Alum Bluff in Liberty County has been officially recognized as Florida’s first State Invertebrate Paleontological Site and the ninth State Geological Site. The designation was announced by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), which highlighted the site’s geological and paleontological significance.
Alum Bluff is located within The Nature Conservancy’s Apalachicola Bluffs and Ravines Preserve, rising about 120 feet above the Apalachicola River. Erosion at the site has exposed layers of fossil-bearing limestone, sand, silt, and clay, making it one of the most diverse fossil sites in the southeastern United States.
“Alum Bluff is the tallest natural exposure in Florida and one of the few places where you can see four different geological formations,” said Florida State Geologist and Florida Geological Survey Director Guy “Harley” Means, P.G. “Each formation contains clues, like diverse and well-preserved fossil assemblages, that help geologists interpret Florida’s geologic history over the past 18 million years. Geologists have been studying the strata exposed at this important site for more than 100 years, and we are still learning new things about it.”
The bluff also features steep-sided ravines known as steepheads that support plant and animal species dating back to the last ice age.
“When The Nature Conservancy acquired the property, now known as Apalachicola Bluffs and Ravines Preserve, in the 1980s, we named it for the unique geologic features, the bluffs and ravines, that motivated the organization to protect this landscape,” said The Nature Conservancy’s Apalachicola Bluffs and Ravines Preserve Manager Catherine Ricketts. “After decades of restoration and management work to conserve the preserve’s biodiversity, The Nature Conservancy is proud to continue to support and protect Florida’s natural heritage with these designations for Alum Bluff from the Florida Geological Survey.”
State Invertebrate Paleontological Sites are designated to safeguard areas with rare or scientifically important invertebrate fossils. State Geological Sites recognize locations where people can learn about Florida’s geology and its relationship with local ecosystems.
Visitors are encouraged to help preserve Alum Bluff by following Leave No Trace principles: remain on marked trails, remove all trash, and avoid disturbing natural or cultural features.
A dedication ceremony was held for Alum Bluff’s new status. Afterward, attendees participated in a boat tour along the Apalachicola River to view its geological formations.
The state geologist is authorized by law to designate sites significant for scientific study of Florida’s geological history. Other designated sites include Jennings Bluff Tract; Torreya State Park; Falling Waters State Park; Edward Ball Wakulla Springs State Park; Florida Caverns State Park; Devil’s Millhopper Geological State Park; Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park; and Windley Key Fossil Reef Geological State Park.
During a ceremony in Liberty County, Guy “Harley” Means presented Alum Bluff’s official designation to Catherine Ricketts.
