Hey friends! I am back with another exciting collaboration post brought to you by the Ottawa Valley Tourist Association and Time in the Valley. This post focuses on recreational geology in the Ottawa Valley. What is recreational geology? It is basically another phrase for amateur rock exploration. Did you know that there are a plethora of ways to partake in recreational geology in the Ottawa Valley? Let’s hop to it then and get this show on the road!
Spelunking in the Bonnechere Caves
Before we go into any great detail about the Bonnechere Caves, we must first define what the heck is spelunking. Spelunking, or caving, is “the exploration of caves, especially as a hobby.” (Source: Oxford Languages). This type of recreational geology can be done at the Bonnechere Caves, located in Eganville. The Bonnechere Caves is now officially open for the season as of the Victoria Day long weekend. Another fun fact is that it is family-owned and operated.
My mom and I went for a visit to the Bonnechere Caves during opening weekend and you could say…it ROCKED. Sorry, I couldn’t help myself. But seriously, it was pretty darn neat. At the lowest part of the cave, we were under approximately 90 feet of limestone. Which is both cool and daunting to think about! While we were in the cave you could see different Ordovician fossils in the rock walls. Some almost looked like an impression from rebar or something like that, but it was in fact a cephalopod. I should also add that in the lowest part of the cave, the temperature stays consistent at 8 to 10 degrees Celsius, which makes it an excellent place to cool down when your air conditioner is on the fritz!
When you are done exploring the caves, be sure to check out the sinkhole. Simply follow the signs and you cannot miss it! The whole area is truly a geological wonder!
If you have time before your tour, I highly recommend spending some time next to the Bonnechere River and marvelling in the Fourth Chute of the Bonnechere River.
Our tour was self-guided, but they will be going back to guided tours in the coming weeks. I highly recommend exploring the Bonnechere Caves! It is likely one of the more unique places I have ever visited. For more information check out their website here or their Facebook page here.
Interpretation at the Bonnechere Museum
Located in the heart of Downtown Eganville, the Bonnechere Museum has a wealth of knowledge on fossils & geological history, amongst other things. Bonnechere Museum is operated by the Bonnechere Arts and Historical Society, which is a community-based, volunteer organization. For those people with a pension for natural history, the Bonnechere Museum is the place for you. The museum has a fossil collection that includes fossils from the Ordovician period. This period was approximately 438 to 510 million years ago. These fossils include graptolites, crinoids, trilobites, cephalopods, gastropods, pelecypods, and brachiopods.
This is an excellent spot to expand your recreational geology knowledge of the Ottawa Valley. From explaining what the heck fossils actually are to explaining where to find more Ordovician fossils, these questions can be answered at Bonnechere Museum. I feel like my nerdy side is starting to show and I am completely okay with that. The Ottawa Valley has such a rich natural history and is the perfect area to partake in some recreational geology. If you ever have an opportunity to check out the Bonnechere Museum, I highly suggest taking the time to explore the exhibits. You never know what you might learn, plus it is fun for the whole family.
From time to time, the Bonnechere Museum also hosts fossil hunts. I think I will definitely be participating in a future fossil hunt as I tried looking for fossils on my own and let\'s just say…it was not a success. There is also something so neat about learning through hands-on experiences like the fossil hunts. Another added bonus to attending the fossil hunts is also learning in a group setting. Personally, I learn more when I’m in a group setting and it is definitely a more enjoyable experience.
Geoheritage Trail
This trail is located fairly close to downtown Eganville. It is situated adjacent to the Bonnechere River and the parking is located on John Street. This is probably one of the more unique trails that I have ever been on, which is saying a lot! This trail is another perfect opportunity to enjoy some recreational geology. This trail “…leads you to an exhibit of rock types, a limestone quarry, a dug trench, a Riverview walk, and fossils.”
I recently decided to venture out onto this trail as I hadn’t yet explored this area. I was blown away! There were loads of picturesque spots, including a view of the “three caves,” and lots of signs letting me know where I was and what were the different sections of the trail. I should mention that this would be a great trail in the summer as there is a large tree canopy and a nice breeze that comes off of the Bonnechere River. The trench is also a neat section of the trail too, although when I was there exploring there was a dead snake right in front of the stairs exiting the trench…no thank you, kind sir, no thank you! All that to say is that while this trail could be considered as being “in town,” you are still very much in nature.
On the Bonnechere Museum’s website, they have a trail map with a large amount of information on the types of rocks & characteristics (igneous, sedimentary and metamorphic), fossils, and pictures of rocks with their descriptions. These rocks are numbered so that you can follow along as you explore the trail. There are different examples of igneous, sedimentary and metamorphic rocks, which is pretty neat to be able to see real-world examples of these rock types rather than just learning textbook definitions. To see the trail map, click here.
As mentioned previously, the Bonnechere Museum organizes fossil hunts from time to time. These fossil hunts take place on the Geoheritage Trail, which is a short jaunt from the museum.
Rockhounding
Another way to enjoy partaking in recreational geology in the Ottawa Valley is by doing some rockhounding and mineral collecting at the Beryl or Rose Quartz Pits with Aqua Rose Gems and Minerals. If sifting and digging through rocks to find buried treasure is your thing, then you will want to head to the Beryl Pit for a self-guided experience in search of amazonite, rose quartz and aquamarine.
Beryl Pit
Beryl Pit has such a lengthy history! No idea what I am talking about? Please allow me to woo you with my research! Beryl Pit was initially discovered in 1897 but wasn’t opened until 1926. Between 1926 and 1950 there were over 450,000 pounds of beryl (concentrate and pegmatite) were mined from the pit.
The Beryl Pit is now for recreational geologists through their collecting-for-a-fee business model. Permits for the Beryl Pit are available for purchase at Kauffeldt’s General Store in Quadeville between May to October.
Rose Quartz Quarry
Rose Quartz Quarry is located a few kilometres west of Beryl Pit. This quarry was also initially opened for beryl mining, however, that endeavour did not prove to be fruitful. The Rose Quartz Quarry is now similar to the Beryl Pit in that it is a collecting-for-a-fee business model. Guided visits to the Rose Quartz Pit, by owners Dave & Renee Patterson, are available through booking an appointment in advance by calling 613.756.1361.
Rockhounding is definitely on my summer bucket list this year as it is becoming abundantly clear to me that I am a bit of a nerd when it comes to recreational geology.
Recreational Geology Special Events
In addition to the recreational geology activities mentioned above, there are also several special events.
The Bonnechere Museum hosts fossil hunts, for more information about the fossil hunts check out their website here.
The Bonnechere Caves hosts a variety of events every summer, which are contingent on public health restrictions. Some of the events that are hosted at the Caves include Cavestock, which is a concert series that takes place on the grounds of the Bonnechere Caves where the proceeds go to the musicians who perform at Cavestock; and underground dining, which is exactly what it sounds like where guests are able to dine within the depths of the Bonnechere Caves. I personally hope that underground dining returns this year. When I was recently at the Bonnechere Caves, there was a mention of the underground dining on one of the informative signs. Here is hoping that this is a good sign and it means that they are set to make their triumphant return - my fingers are crossed.
Upcoming Blog Post
This next series of blog posts is heavily focused on activities that can be done over the summer. I should add that there are several township-based blog posts too, but the vast majority in this upcoming series with the Ottawa Valley Tourist Association are activity-based. I am so darn excited to share them with you!
Pingback: Charming Summer in the Township of Bonnechere Valley - Time in the Valley