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Oak Hiking Trail
Pere Marquette State Park

Loess formation along the Oak Trail.

| Difficulty: |
Moderate |
| Length: |
1/4 mile |
| Color: |
Pink |
On the Oak Trail, hikers can view the vertical loess (pronounced
'less') soil
formations. Loess is a geologic term that
refers to deposits of silt that have been laid down by wind action called
aeolian activity by geologists.
Loess deposits were formed in areas bordering
glaciers. Large volumes of meltwater flowed from the edges of these glaciers
during the summer carrying sediments formed by the glacier moving over
bedrock. When the weather became colder, the glaciers stopped melting,
exposing huge mud flats. Strong winds sorted the exposed sediments and swept
the finer materials from the flood plain into huge clouds of dust. When the
winds slowed, the silt would blanket the area. The bluffs and hills in the
Pere Marquette area are all covered with loess deposits.
The Oak Trail connects with the Hickory
Trail.
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