Leaf Hill

This hill contains preserved remains from a 30 million year old hardwood forest. Certain hill layers of shale are abundant with plant fossils. The shale was formed about 33 million years ago from lake-deposited volcanic ash. The fossil collection includes 35 species, most of which belong to genera that are no longer native to the Pacific Northwest. It is dominated by broad- leaved, deciduous types such as alder, maple, beech, and an extinct hornbeam. The collection also includes rose, oak, grape, elm, one fern specimen, and conifers such as "dawn" redwood and pine.