TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) — A state park in Liberty County received a designation from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection.
Torreya State Park in the city of Bristol was designated as a State Geological Site Monday.
According to a news release provided by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, designated state geological sites are locations the Florida Geological Survey has deemed important to scientific study and the public’s understanding of the state’s geological history.
Torreya State Park was chosen for the designation in part because of the park's Rock Bluff, a steep, tall, limestone bluff that has been exposed by erosion from the Apalachicola River.
Rock Bluff is part of the Torreya Formation and is about 18 million years old.
Marine fossils, including those of the dugong, a large marine mammal related to the manatee, are found in the limestone formations exposed along the Apalachicola River and in the streambeds within the park.
“The exposed rocks preserve valuable information about Florida's geological history,” Florida State Geologist and Florida Geological Survey Director Guy “Harley” Means said in a statement provided by the department of environmental protection.
Torreya State Park: 2576 N.W. Torreya Park Road; Bristol, Fla. 32321
