You Can Stroll Past Glistening Ice Volcanoes, Towering 20+ Feet High, Within This NY State Park
Sure it may still be summer but before we know it fall will be here followed by winter, and this year we’re actually looking forward to the colder season because it means strolling past glistening ice volcanoes!
Contrary to your traditional volcanoes which are made of rock and magma, the ones at Evangola State Park are instead formed from water and ice and can be found nestled along the eastern end of Lake Erie shoreline.
So yes, while they are only a temporary wintertime spectacle within the park, they are definitely a stunning one!
According to New York State Parks & Historic Sites, the volcanoes are the result of Evangola State Park’s partially frozen lake. The site writes:
When ice begins to form on the water’s surface, powerful winds push large waves towards the shore. As they do, the water is sandwiched between the shore and the ice, creating a buildup of pressure. Eventually with nowhere else to go, this pressure causes the water to burst through cracks in the ice. The resulting spray from this burst freezes on the ice surface, accumulating in the shape of a cone with an open, unfrozen center. With each successive wave, plumes of water erupt from the newly formed ice volcano.
The craziest part: some of the volcanoes can measure upwards of 20 feet tall!
Occasionally the ice may build up in the shape of a cone but lack the open center characteristic that considers it an ice volcano. In this case, these rolling hills of ice are instead called ice-dunes.
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While the natural phenomenon is pretty spectacular and you’ll likely want to get a closer look, it’s important you take caution as the shelf ice on the lake where these structures form can be extremely unsafe. Visitors are strongly advised against venturing too close to the ice volcanoes.
The good news is you can explore the volcanoes with a guide–NY State Parks sometimes leads guided snowshoe walks through forested trails of Evangola before heading to the ice volcanoes to explore.
Beyond the ice volcanoes, wintertime visitors can enjoy three major trail systems within the park for cross-country skiing, snowmobiling, snowshoeing, and more.
Evangola State Park – 110 Evangola State Park Rd, Irving, NY 14081
~7 hours
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