILES	3315′
Mount Mansfield	44 MILES	4393′
Stone Mtn.	11 MILES	2753′
Mount Washington	35 MILES	6288′
Camels Hump	50 MILES	4085′
Mount Ascutney	80 MILES	3144′

THE GEOLOGY OF DARLING STATE PARK

By HARRY W. DODGE, JR.

INTRODUCTION

Darling State Park, located in northeastern Vermont (see map, “Burke Mountain,” Fig. 1), offers outstanding opportunities to the camper, picnicker, hiker, view-seeker and winter sportsman. On a clear day the top of Burke Mountain offers a most spectacular view of northeastern Vermont and such distant points as Mount Ascutney (located on the Connecticut River, some 80 miles as the crow flies, to the south). Other prominent peaks that may be seen are Camels Hump (50 miles southwest), Mount Mansfield (44 miles west), Jay Peak (39 miles northwest), and Mount Washington (the highest Peak in the New England States and the northeast, which is located in New Hampshire some 47 miles southeast of Burke Mountain). For the traveler, the view from Burke Mountain reveals “where he has been” and where he might “next go.” See Figure 1 for the location of points which can be seen from the overlooks atop Burke Mountain.

Both the professional and amateur naturalist will find Darling State Park extremely interesting. This pamphlet is devoted primarily to the geology of the park, but the fauna and flora of this area present the visitor with days of interesting studies. It is hoped that in the near future pamphlets describing these aspects of Darling State Park will be published.

THE GEOLOGY OF THE PARK

Before discussing the more detailed aspects of the geology of Darling State Park, certain basic geologic concepts must be explained. But, even before such a discussion, it might be best to clarify the position of geology among the many other, and oftentimes interrelated, sciences.

The basic reason for the science of geology might be said to be twofold; one is economic, the other related to Man’s basic curiosity. In the first, the geologist through the use of his knowledge of the earth’s rocks, 4 locates those indispensable minerals and fuels without which our advanced society and technology could not exist. In the second, the geologist tries to unlock the many mysteries within the earth’s crust merely to satisfy a thirst for knowledge and to pass such knowledge on to his fellow man. These two basic reasons complement each other and allow continued advancements in geology, both as a pure science and as a primary economic aid to the nation.

As found in most spheres of present-day scientific endeavor, the geologist relies heavily on other related sciences for insight into problems at hand. A basic knowledge, and oftentimes an advanced knowledge, of physics, chemistry, mathematics and zoology, to name only some, are needed before the geologist can approach many of his own problems. It might be obvious to you by now, but a geologist will be certainly included in the first scientific party to journey to the moon and planets.

Within the general science of geology are several branches, to name only a few; paleontology, sedimentology, mineralogy, petrology, stratigraphy, petroleum geology, and structural geology. Each of these branches or specialty-areas contributes basic data for the overall interpretation of the past geologic history of any given geographic area. The historical geologist takes all these clues and attempts to fit the pieces of information together into a picture of past events.

The concept of Geologic Time must be understood before the history of Darling State Park can be unraveled. Usually we think of time in terms of minutes, hours, days, weeks, months and years. The geologist thinks and talks in terms of millions or even billions of years. Time units as short as hundreds of years are impossible to distinguish in the past history of the Earth. When it is realized that the earth is probably 4 to 6 billion (4,000 to 6,000 million) years old, and the record of these years is incomplete, it is easy to understand why the geologist speaks in terms of millions of years instead of years. With modern methods of radioactive dating the geologist hopes for finer time definitions in the future.

In short then, the geologist interprets and puts order into millions of years of history which can only be “read” as recorded in the rocks beneath our very feet. Of course, just looking at the rocks does not magically open the book of geologic history. This pamphlet is designed to sharpen your powers of observation and to help you in your interpretation of these observations.